Beauty
Redefined
by
Karinna Kittles
What
is your current definition of female beauty. Is it
blonde hair, blue eyes, skinny figure, and full
breasts? Or, the male version: 6 feet tall, broad
shoulders, a perfect smile, perfect teeth, and a
super athletic body? If there is a yes or a maybe in
your mind, where do you find yourself in those
definitions? How do you measure up?
At
the high, there is about 2% of the population that
meet all the above criteria, and blessings to them.
These physical types and other similar ones are
valued more in our society than almost any other. So
where does that leave the rest of us? If you find
that you are always comparing yourself to these
kinds of images and feeling yourself less than
perfect, you are not alone.
More
and more women and men are feeling the effects of
fear-based advertising. This is advertising and TV
that perpetuates the age myth, the size myth, and
the beauty myth. Companies that use these tactics
feed low self-esteem and teach unreachable idealism,
creating a society which is unsatisfied with itself
and one obsessed with outer perfection.
Putting
Yourself Down?
Do
you find you minimize valuable parts of yourself
such as health, emotions, talents, and abilities for
the importance of the outer physique? You can
discover your answer by how much time you spend on
each of these areas during the course of your day.
If you are shocked by your findings, you are
awakening. I believe we have been conditioned to
equate the media and beauty industries approved
images with health, talent, financial freedom, love,
and sex -- the core elements that most all of us
aspire to.
Placing
primary importance on our outer appearance is
valuing the effect over the cause. In other words,
appreciating the wrapping paper more than the gift.
Exterior emphasis denies the whole, the truth, the
soul, and our uniqueness, creating feelings of fear,
anger, jealousy, self-hatred, judgments of
inferiority and superiority, worthiness and
worthlessness, depression, eating disorders,
competition, entrapment, and quiet desperation.
If
you don't feel this subject effects you, you have
either gone through the process of finding your
value beyond the limits of social conditioning or
you are so deeply effected by it that you are in
complete denial.
Redefining
My Own Beauty
Although
I had been on a spiritual quest most of my life, it
wasn't until about 5 years ago that my Spirit made a
dramatic choice and my ego made a semiconscious
choice to begin valuing my authentic self more
fully. Until then, as an adult, I had depended on my
outer appearance for my livelihood, lovability, and
value.
Still
strongly in denial that the outer imagery I was
participating in and witnessing was affecting me
negatively, I simultaneously began to feel little
desire to continue modeling or acting and,
overnight, I became ill. My illness took me on a two
year journey that forced me to stop working, be in
bed, and to look at myself. I began to move my
attention from my outer reality to my inward
reality, taking small steps to face my anger, self
hatred, and unworthiness. It was the most
challenging time of my life and yet one of the most
rewarding.
At
the time, I didn't know why I was ill with many
ambiguous symptoms and exhaustion, but as I look
back it is clear that I was given the opportunity to
strip away my false sense of external value and
power. To take off my makeup, let my hair remember
its natural color, reevaluate my sexuality -- learn
to differentiate reality from illusion and
"looks" (what I perceived as ugly) and
learn to love myself.
As I
came out of those two years, I was different. I knew
more about myself. I was present, and I appreciated
more my heart, spirit, and ability to show
compassion and appreciation for others. But that did
not exclude me from still vacillating, primarily
unconsciously, of whether my outer self and outer
reality was more valuable than my inner. Daily I get
closer to what is true, self love and inner
wellness, beauty and peace, and appreciation for the
unique whole beauty of others.
How
to Begin
Redefining
beauty is a personal journey. It requires asking
oneself certain questions, such as "What is
beauty to me? What do I truly find beautiful in
myself and in others?" This can take time
because we have become so accustomed to thinking
that our cultural messages and definitions of beauty
are our own.
Inner
Beauty begins with health, both physical and
emotional. There are many ways to increase ones
physical health, through balanced eating, exercise,
healthy habits, and meditation. Emotional health can
also be strengthened through acknowledging emotions,
talking about them honestly with a friend, partner,
or therapist, and emotional transformation methods
such as journaling or various other methods of
release, and also meditation.
With
physical vitality and emotional harmony, you will
see the difference in your whole life. You will feel
great, look your best, and have better interaction
in the outer world. This is the journey of Inner
Beauty and I look forward to hearing your stories
and comments about your own inner journey.
Recommended
book:
Life Colors: What the Colors in Your Aura Reveal
by Pamala Oslie.
Info/Order
book
About The
Author
KARINNA
KITTLES is a former international model and actress. She is a certified
Healing Tao instructor who studied with Master Mantak Chia. Karinna
teaches classes in meditation and qi gong both privately and at the
Healing Tao Center in NYC. For more information on Karinna,
visit her web site at http://www.karinnakittles.com.
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