This blog article was published for narumilin.de
Body Shaming Be Gone: How the World of Pole Dance Boosted My Confidence
“How can I lose weight to look like you?”
This is the question that got me thinking about body shaming. During pole dancing class one day, a student asked how they could get a body like mine. This question transported me back to a place of shame that I hadn’t felt in a long time as I impulsively thought about all of my flaws and the reasons they wouldn’t want my physique.
Body shaming is a phenomenon that most people deal with throughout the course of their lives. For me, it was persistent as I struggled to gain weight and find a place of peace with my self-image. Every glance in the mirror had me wishing for bigger breasts and a fuller figure. And when I started my pole dance journey, I was confronted with my body every single day.
It was uncomfortable at first. After all, you’re dancing half-naked around other people, and pole fitness requires you to challenge your body in ways you may not be used to. I fully empathize with students who are uncomfortable in themselves while at the pole, because it’s not easy.
In fact, it’s probably one of the most challenging ways you can confront body shaming and negative self-image. But the great thing about pole dance is ultimately the power behind that confrontation. You simply have to face yourself if you want to continue this art form.
But once you do, you’ll come out miles ahead in a society that puts endless pressure on bodies. Blossoming as a pole dancer made me see bodies in a different way, with each physical form as unique as the dances expressed.
The world doesn’t teach us to see bodies this way, but pole dance does. Body shaming doesn’t have the same grip on me as it once did because I recognize how hard my body works to achieve self-expression. My physical form is but a book cover ‒ everything I want to express is inside.
Pole fitness can be a positive influence for individuals coming to accept and love their bodies, despite the pressures of society and body shaming most experience every day. Although my student’s question shifted me back to a negative space, it ultimately helped me realize how far I’ve come, because I rarely judge my body that way anymore. And what a gift that is!
Are you ready to confront your negative self-image with pole dancing? Contact me for further resources to get started on your own journey!
