Wellness for Women

This week-end, there is a Health & Wellness Week-end for Women at the Fort Garry Hotel being put on by Winnipeg Women. It looks like a really cool event (yes, I grew up in the 80's) although I wasn't crazy about the early morning exercise idea. Since I'm not going, I thought I could at least reflect on the topic for a bit. This is some of what I came up with.

What are the unique health & wellness needs for women? What are our challenges? Where do we easily falter in the care of ourselves: our minds, our bodies, our spirits?

How do we build better lives? Healthier relationships? A more positive outlook? Less self-defeating thoughts? A higher level of energy? A greater level of joy? How do we utilize the unique beauty we possess to enrich our lives and those of our loved ones?

I think of the unique demands on women these days. Besides the roles and expectations that are imprinted deeply onto our DNA (to keep a clean house, cook wholesome meals, nurture our children and friendships, support our partners, give something back to the community), we now have other things added: bring in an income and do meaningful work, keep up with busy households and a technology-saturated/fast-paced world, keep current of the latest fashion and decor trends, navigate the latest health-food/fitness ideas, and try to work out because we sit at a computer too much of the day. And through it all, women are bombarded with images on TV, in theatres and magazines, and on billboards telling us what beauty should look like: from our clothing to our hair-style to the shape of our bodies. So, basically, we're surrounded with the message, "You don't measure up". That takes its toll on a person.

The truth is, no woman can possibly measure up to all that. But how does a woman sift through it all and decide who she is, what she can do, and where she wants to go in life? She needs to have a strong identity. She needs confidence. She needs to know that she's enough. She needs to see herself with new eyes and discover the beauty that lies beneath the surface, awakening to her true self, content with who she is and comfortable in her own skin. This can happen in a variety of ways. In fact, someone in Winnipeg has developed a lifestyle pass where women can try out a bunch of things to help build health into their lives, but that's another topic.

At Eve Studios, we're all about women. We believe there is beauty in every woman, just waiting to be revealed. Sometimes that beauty may be masked by low self-esteem, lies from the past, despair, stress, depression, difficult circumstances, and a myriad of other things. Sometimes, a woman's beauty may be apparent to everyone but the one who possesses it. But when that beauty starts to be uncovered, a radiant confidence emerges. And that confidence can transform every part of a woman's life. That's why we believe so strongly in building the self-esteem of women through photography.

There is a saying that "A picture is worth a thousand words". We, as women, can hear others tell us we're beautiful a thousand times and have it bounce off each time. But when we can take an image of our own self, created in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, recalling the positive feelings that came with the experience, and drink in the way we look...suddenly, just maybe, we can believe we're truly beautiful. And that belief will remain long after the photography session.

If something of what I've said today rings true for you, why don't you give Rodney a call at 221-8413. Or you can email him. He's a fabulous guy and easy to talk to (he's my hubby!) But don't put it off. As women, we tend to care about everyone but ourselves. So change all that today, and go pick up the phone or click on the link and set up a time to talk and figure out what you'd like to do. There's no obligation. Even if you think your abs need some work first or you've never done anything like this before, just come in and find out more. You'll be glad you did!

Live well and be good to yourself. And I will try to do the same.