Could you imagine being 12 years old at your first week of dance practice after being cast for the New Mickey Mouse Club - feeling so thrilled to be there, a little nervous but filled with anticipation - and the first thing the choreographer says as they comes over to you in your leotard is to pat your belly and say "Got a little gut on there don't you, girly? Gonna have to get rid of that..." Yeah. That happened to my mom. How would you not begin to have some body image issues after that? I bring her in for a heartfelt discussion about the uphill battle it can be to have a healthy relationship to your body. Whether it was a dance teacher, TV commercial, or magazine ad targeted to inform you of your inadequacy it seems that society has been conditioning us to hate our bodies from multiple angles. Yet, the concept of body neutrality - basically the act of taking a neutral stance toward your body both emotionally and physically - seems to be more difficult to implement as we are swimming upstream. The ability to not support the hatred towards your body's “limitations” but simply being at peace with your body is easier said than done, yet I do think there is a path forward. My mom was really brave to experience share her journey with this throughout her life and also raising two young women with the intention to NOT have that be our inner monologue. Join us as we discuss the power our bodies possess, far beyond what they even look like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices