The practice of distinguishing between the socially-imposed image of the body and the authentic self, recognizing both the necessity and the cost of masking.
Sor Juana inhabited a body that others saw through layers of projection: the dutiful nun, the intellectual oddity, the woman who should be silent. She understood the mask—the difference between how she was perceived and who she was. Contemporary body image work often ignores this layer: we internalize the gaze of others and call it self-concept. This concept asks you to develop what might be called mirror literacy—the capacity to distinguish between the image reflected back to you by society and your own embodied knowing. You may wear a mask for safety, strategy, or survival; that is not dishonesty but wisdom. But healthy physical self-concept requires knowing the difference. Who are you beneath the image others enforce? What does your body want when no one is watching? Sor Juana's legacy here is permission to be multiple, to wear strategic masks while maintaining contact with an inner knowing that cannot be colonized by external demand.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
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