Practical Tips to Incorporate Body Liberation in your Everyday Life

Written By Sarah Petty

By Sarah Petty

The definitions and recommendations below reflect my own understanding and personal journey. It is inevitable that my thoughts sometimes differ from those of other people championing body liberation. As with all resources, please read this information knowing I am offering it in good faith and I do not claim to have all the answers, nor the best ones. I'm still learning too, and I welcome any information you care to send my way for my own edification.




‘What is body liberation?

A short answer: life without limitation

Definition of liberation: the act of setting someone free from imprisonment, slavery, or oppression; release.


A literal interpretation of this is reflected in world history, with the introduction of laws to create more social freedoms for various people groups who were previously oppressed (often by past versions of the same governments that legally liberated them).

For the purposes of personal work, body liberation is widely understood to be actions reinforcing “the belief that every individual deserves to feel empowered and liberated within their own body.” - Oxford Review.

Why we need body liberation

It may feel almost silly to advocate for feeling freedom in our bodies. After all, in many places we most likely have more freedom to go where we want, wear what we want, say what we want, and do what we want than the people experiencing the historical events referenced above. Clearly there is room for improvement, but as a species humans have come a long way.

However, even the most privileged among us also need body liberation for two reasons:

  1. rapid and persistent media exposure to contrived cultural “norms” create a sense of insecurity about our bodies

  2. we carry epigenetic memories of our ancestors who had fewer freedoms

Both of these result in psychological and physiological tension and repression, from which body liberation aims to help us heal.

Also, there is no guarantee that the privileges we enjoy today will be there for us tomorrow. This world is ever-changing, our wellbeing is not guaranteed, and it benefits us and our communities to constantly be searching to educate and make improvements so that we can all be more liberated.

In terms of personal health and wellness, body liberation challenges the idea that only certain bodies are good or worthy of care.

Our value does not come from the sum of the identities we hold, but instead from our innate worth as human beings. From that standpoint, rather than feeling like we “should” do various tasks to take care of our bodies, we are empowered to engage with self care on our own terms, and to create the life we desire.

This should be an obvious, typical practice. But in reality, we are often held back (or hold ourselves back) from participating in various experiences. Any body size, skin color, disability, neurotype, or gender presentation outside of what is considered “normal” or “ideal” may be ignored or mistreated, simply for being different than the majority or the perceived ideal.

white fat woman with short red hair enters a gym space with a jump rope

How to incorporate Body Liberation in your everyday life

There are conflicting messages everywhere, even among people committed to body liberation. It’s easy to get caught up in the semantics and perfectionism, and forget who the concept of body liberation was originally created for.

Body liberation may feel like a far-off, unreachable ideal. But, if you want, you can bring pieces of it into your life. Instead of trying to overhaul your whole way of being, you may find it easier to focus on one or two things. You can always add more, but it helps to have one place to start.


That’s why I recommend a more accessible approach to engaging in body liberation work:

Based on what’s most important to YOU, you can narrow down your options a bit and feel more confident in your process.

First, you’ll need to choose which of the following categories best reflects your most important personal value:

  • Honesty/Candor/Authenticity

  • Exploration/Adventure/Boldness

  • Compassion/Empathy/Kindness

  • Achievement/Discipline/Success

  • Curiosity/Creativity/Play

  • Autonomy/Independence/Freedom

  • Community/Contribution/Loyalty

  • Recognition/Reputation/Popularity

  • Trustworthiness/Competency/Responsibility

Then, scroll to your chosen category for some recommended things to try. If you find something in another category that calls to you, great! This list just helps you narrow it down if you feel overwhelmed.


Honesty, Candor, Authenticity

1) Recognize and accept your physical imperfections

  • humans are inherently flawed, asymmetrical

  • what you perceive as an imperfection may be admirable to someone else

  • accept your body for what it is instead of trying to imagine or force it to be something else

    • “My body is ______. I recognize that as fact. (optional:) I do not seek to change it.”

    • “My body will never be ______ and that is ok.”

    • “My experience is challenging, but I cannot change it. I will find joy anyway.”

    • “My body is no less worthy because of its imperfections. I accept it for what it is.”

