The chainmail fence that surrounded our home contained within it a small rose garden, a tiny yellow house, and three magnolia trees that stood sentinel between our home and the street.  My favorite tree was the one in the middle. Its thick branches hung just low enough for me to grab, swing myself up, and climb up, up, up. I’d climb so high, that I could see white rocks on top our roof. Climbing trees was an easy joy.

I shared this story with a young woman who replied, “I was never allowed to climb trees.” Her face darkened with resentment. “It was not acceptable in my culture for girls play like boys.”

I imagine that her parents, the church, and neighbors were horrified by the prospect of a little girl with dirty hands, scabby knees, and wild matted hair.

Play, dirt, sweat, and heat, fouls the feminine body. Or so we’ve been made to believe.

Sex not only fouls the female body, it somehow darkens the soul, and makes whatever a woman is on the inside wrong or depending on your upbringing, evil.

An aging feminine body should tucked, pulled, firmed up, or hidden away.

For most of women, the relationship to the body has been formed by an absurdity of lies meant for the simple purpose to keep you from your true Power.

What would happen if women and girls were encouraged to feel free in their bodies, to enjoy its pleasures, and embrace old protruding bellies and wrinkled skin? Civilization would end.

To keep civilization going your parents and culture, the church and state, and even your partner and children have all laid claim to your body and spirit either through indoctrination of false narratives or through force and trauma.

If you’ve ever felt guilt, shame, anger, or resentment related to your appetite for food (yes, food is another way you are denied the pleasure of being embodied) or sexual appetite (hello, slut shaming); if you’ve ever felt like you “owe” your partner sex because he/she needs it or you want to keep the peace; and/or obsess about your age, weight, body shape, then you are experiencing this unconscious alienation from the body.

Why the Body is Important to Your Spiritual Awakening

Your body is a doorway into a deep and intimate relationship with your Source. Being present in the body, focuses your attention, and creates the possibility for joy and wisdom to emerge, naturally. Your body can be a tremendous source of pleasure. The energy that animates the body, Spirit, is available to you when you’re in right relationship with it.

Being present in the body is a feminine spiritual path open to everyone. You don’t need a doctrine. Dogma isn’t welcome. All you need is to simply direct your attention into your beautiful body and you’re there.

A woman awake to her Divinity and in full possession of her potential, is a cataclysmic FORCE. She is powerful, fierce, tender, wise, capable, and loving.

Reclaim your body. Take it back from all the forces that would deny you its power, wisdom, and pleasure.

How to Reclaim the Body & Your Self

How you do this is to be fully present to the body and notice any feelings of guilt, shame, obligation, or resentment surrounding sex, weight, age, or food. When you notice these emotions, breathe. Breathe deeply into the parts of the body that hurt or tingle with emotion. The breath will carry you through the doorway of the body into Soul and then…

…you choose. You choose the whether to make love or not, and if you choose it, choose how you want to be touched. You choose what you want to eat and how much. Be present in the body, taste, swallow, feel. You choose if you want to be your kid’s jungle gym. You choose how you want to react to whatever you’re feeling in the moment.

And when you sense pleasure, peace, joy, or space in the body, breathe deeply and allow the good feelings to fill you. Let them grow roots.