The room was FULL. It was an amazing group that gathered this past Saturday at “A Whole You” conference on 37th Street and 8th Avenue. Organized by my client Bianca Gambrah, this conference was about addressing the spiritual and physical sides that allow us to feel complete and whole. The conference truly demonstrated the power of a community coming together. It’s gatherings like Saturday that make me hopeful that our world is heading in a positive direction.

I was asked to speak about ways we can embrace our bodies to feel happier and better on the inside. I wanted to take this blog post to talk about the main points I covered.

1. We are all made in God’s image. Whether you believe in one God, you are spiritual, or you are not spiritual, the point of this is that we are all perfect exactly as we are. We are here on this earth for a reason and we are doing the good work by embracing ourselves. If we show ourselves love, that loves radiates outwards to everyone around us. It’s an amazing cycle to be a part of.
2. Love thy neighbor as yourself. It’s about loving others, but I’m actually asking you to consider your body as an “other” in the sense that I want you to talk to your body the way you would a dear friend or family member.  By being kind to ourselves it can actually help motivate us to take better care of ourselves.
3. Appreciate the small things. In my studio, I photograph women ages 18 – 81. These are people who have a wide range of physical abilities. Something that may feel so simple (ex. walking up stairs) can be a true challenge for others. If we can be grateful for the small things, we can truly marvel at what our body allows us to do. Be grateful you can hug those you love, be grateful you can walk up those stairs, because these are abilities not everyone is afforded. If you can take a moment to pause and appreciate your body as a vessel that allows you to be YOU, then you can engage in feeling happier.
4. Something I hear a lot when the client looks at their photos for the first time is, “I can’t believe that’s me.” Here’s the thing, my camera is just a tool I use to show the true you. I couldn’t photograph your beauty if it wasn’t already there. It IS already there and by stepping in front of my camera, you are giving yourself the opportunity for you to experience your true beauty for yourself. That is a feeling you can keep forever, and I know my clients do.

Our relationship with our bodies can be complicated, but together we can work towards radiating more love for ourselves and others. We live in a world that is all about us looking or being a certain way, but I  choose to do boudoir photography because it’s asking us to step into who we are, in this moment. Acceptance and love is the name of the game, and I’m honored to play it with you!

Ready to step into your own worth? Contact me here: www.boudoirbynomi.com/contact