Recently at an event I saw a woman in an almost backless dress. She had a large tattoo on her back and shoulders. I could see many parts of it. There was a naked woman goddess with angel wings; a tree with deep roots that disappeared into her lower back; some flowers. Intrigued, I asked her about it. She said it’s an image of her to remind her about cancer, beauty and love. It’s a work in progress and she adds to the design and colors as she is inspired to express her beauty and power more fully. She is claiming her beauty after cancer.
Wow! Can you imagine creating a tattoo or some other body art to celebrate your beauty and share it with the world? What would you create? What would it look like? What images, colors, shapes, words or expressions would celebrate your beauty and love?
If body art doesn’t appeal to you, how would you dress and adorn yourself to celebrate your beauty and love? How would you move? The woman with the tattoo seemed to glide across the room dancing on air in a sensual flow.
I’ve seen many women who have created exquisite tattoos where their breasts were before. In many cultures scars are a sign of beauty and life. There’s an opportunity to define and embody beauty on your terms, not those that our culture and media prescribe. This can be a true act of love, power and empowerment.
How can you express your beauty through your body? Let your imagination explore these questions and contemplate your beauty and how you love you. Stick with it and allow this process to help you be more embodied ~ so many women dissociate during cancer treatments and then forget that happened. They literally forget that they’re not in their body and can go through life feeling numb and disconnected without knowing why.
It’s time to be more fully in your body, even if you’re already in your body. There’s always more. I’ve been experimenting with sensual flowing clothing in colors and fabrics that feel beautiful to me, and wearing them while dancing. I either attend a dance session, or dance at home. As I do more, my experience has shifted from embarrassment and awkwardness to flowing with the music and feeling free in my body. It’s fun and it feels really good.
You know that expression “Dance like nobody’s watching”? That’s my process.
As you imagine expressing your love of yourself and your beauty, journal about your process and discoveries. You may be surprised at what wants to emerge in and through you.
Here’s to your beauty!
Barbara Musser is a 27-year breast cancer survivor, founder of Sexy After Cancer and author of Sexy After Cancer ~ Meeting Your Inner Aphrodite on the Breast Cancer Journey. www.sexyaftercancer.com
