My first photoshoot
You are fat.
You are ugly.
You have tires.
How much do you eat?
You have no control!
Look at how ugly your ass is.
You have big assets.
You have cleavage and you dress to show off.
If these words aren’t enough to body shame self…
And if you wonder what else can…
The number of incidents where I have been abused in public places, touched, rubbed, hit inappropriately, heard profane things… all because I look a certain way.
IS IT ME? IS IT MY BODY?
This very question has plagued me for 37 years.
And now, 37 years into my life, several healings later, forgiving others first and myself, seeking inspiration through kindred souls, reading path breaking books, influenced by body positivity brands and social media influencers. I NOW KNOW ITS NOT MY BODY!
And I have been rude, all my life, to the
one important — most important
beautiful — very beautiful
soulful body of me.
Once you realize this truth, then there is no going back. Nothing can make you feel bad. Only pure celebration emerges.
And then comes the golden hour of letting yourself and others know, that YOU CELEBRATE WHO YOU ARE.
Bliss Club — a very successful brand focused primarily on athleisure or movement-based clothing, gave me wings. Not just with their body positivity and amazing clothes that fit me and help me move with ease — day in day out, anywhere and everywhere. But also to be a Bliss Face, and join them for a photoshoot for one of their product catalogues.
And for the first time, when I stood in the studio, against a white wall, camera facing me and they said smile… I had to fight and come out of, all the depths, of all painful memories and smile with my heart!
They had to keep telling me to smile; but little did they know I was so content, that every cell, every muscle, everything was content inside me and at bliss; that I kept forgetting to smile.
And that for the first time I was at peace with my body!
NO FEAR
NO SHAME
JUST BE
ME!
Note: My first photoshoot happened to be on a date of the magical twos — 22nd February 2022, i.e. 22–2–2022. What more could help etch this memory further into the depths of my heart, as it is also my birthday month, 11th February.
Here is a quick snapshot of the pictures from My first photoshoot with Bliss Club, which shows up in their catalog for Moving All Day (MAD) Pants, Size XL-una and Colors: Devika Dark Navy & Gowri Grey. The first two pictures are of me with other models, women who move! The middle pictures are the front view of me showing the fit of the MAD pants and the side pictures show the back view of the MAD pants. The last two pictures in the bottom row show how easy it is to move in them — as I move into Dancer’s Pose or Natarajasana, and Goddess Pose or Utkata Konasana.
