08 April 2017

Let Your Pit Hair Grow...Or Not

It amazes me that people get so freaked out about body hair.  As if it's some sort of aberration that it dares to grow where it was biologically programmed to grow.  What is the big deal?!?!

Back in college I stepped into an elevator and, before looking up, saw a set of very hairy legs (dark hair on pale legs).  When I looked up and realized they were attached to a female (who lived on my floor in the dorm) I thought, "I wish I was brave enough to grow out my leg hair like that."

A few years later I went to Ghana, West Africa, to do two years of Peace Corps service.  Given the scarcity of water and how easy it was to pick up small infections that could turn deadly, I knew I wasn't going to shave my legs while I was there (even little shaving nicks or ingrown hairs could become host to infections).  I haven't shaved them since.  It's been 16 years and I've never looked back or felt like I owed it to anyone to do something I didn't want to do with my own body.  Nor do I hide my unshaven legs or armpits.  If someone doesn't like it that's their problem. 


Brava to this young lady for accepting herself in such a bold and proud way. 
body hair positivity post bc i’d never let misogynistic opinions dictate what i do with my body 💕  — lalonie (@SLAYLONIE)

Of course, she got plenty of nasty comments and, thankfully, lots of supportive ones as well.  Women and girls are under so much pressure to be perfect, look perfect...why can't we just be ourselves? I'm not suggesting that everyone has to let their hair grow.  To each her own.  I'm just saying that I really don't see why anyone else cares whether there's hair on my legs or not. 

My hair is really light blond so it's hard to see but it's there!  This was about 5 years ago in Amsterdam.


Thoughts?

03 April 2017

30-Day Yoga Challenge with Angie Eats Peace

Right after I posted about getting back to my yoga practice, Angie over at Angie Eats Peace posted that she was doing a 30-day yoga challenge.  While I wasn't ready to commit to doing an hour of yoga for 30 straight days I was willing to challenge myself to doing some form of yoga or stretching every day.  I managed 27 of the 30 days. 

One day I decided it was more important to take the dog (she's very old) through her stretching/joint manipulation, one day I was simply super exhausted and one day I had had such a bad day at work that I went to bed early without doing several things I really should have. 

A few times I did nothing more than lay with my feet up on the wall while I gave the dog her pre-bedtime attention.  I won't say that this challenge changed my view of yoga. I already know how beneficial it is.  I also won't say that it made drastic differences in how I felt physically.  But I will say that I know the nightly stretches (on days when I didn't go to yoga class) were good for me and I plan to keep doing them.

My biggest challenge...every. single. time.
My downward facing dog was more downward facing A dog!!

Thanks to Angie for the prompt. I'm glad I did it.