By: Maria Williams
In the age of mass media and the internet, people are bombarded with relentless messages reinforcing very narrow beauty standards. Many people who do not conform to these standards often feel inadequate or that something is wrong with them. While women are traditionally the target of these messages, men are also increasingly affected, and body dysmorphia affects people of all genders, causing considerable mental and emotional anguish despite the fact that human bodies are infinitely diverse.
Erica Mather, a Yoga Therapist and author, is no stranger to these experiences. She recounts that, for most of her early life, she considered herself to be unattractive, especially since she grew up in an area of the Midwestern US that lacked diversity. It was only when she moved to New York City, which is more diverse and embraces a wider set of beauty standards, that she was able to overcome her low body confidence.
Furthermore, after developing adult-onset migraine headaches in her 20s, Mather’s body was unable to function in a way that serves mainstream society by being part of the labor force and holding a conventional job.
“I’ve been living with an invisible disability for more than 20 years,” Mather says. “No one who looks at me will think that I’m disabled, but the reality is my health and energy levels aren’t reliable enough to let me sit in an office for five days a week. So I understand very clearly what kinds of body negotiations someone who participates in a modern capitalist society is involved in.”
Seeking relief for her condition, Mather discovered the Forrest style of Yoga, and she quickly took to it, as it made her feel better, not just physically but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Over her 20 years of being a Yoga Therapist, Mather created a signature teaching style that uses her own illness and body image challenges, the teachings of embodiment intrinsic to Forrest Yoga, and her experience working in private practice with people’s wounded, ill, and aging bodies. According to Mather, the main purpose of her yoga is to encourage people to build or rebuild a positive relationship with their bodies in service of their health, as well as to discover one’s life’s purpose or dharma. She offers remote and in-person private classes, and she also holds keynote speeches, workshops, and corporate group sessions.
In 2009, Mather was appointed by Ana Forrest, the creator of Forrest Yoga, as a Guardian or lineage-holder of the Forrest Yoga system. In 2014, she founded The Adore Your Body Transformational Program, a seven-step system that helps people address their body image challenges, as well as The Yoga Clinic, which educates clients, medical practitioners, and yoga teachers about embodied self-care practices. She holds a master’s degree in ethnomusicology from Columbia University and a teaching certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
According to Mather, society’s extreme emphasis on appearances has resulted in disconnection and disembodiment. In this state, the body is related to an object and commodity rather than an intrinsic part of the self. She acknowledges that some people, such as celebrities, models and athletes, who capitalize on their bodies, may not experience a negative impact from commodifying their bodies and have a right to use them in any way they please. However, for those susceptible to beauty image pressures, self-objectification can severely affect a person’s self-image and mental health.
“What I wish for people is for them to relate to their bodies in a healthier way,” Mather says. “I know my message isn’t for everybody, as people who are normatively beautiful may enjoy it and are able to earn and gain status from it, and I’m happy for them. But, if you’re suffering because of how you feel about your body, I’m here to help you realize that your value as a person does not depend wholly on your appearance.”
Her book, Your Body, Your Best Friend: End the Confidence-Crushing Pursuit of Unrealistic Beauty Standards and Embrace Your True Power, talks about the relationship between appearance and lived outcome. It offers powerful tools to break free from the cultural messages that feed negative body image and stand in the way of genuine self-improvement.
“I help people reorganize their identity away from their body and towards the content of their character, how they participate in their communities, and the impact they have on the emotional lives of people around them. It doesn’t mean that people should neglect their bodies and appearances. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It is actually about reconnecting people to their bodies in a different and healthier way, and I do that through a personalized curriculum. By building a better relationship between people and their bodies, they are able to make more holistic, embodied choices instead of purely cognitive ones,” Mather says. “When people feel better about themselves every day and make choices with body and mind, their decisions are more authentic and more likely to achieve outcomes aligned with their truest desires.”
Published by: Nelly Chavez
