Many of us are afflicted and even terrified by how we look to others.. Women most often are more heavily impacted by approval mindsets always demeaning themselves for being too fat, too thin, too this or that. Our patriarchal societies focussed on women being some role models are the reason that we suffer from these paranoias.

The body is a beautiful and graceful instrument and is not to be reprimanded for its natural curves, blebs and textures. It simply is a gift until we are alive and kicking. No amount of shame is worthy to bring us any shame or guilt.

The celebration of our life is through this worthy tool and not feeling enough grateful is itself a sorry state of being. Holding ideas of deficiencies is even worse. And so if you are in any way going through body shame, know well enough that you are unique and precious even though you don’t fit into any perfect archetypes of any sort.

Cheer up and celebrate your beingness in all perfection that it is!

Art: Gautam Mukherjee

Showcased by Vasanth Rao in the Urvashi art exhibition