naked in nature

beautiful interdependence

📷Lindsay Umlah (@intimatelyhonest)

Hey,

Hope this message lands gently in your eyeballs. As you see, I recently dove into something pretty personal—a photo shoot with naked me, the earth, and the lens of Lindsay (@intimatelyhonest)digging up the feels, deliberately slowing down to capture the real juicy stuff.

Funny thing, I held off on looking at the pics. I wanted to savour the memory of being in front of the lens, being with the truth hanging there as long as possible, and feeling it in my bones. And now, I'm wrestling with sharing this piece—it's a conundrum.

Seeing those pictures stirred up a lot. My body carried battle's old wounds, trauma, pain, my own silent words and unfriendly thoughts, but somehow, after I let the old weight of my dread slip away, I glimpsed a softer, lighter, simpler side. It's like finding the water break after a deep plunge or solid ground after a stormy paddle, you know? Less heavy or turbulent, a more peaceful haven—

I've learned that all bodies are beautiful; finding beauty is a bit of a muddle. I'm not playing a body love expert here, just a friend naked in a forest. Curiosity and openness touch down, tapping into deeper resources—making more acceptance seem possible. I found a bit of safety within myself, and it's like the world outside gets a bit safer, too.

I thought about you all in this because life's a wild ride, and in this shared journey, finding balance, leaning into the messy parts, and stepping back when it gets too much is honest. Our camaraderie, our interconnectedness, makes the confusion of life more decipherable. 

We're all figuring it out together.

Take a breath, think about how much pressure we carry about this fleshy sack, and be what it is to be a whole lot wilder and juicier. 

Let's exchange stories.

softly,

Here are some ways to connect to your body. Ready to dive in?

Here you go:

1. Get dirty: Lay on the earth and feel the dirt or decomposing, rotting leaves beneath you.

2. Sunny Smile: Face the sun, give it your best smile and bask in its warmth and light.

3. Aqua lotta: Get into water, hot, cold, ocean, lake, shower, bath... let it embrace you.

4. Blanket Burrito: Touch a fuzzy blanket and roll yourself into it. You deserve the softness all over you.

5. Softer still: Lean into something soft. Body and lichen coexist and support each other in gentleness. 🌱

6. Squish: Apply gentle pressure to the body, feel your joints and explore your bones.

7. Let your spine flow: Explore fluid spinal movements and reconnect with flexibility.

8. Mind you? Rest your hands on your head, and give your neck a break.

9. Blow your mind: Breathe in the chest, breathe out really big, grounding through each exhale.

10. Stand Big: Stand up, stretch, and power pose. Feel the strength you bring to life.

11. Humming Karaoke: Hum, like you're the headliner because your body loves a good sing-along; make it dance.