Why You Should Stand Naked in front of The Mirror for 10 Minutes Daily

When I was in high school, I detested my body. I hated my thick athletic thighs, my stretch marks, and the size of my butt. I was president of the #ittybittytittycommittee and the size of my eyes made feel like Ducky from The Land Before Time (and not in a cute way). Looking back, there was absolutely nothing wrong with me and if I could reverse the hands of time, I would’ve paraded through the streets naked to show off all that I was working with. They’re not lying when they say you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. I’m not at all saying that my body now isn’t a beautiful and strong vessel, but with age comes change which is sometimes difficult to accept.

Earlier on in the summer, I was hooking up with this guy and he kept telling me how beautiful my vulva was and demanding that I look at it in the mirror with appreciation more often. It got me thinking about how I used to do that almost every morning in university and then one day it just stopped. Since I document everything, I went back and connected the dots, it was then that I realized my toxic relationship was the culprit. Not only did it interfere with my joy, but it depleted my self-worth and perception. 

Back in July, I decided to start this practice up again. It involves 5 minutes of direct eye contact, fully clothed plus another 5 minutes butt-ass naked. No critiquing, self-deprivation, or loathing, just gratitude. When the world fades to black every night, it’s just us left alone with these meat sheet we call bodies, so learning to accept every hump, lump and peak can shifted the way you value yourself. 

I don’t want to be perfect and that shouldn’t be your goal either. It should be about evolving every single day and acknowledging the beauty that you’ll always possess, inside and out. It’s about accepting flaws and retrieving validation from within. There’s something so intimate about looking into your own eyes and realizing who you truly are. I can proudly once again say that I love the person staring back. So go forth, strip down to your birthday suit, build up your self-esteem and all those positive feelings until they overflow like lava. Confident is key and it starts with you.

What does your reflection show? (shoutout to Mulan)