Some thoughts on my experience with pretty privilege.

𝘔𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 2018 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘢𝘱 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥. I was empowered at that time to

• start making different, healthier choices for my body,
• discover and honour my truth about what my expression of beauty is, and
• learn how to continue to empower myself further.These are practices which have snowballed and spread into all facets of my life since.

𝘔𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰-𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. Not just 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸, but 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜.I learned that this practice could be taken from the micro to the macro for the benefit of all beings.

So how does soap and a way of thinking tie together? Let’s use the example of my experience coming to understand pretty privilege and my continued process of unlearning in this area. (See video)

𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 ‘𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀’ 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗. It is not a given or some kind of universal truth.This means that when we unsubscribe from it, we reclaim our power which can then be used in different ways.

It takes each of us doing our own individual unlearning and empowerment work to realize this.

𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

We can do this, together.

👉 For more information on radical self-love as a path to liberation, check out the work of Sonya Renee Taylor.

👉 For more information on the Western Tradition of thought, check out the work of Dr. Shyam Ranganathan at YogaPhilosophy.com.

👉 If you want to bathe with Medicine Soaps made with this vibration of love, respect and intention by yours truly, check out my stock. (Promo on now: buy 3, get 1 free; will be automatically applied at checkout)

In solidarity and self-empowerment,

Tara

Video Description: Tara – a white bodied being – wearing a dark grey toque with a light grey vest and a black sweater underneath. She is sitting in a red chair against a light wooden fence. Click here to access a the video transcript!