"I feel there is something unexplored about women that only a woman can explore."
I have been on a journey to love myself as long as I have been alive. I believe that I share this journey with much of humanity, but I will be directing my thoughts in this article towards women. I too am a woman, and I can relate to many of the issues that we face during our lives. I have had an extremely hard time accepting myself throughout my life, and many of my pains and insecurities have been in one way or another related to the part of me that makes me distinctively female: my vagina.
Sometimes it is difficult having genitals. During the first months and years of life it is perfectly natural and accepted to be naked. A baby has no choice but to be bathed, changed, and dressed by a caretaker so there is nothing shameful about the body. Later, as a young child, we are told to cover our genitals, not to play with them, and to basically forget that they exist altogether. This is such a dramatic change from our bodies being celebrated as newborns. Maybe having to be clothed regularly isn't that bad, but then we are inevitably tossed into a world of puberty, periods, and raging hormones. The early stages of life can be very confusing, and strange, so it's no mystery why we don't always have an easy time accepting ourselves and our bodies later on.
As difficult as normal childhood development is, things can be much worse when we face trauma or hardship during these phases of life. For example: I experienced sexual abuse as a child and the trauma I went through shaped my views of myself and my sexuality for years after. I developed many negative feelings towards myself and my vagina. Getting my first period was no accomplishment for me, it was a nightmare and I wasn't able to accept and love my vagina for many years.
My self-hatred and embarrassment of my body and my sexuality caused me pain that I should have been able to avoid. A woman should never have to be ashamed of her vagina or her menstrual cycle. These are the things that make us unique! It's amazing that we have the ability to create life inside of our wombs and all women should feel empowered by this fact. We hold the key to life inside of our bodies. We are artists of the most beautiful kind. Humanity could never survive without us. This alone gives me tremendous inspiration to love and adore my vagina. Your lady parts should feel loved too! Here are just a few reasons why:
Your vagina is one of a kind!
This one is kind of a follow up to my previous article "You're as unique as your vagina". Our reproductive system is made up of an intricate system of nerves just like the rest of our body. These nerves branch out in different parts of the pelvic region such as the clitoris, vagina, perineum, and cervix. Each woman has nerves that branch more prominently in some areas than others which is why you may feel more sensitive in one area (the clitoris for example) than in others.
You have the right to explore your lady parts!
This may be obvious now because we have websites dedicated to sex toys and women's sexual health, but we didn't always have this freedom. There was a point in history when women were severely persecuted for masturbation and they were labeled as sick and crazy by the medical profession. In extreme cases, women were given Clitoridectomies which is when the whole clitoris is amputated. Sadly this procedure still exists in some cultures around the world. However, many countries have come a long way and accept women's sexuality much more than in the past. So the next time you enjoy your right to love yourself, just love yourself a little more!
Your vagina is a creator of life!
I mentioned this earlier, but I want to make a note of it again because it's such a huge part of being a woman. Before I had my son I was a woman who had never considered having a child. I was actually very against getting pregnant and I was terrified of the idea. This could have had a lot to do with my lack of self acceptance. My eyes were really opened during the process of pregnancy and childbirth. I became aware of what my body is truly capable of and it blew my mind! I never thought I would experience creating a life, but it was the most profound experience I will ever have. I learned to love my body and my reproductive system in a way that I never could have in any other way. My level of acceptance for myself skyrocketed during the changes and struggles I went through during pregnancy and childbirth. We are artists, every single one of us! It's okay to praise yourself for it.
These are only a couple of reasons to show your vagina love, but these are some of the main reasons that have helped me on my journey of self acceptance. I believe that once you love your vagina the rest will follow closely behind. I encourage you to come up with new reasons of your own because we are each unique and will have unique reasons to love ourselves. If you are with me on this journey I urge you to go forward, never give up, and love your vagina the best you can!
Sometimes it is difficult having genitals. During the first months and years of life it is perfectly natural and accepted to be naked. A baby has no choice but to be bathed, changed, and dressed by a caretaker so there is nothing shameful about the body. Later, as a young child, we are told to cover our genitals, not to play with them, and to basically forget that they exist altogether. This is such a dramatic change from our bodies being celebrated as newborns. Maybe having to be clothed regularly isn't that bad, but then we are inevitably tossed into a world of puberty, periods, and raging hormones. The early stages of life can be very confusing, and strange, so it's no mystery why we don't always have an easy time accepting ourselves and our bodies later on.
As difficult as normal childhood development is, things can be much worse when we face trauma or hardship during these phases of life. For example: I experienced sexual abuse as a child and the trauma I went through shaped my views of myself and my sexuality for years after. I developed many negative feelings towards myself and my vagina. Getting my first period was no accomplishment for me, it was a nightmare and I wasn't able to accept and love my vagina for many years.
My self-hatred and embarrassment of my body and my sexuality caused me pain that I should have been able to avoid. A woman should never have to be ashamed of her vagina or her menstrual cycle. These are the things that make us unique! It's amazing that we have the ability to create life inside of our wombs and all women should feel empowered by this fact. We hold the key to life inside of our bodies. We are artists of the most beautiful kind. Humanity could never survive without us. This alone gives me tremendous inspiration to love and adore my vagina. Your lady parts should feel loved too! Here are just a few reasons why:
Your vagina is one of a kind!
This one is kind of a follow up to my previous article "You're as unique as your vagina". Our reproductive system is made up of an intricate system of nerves just like the rest of our body. These nerves branch out in different parts of the pelvic region such as the clitoris, vagina, perineum, and cervix. Each woman has nerves that branch more prominently in some areas than others which is why you may feel more sensitive in one area (the clitoris for example) than in others.
You have the right to explore your lady parts!
This may be obvious now because we have websites dedicated to sex toys and women's sexual health, but we didn't always have this freedom. There was a point in history when women were severely persecuted for masturbation and they were labeled as sick and crazy by the medical profession. In extreme cases, women were given Clitoridectomies which is when the whole clitoris is amputated. Sadly this procedure still exists in some cultures around the world. However, many countries have come a long way and accept women's sexuality much more than in the past. So the next time you enjoy your right to love yourself, just love yourself a little more!
Your vagina is a creator of life!
I mentioned this earlier, but I want to make a note of it again because it's such a huge part of being a woman. Before I had my son I was a woman who had never considered having a child. I was actually very against getting pregnant and I was terrified of the idea. This could have had a lot to do with my lack of self acceptance. My eyes were really opened during the process of pregnancy and childbirth. I became aware of what my body is truly capable of and it blew my mind! I never thought I would experience creating a life, but it was the most profound experience I will ever have. I learned to love my body and my reproductive system in a way that I never could have in any other way. My level of acceptance for myself skyrocketed during the changes and struggles I went through during pregnancy and childbirth. We are artists, every single one of us! It's okay to praise yourself for it.
These are only a couple of reasons to show your vagina love, but these are some of the main reasons that have helped me on my journey of self acceptance. I believe that once you love your vagina the rest will follow closely behind. I encourage you to come up with new reasons of your own because we are each unique and will have unique reasons to love ourselves. If you are with me on this journey I urge you to go forward, never give up, and love your vagina the best you can!
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