2) Start sharing your body story

  • create a blog, social media account, or diary, write songs or poetry, or create visual art

  • share how you have felt discouraged or held back from participating in experiences or events that others are encouraged to join

  • share your journey as you begin to explore what body liberation means to you

3) Call out B.S. (any statement or idea that encourages people to fit in a narrow range of “normal”) in person and online

  • seek to educate, not simply argue

  • provide resources (scroll to the end for my recs!) 

body liberation in practice

Exploration, Adventure, Curiosity

1) Engage in movement that allows you to explore:

2) Explore culture, history, and variety through food:

  • try new recipes weekly (your favorite blog, or cook through a cookbook!)

  • read about historical foods and find similar options to try, or recreate it yourself


3) Travel to places where people have different ways of life

  • notice who is considered “normal” in these places

  • do your best to travel ethically, spending money at small businesses and exploring sites off the beaten path

  • if it is safe and you desire to do so, visit areas where some people (women, for example) have fewer freedoms or different restrictions than you do at home

4) Learn about cultural norms in other countries and ethnogroups, including:

    • beauty preferences

    • everyday and celebratory clothing

    • romance and friendship traditions

    • how disabled people are treated

    • how elderly people are treated

Compassion, Empathy, Kindness

1) Boost your empathy by filling your social media feed with diverse bodies, including:

  • superfat and infinifat people

  • disabled people of all sizes

  • outwardly queer people

  • older people

  • chronically ill people

2) Find things to appreciate about your body

  • how it keeps you alive

  • what you can do with it

  • aspects of your appearance

  • the experience of living (your body is your home)

3) Lift others up when you notice they are talking about their bodies in a negative light

  • share what you have learned in bits and pieces, they may not be ready for a whole change in perspective

  • offer a positive or neutral reframe

  • emphasize your care for them regardless of their body size, shape, appearance, or function

4) Build the skills needed to hold a healing space for yourself and others

  • somatic therapy and EDMR can help you heal your body/mind so you are more able to support others

  • practice listening and reflecting neutrally, without imposing your beliefs

    explore using compassionate affirmations/mantras with yourself and others

5) Explore movement through a lens of self compassion

Notice your internal narrative and gradually building more acceptance and neutrality as you engage in your preferred form of movement.

achieving excellence as body liberation

Achievement, Discipline, Success

1) Identify unrealistic appearance and capacity ideals when you encounter them:

  • Olympic athletes are not average humans, and their training protocols and eating habits reflect that. Unless you aspire to be an Olympic athlete, there is no comparison to be made.

  • Clothing models have extreme expectations of their bodies placed upon them, and may be very unhealthy

  • Hair and skin models already have those marketable traits and are often extremely altered and airbrushed for photography.

  • Plus size models often naturally have hourglass body types for marketability, and their appearance is still critiqued and managed through diet and surgery.

2) Explore movement as a way to build discipline-based skills regardless of your appearance:

  • running

  • powerlifting

  • Olympic lifting

  • martial arts

3) Engage in body neutrality practices such as:

    • mirror work - practice looking in the mirror for short amounts of time and acknowledging:

      • that your body exists

      • that it is your home, where you experience your life

      • that it has flaws and that’s ok (or, you may decide they aren’t actually flaws!)

      • that your value as a human being is separate from what you see in the mirror

      • that the person in front of you deserves dignity, respect, kindness, and care

    • similar to mirror work - video yourself doing mundane tasks like washing dishes, makeup routine, working out, or making the bed. Watch and practice looking at your body with neutrality.

    • wearing clothes you think you aren’t “supposed” to, because you like them or they are the more comfortable option


Creativity, Play, Fun

1) Wear the bikini/crop top/shorts (or whatever you want that you’ve been told is not ok for you to wear)

  • engage in exposure therapy with clothes you like

    • If you want to ease in and do this a little bit at a time, try:

        • slightly shorter or lower cut shirts

        • 2 piece swimsuits that offer enough coverage that you feel relatively comfortable

        • shorts that are longer, but still outside your comfort zone

  • or, rip off the bandaid and start wearing any clothing you want to, immediately!



