This feels so vulnerable for me, and part of me feels like it also needs to be out in the world.

With the rise of Ozempic and Oprah’s infomercial on Monday, these thoughts have been swirling around in my head all week. For most of my life, I believed my body was a problem to be solved. I thought if I could solve the problem of my body, then I could solve the problem of my anxiety.

My body was never the problem. The way I was treated because of my body was part of the problem. Fat people, especially fat women, are not treated well in our culture. We are belittled, maligned, ridiculed. I’m what is considered in the lingo a “good fatty”, meaning I have marginally more privlidge because I’m able bodied; I swim, bike, lift weights, practice yoga. I used to do all these things to make my body smaller. Now, I do them because I enjoy it and enjoy being strong in my body.

It wasn’t until I healed my relationship with my anxiety that I could heal my relationship with my body. It’s hard to take down the patriarchy and diet culture when you’re having bloody panic attacks all the time.

My body is fucking amazing. My body has supported me over 48 years, through three pregnancies and births (two natural thank you very much), handstands, hiking, miles swimming across oceans. My body contains my pleasure, joy, sorrow and grief. My body is my home.

In a women’s networking group I’m in, we have time for what is called “celebrations”, a milestone in business, an anniversary, engagements, graduations, etc.. Yesterday, it was asked, “Does anyone have any celebrations? An anniversary? Or losing a pound?”

I just thought – can we NOT celebrate women getting smaller? I wanted to stand up and celebrate that I’m no longer pursuing intentional weight loss and it’s the most freeing thing I’ve ever done and I will never again celebrate women making themselves smaller. Instead, I rolled my eyes like a sullen teenager. Maybe I will if it happens again.

My body is not the problem. It never was the problem. It turns out, my body was the solution to healing my relationship with my anxiety. When I learned to be with what is happening in my body, move through it rather than push through it, I was able to find peace with my body. My body, my breath, my movement turned out to be the healing I was missing when I spent so much time trying to make myself smaller.

I want this for all women. I want you to experience the freedom to be in your body and feel peace and calm. I don’t specifically work with women for body image or body neutrality, but a deeper radical love for yourself is often a by-product of healing your relationship with your anxiety. And it brings me immense joy when I see it happen.

So what do YOU want to celebrate about your glorious body?