story we have the great pleasure of hearing from actress and director kim field Kim's career began with roles on iconic American television shows, such as The Facts of Life and Living Single, and continues with the comedy The Upshores. Kim is also an accomplished writer and poet, and in today's episode shares a breathtakingly intimate reflection in which she rewrites her relationship with her body. We invite you to hear Kim's words and her candour, and while doing so, to be gentle with yourself.
Afterwards, I'll come back in for a meditation that gives all of us the opportunity to re-examine our relationship with our body. In this series, we combine... prompts, so that we may see our lives reflected back to us in other people's stories. And that can lead to improvements in our own inner lives. I give myself permission to take a hot bubble bath in the middle of the day. in my skin.
I start to think. There are various parts of my body that, over the years, I have grown to care not too much for. consistently say negative things to myself or even to others about my body. When I don't have appreciation for my own body and all that it can do. I fall into self-judgment and even find myself perceiving judgment from others. I allow myself to say unacceptable things.
I realize the need to stop this line of communication to myself and make a change. I decide to rewrite my... monologue about various parts of my body. I begin with my legs. In my adult life, I always thought my legs were one of my best features. But in this moment, I take it a step further. Rather than criticize my thighs for being a tad fuller as of late, I remind They are a part of my foundation. to make me sore or calm.
To get from point A to point B, My stomach has always I regard my tummy as the former home. for the spectacular human beings who are my sons. The backdrop of my tattoo not being a slim and toned canvas, resolving to cancel the inner monologue that this region will always be the bane of my existence. A constant source of frustration. No, I look at my tummy now through a lens of appreciation. Not anger. at not being the collection of abs I've always wanted.
not to regard them as a pair of culprits. looming large and heavy in my bodily realm. I determined to make this the last time. I wonder how I jumped from a cute training bra to a what the... Double letters in the blink of an eye. I determine in this moment I will see my breasts. Beautiful, dynamic duo. Not as a couple of downtrodden souls one posture away from being filled with a heavy Negro spiritual like Swing Low. Nope. Not today.
Rewrite. The revision forever is now. My breasts are stunning. Full pillars of my intimate community. I determine. That's my new story. And I'm damn sure sticking. where I carry my stress. Always where I carry my power. and my headquarters. In my arms. In my biceps. Power. Power that has lifted up my side. My family. My village. my colleagues, my industry, my community, my country, my world. These arms of mine. Oh yes, Otis Redding reference.
My neck. My neck is supported by the shoulders. My neck. That has pain in it. Furthering my understanding of the phrase, pain in the neck. regarding people, situations, circumstances, or processes. In this moment, though, I changed my narrative. And I regard my neck as... head, my mind my face I regard my neck each bone, each vertebrae As a jewel. Crown jewels, quite honestly. A collection. Machinery that supports my life, my goals, my visions, my...
And so in this midday bubble bath, I give myself permission to indulge in truly a refresh. of my mind, body, and spirit as I determine in this moment to change my narrative, to... Give my inner monologue a revision, a rewrite. I change the narrative. And I rewrite my script to push aside deals. plans, wants, desires for a different shape, a different look with my body, I resolve in this moment. To enjoy where I am. What I have. In this moment, I will not allow.
the future, nor the past to infiltrate and disrupt me and my rewrite in this moment. Oh, this rewrite is empowering. It's clarity. It's confidence. It's fuel. and beauty. Because of our shared humanity. No matter if you're an actor or an accountant. There are certain aspects of this script that may be specific to my life, but for the most part, we are all in. we can all reassess how we feel in our lives. Thank you Kim. Bodies are just so complicated aren't they?
We all have our own version of the struggle, be it about body image, I know that one, or physical health, or just the day-to-day work of lugging this thing around. none of which has helped, is it, by the relentless cultural forces telling constant stories about what our bodies should or could be like. Two things really jumped out at me from Kim's work.
One was the idea of revision or rewriting the script, making the intentional changes to move from a story that wasn't working for her to one that was. And the other thing was how she highlighted the strengths of the parts of her body, rather than fixate on their perceived flaws or challenges. And with those strengths in mind, Kim reveled in the stories of how they supported her. So that is the theme I'd like us to play with in our meditation together.
Kim shared her words from the midst of a hot bubble bath. So to start, let's take her lead and invite warmth and relaxation into the body. Take a few breaths to notice where in the body you can sense most holding, most tension. Your back. Your face. In the jaw. In the belly. Your hands. All classic places many of us tend to hold tension. And with your next three exhales, giving that tension permission to soften.
Breathing into those areas, if that makes sense. Breathing and being on their side. It's okay to soften. It's okay to relax. And if some tension just wants to stay around, that's okay too. We can be soft and relaxed about that. No conflict, just warmth. Now, let's turn to the beautiful qualities or strengths that are resident in our body. What part of your body is ready for your appreciation? For me, it's my shoulders asking for appreciation. Yes, they're a bit sore, but that's well earned.
The many miles over the past few years where I've carried my two children when they were too tired to walk. The way my shoulders hold my head as I face the world. I'm feeling the sensations in my shoulders as I appreciate them. Now it's your turn. What is the part of your body you will recognize and celebrate now? What is its story? And can part of our celebration be bathing that part of the body with the kindness of our awareness? Let's do another rewrite.
I'm going to choose my belly, the part of my body I've had the most hate-hate relationship with over the years. But today, it's love. Love for being the engine room of my breath. Love for being the storeroom of energy for great adventures yet to come. inspiration and energy. This is what is here as I feel the breath in my belly, knowing its movements as it rises and falls. And now you, what will you rewrite? What will you bathe with your attention?
Thank you, Kim, for your so very poignant words. It can be hard for many of us to face the various issues we have with our bodies. And for many of us, it can be a life's work. So as I said before, it's important to be gentle with ourselves when exploring this topic. We'd love to hear your personal reflections from Kim's episode. How did you relate to her story? You can find us on all your social media platforms through our handle Original music and sound design by Ryan Holiday.
Mixing and Mastering by Brian Chairman of the board is Geoff Berman. Way to Art was co-founded by... Mariel Kerica. Nikki Williams. Kelsey Capitano. Tim Cronin. Sammy Oputa. Luisa Velez. Justin Winslow. Colin Howard. Brandon Klein, Alfonso Bravo, Brad Whirl, Timothy Lou Lee, and Dave Fisher. And I'm Rohan Gunatilika, creator of Mindfulness Cards and the all-new Mindfulness Cards for the family and your host. Visit meditativestory.com to find the transcript for this episode.