Mirror Mirror on the Wall...

It never really occurred to me how much looking at my reflection in the mirror impacted my sense of self and my self esteem. It also never occurred to me just how much I looked at myself in the mirror throughout the day until I didn't have one at my disposal. The stress of ensuring every hair is in place and every dot of makeup is painted on correctly covering my imperfections just lifted away leaving nothing to left to think about or to focus on, but my day and my connections with people ad the earth around me. It was so uplifting and empowering to not give my appearance a single thought...I have kind of let go of that since travelling, but having mirrors in the hostels since offered me the joy of fretting over that new zip or the lack of make up enhacing my very small eyes...and don't get me started on my hair and body!
I am sure that being detached from television and fashion magazines also helped me refocus my thoughts to my day and my yoga practice and my meditation. When in our lives do we get such time to escape the pressures of life and the stresses of being perfect and beautiful and to excel at work and have the perfect body and life? Well, in my 33 years the only time I can remember feeling so uneffected by such things is ages zero to three...there are actually studies that show that young children start to worry about their looks and their weight as young as 6 years old. How tragic is that? Constantly comparing yourself to unattainable images, loathing the face you see looking back at you in the mirror, desiring that girl's nose and that girl's thighs....it is no way to live and should not be the main focus and drive in one's life.
I didn't realize how much I enjoyed my time without a mirror and away from the constant bombardment of unrealistic images...I liked not having to worry or think about how I look. I certainly think that it is important to take care of yourself and maintain your appearence in a way that makes you feel good about yourself, but sometimes I would lose sight of that and want to lose those extra pounds to look good rather than feel good and improve my health. Time away from mirrors and time spent just focussing on within transformed me and I only hope that I can hold onto this and let it prevail in my life back in London when I return.