Get uncomfortable! ¡Ponte Incómodo!
June 11, 2018
Get uncomfortable! ¡Ponte Incómodo!
Movement Mondays coming to you from your favorite Gordita on the block. Happy pride month to all my Latinx and LGBTQ+ amistades. Gordita’s Way’s most recent blogs have engaged in exploring the complexity of diet culture and adulthood combined. Maldita Dieta and Broke B*tch Diet challenged us to dismantle the way we think about food & strive to find that balance. Once you stop fighting your desires and cravings, you actually win. You’re giving yourself conscious permission to indulge and the ability to forgive. Moderation, modification, & flexibility with our food intake is essential, especially when we’re on a budget mi gente. Today, I’ll be talking to you about non-traditional ways to keep that body right, the soul happy, and that adrenaline on fire. Although I have encouraged and preached about small steps in our fitness & self-love journeys, my hyperactive soul cannot help but take giant strenuous leaps after long breaks of limited exercise; scratch that, my presence in the gym has been nonexistent to say the least. However, I have managed to keep it moving these past couple of weeks by practicing yoga weekly, walking by the lakefront, and by spontaneously participating in Chicago’s World Naked Bike Ride this past weekend! If y’all know me, you know I’m not that bold. I have some judgemental Latino family members out there so I am doing this to encourage my ladies to embrace what you got and stand up. Body positivity and self-acceptance may require some boldness. For me, that was semi-nude bike riding across the city with chosen family.
Face your Fears!
Take leaps of faith! Try something new. Embrace the uncomfortable. Lean into your discomfort by respectfully engaging in controversial body poz topics. Be a devil’s advocate without being an ass! Call those fat-phobic Latino family members out! Ask them why they think heavier womyn should cover up. Challenge with love mi gente. Kill ‘em with kindness and sass at the same time. Don’t attack right away; listen and try to understand them. As difficult as this is, it’s possible mi gente. The tongue has the ability to speak life into someone but it can also cut sharp like a machete to the soul. Asi que be respectful yet assertive queens. Challenge men who slut-shame and hypersexualize women. Be brave. Be bold. Be unapologetically you! I have taken a word, Gordita, which used to cut deep like a sword and embraced it with love & confidence. Facing your fears may require you to take risks! My advice, buy that plane ticket, obtain that yoga instructor license, ride a bike through your city naked (or semi-nude)!The mind is the most powerful tool we have and if we feed it correctly, it can be life changing. The mind is so powerful; our outlook alone can affect our outcome. I want to encourage y’all to tap into creativity and face those fears.
Face your Fears!
Take leaps of faith! Try something new. Embrace the uncomfortable. Lean into your discomfort by respectfully engaging in controversial body poz topics. Be a devil’s advocate without being an ass! Call those fat-phobic Latino family members out! Ask them why they think heavier womyn should cover up. Challenge with love mi gente. Kill ‘em with kindness and sass at the same time. Don’t attack right away; listen and try to understand them. As difficult as this is, it’s possible mi gente. The tongue has the ability to speak life into someone but it can also cut sharp like a machete to the soul. Asi que be respectful yet assertive queens. Challenge men who slut-shame and hypersexualize women. Be brave. Be bold. Be unapologetically you! I have taken a word, Gordita, which used to cut deep like a sword and embraced it with love & confidence. Facing your fears may require you to take risks! My advice, buy that plane ticket, obtain that yoga instructor license, ride a bike through your city naked (or semi-nude)!The mind is the most powerful tool we have and if we feed it correctly, it can be life changing. The mind is so powerful; our outlook alone can affect our outcome. I want to encourage y’all to tap into creativity and face those fears.
Mental Health
The importance of mental health in our communities needs to be put to the forefront. As a second generation Boricua who can attest to the diaspora that exists within our communities, we have an obligation as social servants to promote love in our barrios and make people laugh. I laugh at my pain in my Kevin Hart voice! Embrace creativity and tap into what makes you happy. This weekend was one for the books! After years of battling with body image and harmful eating habits, I decided to make a radical stand with the Gordita’s Way movement. Are you sick of the strenuous everyday routines? Switch it up! Dabble into non-traditional physical activities such as dance, naked bike rides, yoga, rock climbing, hiking, and whatever the heart desires.
Shout out to my friend Pamela for encouraging me to chase my dreams, follow the heart, and live in the moment. A big thanks to Pamela for motivating me to spontaneously ride with him half-naked through the city. Sore ass and all, I had the time of my life! In boxers and a bra, I confidently biked the streets of Chicago with friends whom I consider chosen fam. I cannot even begin to describe the feeling of freedom as I rode in the middle amongst friends and a bunch of naked strangers. I can cross that off my bucket list!
This experience was another lesson that demonstrated no matter what a person’s size is, radical body positivity means taking a stand and embracing every part of your journey, jiggly thighs and all! Stay tuned for the next Gordita’s Way post which will unravel the aventuras en Cuba including spiritual awakenings, Orisha dance, Rumba, familia, & more. Start your week strong mi gente & slay those goals! Keep breaking barriers! Be unapologetically you. Love, peace, chuleta grease! Besos!