2) Engage with your 5 senses to build body awareness in a playful way

  • set up a smell sensory station at home (essential oils, flowers, herbs) or visit a candle shop to explore scents

  • cook a new recipe and notice how it smells and tastes

  • listen to music that makes you feel happy, joyful, energetic

  • find visual art that excites you

  • make a list of things you enjoy touching, and include more of them in your everyday experience

  • Notice how these sensations feel in your body

3) Explore movement that seems fun, exciting, or playful

    • dance class (ballet, tap, hip hop, Zumba, ballroom)

    • outdoor experiences (ocean swimming, forest walks, pickleball)

    • interactive video games or virtual reality games

    • at-home trampoline or trampoline park

    • rock climbing or bouldering

    • hopscotch

    • scavenger hunt

    • hula hooping

4) Enjoy adding to or enhancing your appearance - because you love it, not because you feel like you have to

  • fun hair

  • clothes that make you feel amazing

  • new makeup techniques

  • fun and funky nails

  • fancy shoes

  • whatever you like!

5) Do a Body Liberation themed photoshoot

  • hire a professional or grab an friend with an eye for poses and contrast

  • your photos can be lighthearted, moody, boudoir, or travel-related, but they should challenge and uplift you

  • keep the photos for yourself as a special memory, or share them with whoever you like!

having fun with body liberation

Autonomy, Independence, Freedom

1) Ask yourself a daily question: “how do I want to feel in my body today?”

    • eat, move, speak, and think accordingly, as best as you can

2) Engage in movement as a tool to retain independence as long as possible

    • load-bearing exercise improves bone density and reduces likelihood of hip fracture and early death

    • cardiovascular conditioning improves circulation, heart & brain function, and mood, mitigating risk of many diseases

    • any movement improves independence, physical function, and personal autonomy!

3) Practice distancing yourself from items or practices that keep you fenced in

    • use mirrors less often if you find yourself frequently checking to make sure your body looks ok

    • enjoy large portions when you want them, dessert when it’s tasty, and eating at whatever time of day you’re hungry, without apology or explanation to whoever is with you

    • explore a break from makeup, buying new clothes or fast fashion, or beauty treatments - let your body exist without appearance intervention for a little while

4) Think long-term to give your body attentive and preventative care:

  • what will it need next week?

  • what will it need 1 year from now?

  • what will it need 5 years from now?

  • what will it need 10 years from now?



Community, Contribution, Loyalty

1) Connect with body liberation leaders

  • learn from them

  • share their work with your various communities

  • see resource list below for where to start

2) Social conversation

  • interrupt and reframe discussions (when you can) to include positive or neutral talk about people who are fat, disabled, queer, and Black or brown.

  • take time to share cool things that people are doing that connect with body liberation in some way

  • engage in good-faith conversations to expand your own understanding as well as others

3) Mutual aid

  • donate your time, money, and connections to individuals and grassroots organizations who are supporting people in your local community

  • show up for your local community when they need support

  • share information about the people and organizations you are supporting with others, so that the network of support grows

body liberation community

Recognition, Reputation, Influence

1) Question the status quo:

    • in groups where you have influence or power, be more outspoken about whatever aspects of body liberation apply to the topic at hand

    • challenge people in your circle when they reference food, movement, body parts, or types of bodies as “good” or “bad”

2) If you are can influence media decisions for your work or hobbies, incorporate media that includes people who are:

    • fat

    • disabled

    • representative of a variety of cultures

    • not “conventionally attractive”

3) Become your community’s go-to for speaking, resources, and connections about body liberation



Trustworthiness, Competency, Responsibility

1) Learn and distributing knowledge on body liberation

  • get really familiar with the nuances and definitions of body liberation and adjacent concepts:

    • diet culture

    • anti-fat bias

    • ablism

    • white supremacy

  • this can be a special interest!


2) Read as many books on body liberation as you can get your hands on (libraries make this more accessible)

  • My recommendations are in the resource list at the bottom of this page.


3) Pick & choose your battles

  • Drop hints to see if someone is open to learning more about body liberation

  • Understand that not everyone will be receptive to the whole or parts of body liberation

  • Be as thorough as you can while honoring their capacity

  • Trust that sharing even a little bit can help them be open to learning more in the future


body liberation in personal practice

Resources for additional learning:

Videos:

Books:

Sarah Petty
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