Body image and self-perception

The image we carry of our own bodies is formed over decades and rarely corresponds accurately to what is actually there — it is shaped by culture, early experience, language, media, illness, and how we have been seen by others. Poor body image is not vanity; it is a measurable source of chronic stress with real physiological consequences. Learning to inhabit your body rather than observe it from a critical distance is both a practice and, for many people, a long project.