Be sexy but don’t be a slut.

Lose weight, but be curvy.

Be vulnerable, but don’t show emotion.

Be confident, but don’t be a bitch.

Be authentic, but don’t show too much.

Be ready to please, but don’t give your power away.

Be smart, but not too smart.

Be natural, but shave your body hair.

Be strong, but stay soft.

Be bold, but stay silent.

Be original, but don’t be too much.

Be tame, but also a freak.

To be a lady they said…

Impossible.

Here’s some thoughts about how we can come into a life of wholeness + authenticity as women👇

When we embrace our shadow and befriend our body, we start to unravel the conditioning + break free from all these societal “norms” and “shoulds” of the “role” of a woman.

These layers of programming keep us stuck and disconnected from what’s raw, real, and authentically ours – the intelligence of our animal body + the intuition  of our heart, in other words the wisdom of our authentic embodied Self.

These rules and impossible expectations create inner pressure, cycles of self-doubt, protective fragmentation, nervous system dysregulation and dis-ease. It’s no wonder that 80% of people with autoimmune are women, or that we are twice as likely to develop PTSD.

Somatic shadow work invites us to get compassionately curious and courageously vulnerable, feeling into what we’ve been taught to ignore- our inner voice and the felt sense of our wise animal body.

This is where embodied transformation begins. 

It’s a journey of being guided by sacred rage, confronting our hidden fears, and allowing ourselves to grieve unmet needs and wounds. This makes space for contacting our deepest desires, the wisdom of our body, and bringing home those orphaned parts of Self we may have once hidden to belong, be loved, to stay safe and connected.

It’s in our human animal nature to share, care, and belong to our herd, and at the same time, fitting in to a toxic tight little distorted BOX is not the same thing as truly belonging to an embracing community, just for being you. 

You belong here just as you are. 

You belong for being YOU.

There’s nothing you have to do, to prove your worth.

It’s ok to disappoint others sometimes, so you can tend and befriend your SELF.

When we begin to untangle these emotional wounds and unravel the societal shoulds, we step into a life of wholeness, liberation, authenticity, and deep self intimacy + enoughness.

We begin to accept ourselves fully, just as we are without the need to be externally validated – that’s freedom🩷

What parts of you are wanting to be witnessed? What might you need to feel safe enough to express + give them voice?

check out this video that always brings me to tears on YouTube