There is an installation in Sydney Darling Harbour near Sea Museum about melting ice at Antarctica. The photography and the wilderness of that world is breathtaking. I sttod there a couple of times, but today I noticed an underwater shot of an iceberg. It was majestic, its peaks above the surface and the absolutely stunning size of it underneath the water, 20 times more mass than just the peak. I thought it’s a such a powerful metaphor for when talking about bodies, and expectations around bodies. Diet and fitness culture can reduced our bodies to this outer visible surface part of the iceberg. We talk about bodies we want, about fitness goals – which translates to how we want our bodies to look like from the outside. For one, there is so much behind most bodies that we admire – mindset, lifestyle, hard work, commitment, often years of training.
But the looks are just the top of the iceberg. Our bodies are us – inextricably connected to our mental wellness and wellbeing. (this is a scientific fact btw). If we only focus on the top part, this entire body-mind connection remain unconscious, untapped, unexplored. And with it – the potential for growth, learning, self knowledge, harmony, balance, raw connection to life.
Diving under the surface of the skin and shape of our bodies lies a lot magic, potential, learning and beauty. The goal for my body is to get more attuned to the harmony, communication and inner balance of my body. What is yours?
