Zariin with wellness blogger, Jia Singh collaborated on a campaign that focuses on body positivity. The campaign brings together 18 women who feel strongly about this cause, and perceive their bodies as blessings. They are grateful for who they are.
We shot each one of them in a white shirt which they styled according to their body shape, personality and style preference. They accessorised their looks with our jewelry that fit their mood. It was thrilling to see how the white shirt translated into so many looks.
But even more thrilling for us was to experience touching words of how these women are embracing body positivity.
MAMTA GUPTA ON BODY POSITIVITY
I am my thighs
My calves and my flat feet
My tanned skin from the sunny outdoors
I am that too
I am my breasts and my stretch marks
The pink in my lips too
I am my hair when they shine long and straight
But I am also their frizzy tirade
I am my eyes with the glee
As much as with the pain
I am all of the above
But you see that’s still not all of me
‘Cos I am the spirit that dwells
Deep under my bearings
I am the laughter that erupts
In awkward moments of silence
I am the strength in my arms
That help me carry my sleeping child
I am the voice of comfort
Of a friend when you need to confide
I am the smile at the end of a long day
I am the force that’ll pull you
When you go astray
All my flaws they keep me real
And I wouldn’t have it any other way
To a standard, I will refuse to fall prey
This body is a blessing I live to explore the beauty of the day.
VIDHI GUPTA ON BODY POSITIVITY
“If perfect’s what you’re searching for,
Then just stay the same”
I think each of us need to embrace these lines! We all have some imperfections, but then so do those perfect (ly photoshopped) bodies whom we admire. That’s what makes us beautiful. Love yourself for your imperfections, not despite them.
I had my meltdown about the hair fall I experienced this summer, but I lovingly oil them once in a while. I have acne scars, but I refuse to hide them under layers of concealer. I love to eat and that might show on me, but get me that dessert right now and I will show you an empty plate. The travel takes a toll on my skin, but I am planning Everest base camp as I write this. My body is my home, and I refuse to tear it down. This is the same body that couldn’t support me off the bed last year when I had dengue, which allows me to do rock climbing now. So maybe it is time that I show it some appreciation.
So work out because You love your body, not because You hate it!
Body positivity doesn’t mean everyone loves our body, it means loving our body so much, that it doesn’t matter if others don’t!
Also, next time you meet your friend, sister, mother, colleague- complement them. They might have forgotten to do the same to themselves !
JIA SINGH ON BODY POSITIVITY
I’ve always been preoccupied with eating healthy, eating clean and exercising diligently until that too much of a good thing could also be bad for you. It took me a while to fine tune the balance so I could eat mindfully, indulge without guilt and enjoy everything without having to worry about the repercussions later. Every body is different and we are bound to look different. Besides, can you imagine how boring it would be if we all looked exactly the same. We don’t need to conform to unrealistic ideals of the thigh gap and sculpted midsections and I’ve learnt that its very important to enjoy the finer things in life. No one wants to live a life of deprivation and starvation. The way I see it, wellness is a journey you embark on one day at a time. You should allow yourself that glass of wine on the weekend and a few squares of dark chocolate and truly savour it without feeling guilty about it. Its absolutely alright to indulge when you’ve been eating clean and training hard through the week.
Social media has made it almost impossible for us to not compare ourselves to airbrushed versions of fitness enthusiasts and swimsuit models. I’ve learnt to love my body and cherish it for what I have rather than picking on imperfections. I don’t have a thigh gap and I’m not built like a model. I have fine lines, short legs and strong arms and yet that doesn’t stop me from putting on a swimsuit at every chance I get. Life’s too bloody short to compare yourself. So go ahead, put on that swimsuit and embrace that body. I’m going to start by being #bodypositive and I hope you’ll join me.
KARUNA EZARA PARIKH ON BODY POSITIVITY
I grew up self-conscious about my legs. They were so skinny I thought they made my feet look like a duck’s. I grew up self-conscious about a lot more of me, and the more I talk to friends about their experience of their own bodies, I hear similar things. It’s always, “I hate my hips,” or “I wish I had bigger boobs”. Smaller boobs, longer hair, longer lashes, thinner arms, slimmer thighs, a bigger butt, prettier toes…the list is endless. At some point, I realised something strange: women just aren’t happy with the way they look. Really, should it matter that much? Should self-worth be tied so tightly to a shoe size? To a waist size?
The other day I sent my sizes to a stylist who was preparing clothes for a shoot. She responded with “They sound wrong could you check again?” I told her that regrettably, they were correct.
I paused and thought – who gets to decide what size is correct? What waist to hip ratio? And is there really any standard? If you aren’t an extreme (anorexic or obese) that diminishes your health, who gets to decide? You do.
JYOTIKA BEDI ON BODY POSITIVITY
I celebrate my body daily and embrace all my imperfections with Lovelovelove.
SHREYA SONI ON BODY POSITIVITY
You’re beautiful the day you stop allowing others define beauty for you.
You’re beautiful the day you don’t let relatives make you feel conscious with constant body comparison.
You’re beautiful the day you start loving and celebrating every inch of your body, mind and soul.
You were beautiful yesterday, are today and will be tomorrow.
You’re beautiful.
PRIYAM GALAV ON BODY POSITIVITY
If you want a dancers body, just dance.
TANVI BHATIA ON BODY POSITIVITY
Body Positivity to me is valuing the inner love for yourself, enhancing your inner beauty and enlightening it with kindness
I’ve lived and believed in “Loving Yourself and allowing that love to flow to others” for love shared is love magnified.
