The Perfect Bikini Body

CAIRO - 19 July 2017: With summer season just around the corner, do you feel under pressure to have the perfect beach body? Are you trying as best as you can to fit the bikini look?

A week ago, I was hanging out with a friend who asked me, “So what type of beach look do you like? What attracts you?”

I was taken aback by the question and my reply was, “I don’t think of attraction in this way. I am more attracted by qualities rather than form.” But his question left me wondering, to what extent did I really care about the outer form? The way of dress? The look?

In the world of yoga, we constantly teach about the inner journey of the soul. In every class, as we sit quietly in meditation and connect with the breath, we learn that beyond the stresses of daily life—traffic, money problems, arguments, not knowing what tomorrow will bring—there is an innate vastness of stillness and silence that gives us inner peace and tranquility. A vastness that we can tap into at any moment. A space that requires nothing to change on the outside world. A space that is always the same—vast, expansive, open, embracing, perfect, comforting, loving, healing and quiet. This vast expanse of space brings us one step closer to our Higher Self. A Self that is stable, steady, firm, secure and contained regardless of all that happens outside of it.

Yet in our daily lives, we lose connection with the inner world and become totally blinded by the outer world. Our mind plays tricks on us and we live a life of competing and comparing, and so we become confused. We measure our success and happiness based on how much better or worse we are than those around us. And with the summer season approaching, this measure is magnified. Our eyes are sharp as a hawk’s as we scan the beaches hoping that we either stand out or at best fit in.

Since the day our Soul arrives on Earth, it longs to be by reunited with the One that created it. As we live day in and day out, longing to belong, to fit in, we all need to remember that this longing has little to do with the outside world and has more to do with being one with the One.

So in those moments, when your mind races, when you look around and wonder whether your perfect body is impressing or if your less-than-perfect body is being judged, stop and remember that your soul is perfect. It is pure. It needs not be changed or reshaped. Remember that inside the body of everyone you come in contact with, there is a soul that is pure, perfect and a reflection of the Creator Himself.

So this summer, consider making a shift. Pay attention to your inner dialogue. What is your mind telling you about yourself? What kind of self-sabotaging dialogue is present? Are you judging yourself for not meeting expectations? Are you setting unrealistic expectations for yourself? Are you comparing your self-worth, your value, with that of someone else’s?

Take time to cultivate a steady, stable and firm relationship with your Inner Self so that you become unshakable in the face of any pressure and anyone that surrounds you, especially bikini bodies on the beach! Train yourself to feel happy, confident and at peace.

Shama Kaur is a health, lifestyle and wellness consultant and founder of YallaYoga.