I love my breasts.

Have you been around long enough to see my post on Instagram about breasts? I actually had to give myself a pep talk before I was able to post "I Love my Breasts" in bold letters. It feels edgy to say anything positive about my body in a public forum. And, of course that's because we live in a culture that abuses, over-sexualizes, and vilifies women's bodies. I was afraid that other women would be triggered or angered by me proclaiming this self-love....eeek. The taboos are strong. But I'm in the business of breaking through all that.

From the book Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom by Dr. Christiane Northrup, I learned that breasts represent our ability to nurture. To give and receive love. Many of us have learned that nurturance is the primary expression of love. We give and give to others and we forget to give to ourselves. Breasts are connected to our heart center which is where we access love, compassion, and vulnerability. When we're connected to our breasts, we can receive love as well as give it. And we can express our feelings more freely.

In our culture, the health and function of breasts is ignored (outside of cancer screenings). But we can care for our breasts and avoid the C-word altogether. When we learn about the lymph that purifies our bodies by moving through the breasts, we can understand why most bras are detrimental to our breast tissue. Listen to the Moonwise podcast for so much more on breast health. We need to touch and love our breasts so we can be aware of changes throughout our cycle. Try making your own breast oil! I use a recipe from Rosemary Gladstar. It can be as simple as coconut oil with a few drops of essential oil.

In my Shakti yoga retreats we touch our breasts and include them in our self-love practices. If you have stories about how your breasts are misshapen, too big, too small, too cumbersome - embodiment practices are here for you to approach yourself with curiosity and gratitude. It’s not just about convincing your mind to be less critical. The body is the way in - to re-training the mind.

I’ve been going bra-less for over a year now. And my boobs are not small. All my life I’ve been told they need to be contained. But at age 39, here I am learning that they actually hold themselves up and it feels sooooo good. I can be more connected to my heart and my vulnerability when I walk around without an over-the-shoulder boulder holder. The less you wear it, the less you need it.

If you're thinking you need to wear a bra to be professional at work or in front of certain people, I can totally relate. But you can start with coming to one of my women's events without a bra and just see how it feels.