Each body is made beautifully and it’s the inner self confidence that gives you and your body the motivation to look and feel good each day no matter what.
I’ve always embraced my curves & treated my body with positive thoughts, kindness & respect which in turn makes me treat others in the same manner in my personal and professional sphere.
In today’s day and age people are so preoccupied with external validation of appearances that we seem to have stopped loving & looking for what is real within us.
Kindness and Compassion inherent in human beings makes them beautiful and that needs to shine in your inner self and outward appearance 🙂
PRIYANKA GALAV ON BODY POSITIVITY
Body positivity is looking beyond the superficial you and knowing that there’s so much more. It’s about looking into the mirror & being confident of the person you are.
KARISHMA BEDI ON BODY POSITIVITY
“You gotta live with yourself; who cares what anyone else thinks?
Being body positive = Loving the skin you’re in
Because, where else are you gonna go?
GAYATRI SINGH ON BODY POSITIVITY
To me, body positivity means understanding that we don’t need to fulfil some imaginary “universal” standard of beauty, that we ought to do what makes us feel healthier and happier – inside and out, and realize that no good ever comes from criticizing the appearance of others.
MANASI LAMBA ON BODY POSITIVITY
“There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself ; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me that is
the true essence of beauty”- Steve Maraboli
Body positivity to me is being confident about who you are, irrespective of your SIZE. Size doesn’t not define beauty, your soul does and you are beautiful on the inside and outside – and NO one can tell you otherwise.
SWATI CHAUHAN ON BODY POSITIVITY
Body positivity is rebellion against everything you are taught to believe how you should be. It is a state of mind filled with awareness, appreciation, acceptance, amazement and awe. Awareness that a Martian looking at Earthlings sees these wonderful bags of skin made of atoms, molecules, flesh and bones.They wonder why do they make the faces they do when they stand naked in front of a mirror. Awareness that this vehicle when taken care of can make the ride so interesting. It has the power to take us through the highs and lows with good clearance and suspension. Appreciation that if not for its wonderfully working engine, we wouldn’t be able to see all there is to see, absorb all there is to absorb, do all there is to do. Acceptance for all the times we haven’t been able to service it properly and that not every day will be body positive. Amazement at how its zillion components and processes come together and work magic. Awe at how our gut sometimes answers before our brain and we are left scratching our head because we would like to believe the brain knows it all.
I want to dance. I want to climb, swim and run into unseen lands. I want to use my body, push its limits. I want to embrace its fluidity through being young, old, outdoorsy, indoorsy, fat, skinny, dark, light, masculine, feminine, cross dressing, not dressing, andro, metro, blonde, grey, urban, rural, hairy, smooth, inked, pierced, cross legged, loungy, chesty, hunched, pedicured, blistered, pre-pregnant, post natal, pimpled, dimpled, groomed, unkempt, tall, short, huge, petite, sun burnt, bleached, tom boyish, girly, slow, swift, flexible, stiff, loud, quiet, squeaky, husky, sometimes eloquent and sometimes falling short of words like this. 🙂
ABHIRA TALWAR ON BODY POSITIVITY
Our social conditioning has made it so simple, so instinctive even, for us to criticise the way we look. We look at photos and instead of smiling at the memories they show us, we cringe at the bits of us we don’t like.
But see, it’s empowering, exhilarating even to use all of our energy, to employ every cell of our bodies to love ourselves – fiercely and forcefully even if we have to! Because then there comes a transition from something that’s forced to something as natural as breathing. And then the feeling of unconditionally loving ourselves is one of absolute, pure and – I like to think – everlasting bliss.
AKRITI NARAIN ON BODY POSITIVITY
My body is everything I have, everything I will. It makes me alive, it keeps me alive.
The body-mind balance is most essential to live life fully and nurture the most important relationship – yourself. Like most of us I grew up having issues with my hair, short legs and muscular arms till I struck a certain realisation. I started my career with a few styling projects. At work I realised the models we idolise based on rigid beauty standards, they had as many issues with their bodies if not more. So if I wasn’t happy nor were they- who was? Only those women with acceptance of these markers who interpret these as unique.
That’s when my perception changed and I never looked back since. The stretch marks are markers of an adaptation of a healthy lifestyle and they reflect my journey to the point that I’m proud of them. I have a few grey strands on my head ever since I was 12. It doesn’t bother me anymore but it is surprising how many get bothered by it including strangers. Our bodies have extreme potential and do so much for us yet it baffles me how it takes a few grey strands to disrespect it!
Body positivity is as much about the mental block as it is about the body. Imperfections don’t matter and sizes definitely don’t. A bikini at any size is definitely a statement – I believe even a saree is because this garment defies the very concept of sizes!
SHEFALI CHAUHAN ON BODY POSITIVITY
Body Positivity to me means never letting the pressure of “ideal” body types, set by the world around me, to get to me. Going from an all-girls school to an all-girls college I have sensed the pressure amongst women to look like someone else rather than the fittest version of themselves. Instead of adopting habits that lead to a healthy body, we sometimes become obsessed with chasing the “outer”, emulating that image of perfection and touching-up the “outsides”.
Focusing on polishing the “inside”, I think we must learn to accept and respect our unique selves and that of others!
POOJA ROY YADAV ON BODY POSITIVITY
“I am 5ft nothing and I love wearing flats. I have been called many names through different stages in my life but the day I decided to love myself , the world decided to love me back! I am short and hot!
URVASHI KUMAR ON BODY POSITIVITY
Hating your body won’t make you thin and being thin won’t make you stop hating your body.
