Coming Home to your Body
Home is a strange concept. How do we define it, collectively? Is it the house you reside in, the city you grew up in, the person you share your life with, or something else entirely? Lately, I’ve been wondering: what if ‘home’ is less somewhere you arrive, but somewhere you’ve been all along?
I’ve begun to think of ‘home’ as two places — both dynamic, living, breathing systems that operate in an effort to protect us, to support us, and to quite literally house our being. As a collective, I see ‘home’ as the planet. We all live here, and we all need to keep the planet healthy if we expect to thrive within its life-supporting boundaries. As an individual, ‘home’ is very specifically our bodies. It might seem obvious to announce this, yet I think it’s a concept we take for granted. We don’t choose our bodies, though (if we’re lucky) we can choose the homes that hold us. It is our bodies that carry us through this world. Every day, until the day our consciousness departs. We expect a lot from our bodies, and we tend to take for granted the complex work they do for us on a daily basis, to support our existence.
This idea of the body as home has shaped more than just my perspective, it’s shaping my business. As I’ve set out to create Petal + Ash, the question of “why intimate apparel” has come up often. Why not some other category? Initially I’d say something along the lines of, “I’ve just always been drawn to beautiful undergarments,” but this question has also forced me to really reflect on a more meaningful ‘why.’ As a dancer, there is a strong mind-to-body connection. Also strong is the (not always healthy) relationship between your own body and the external forces that critique it — as this is the instrument you use, as a dancer, to communicate.
Often forgotten in this pursuit of perfection is the appreciation for the amazing actions our bodies are capable of. Not even the super human feats demanded of us as a dancer or athlete, but the quiet miracles we overlook: our breath, our balance, or the simple act of walking through a room.
It is because of my historically fraught relationship with my body that my love for intimate apparel was solidified. Strange as that may seem, it was precisely these garments that offered an escape from the outside critiques and allowed me to see my body for what it was: beautiful. Something to care for, not correct.
Lingerie became my rebellion. Ironically, Petal + Ash almost launched as Rebel Intimates — until a trademark check shut it down (something of which I’m now extremely thankful).
In understanding the power of these garments for myself, and in confirming this same power felt by other women (through conducted interviews), I am further solidified in my belief in the power of lingerie. Not for the male gaze (though it can be that too, if desired), but for yourself. To feel powerful in your body.
That’s what led me to ask: what does it mean to come home to your body?
I recently started this exploration on the Petal + Ash Instagram account. Through the lens of lingerie and the lens of movement. It came about organically — asking two friends to come into the studio, move in our prototypes, and speak candidly about their relationship to their bodies. What has blossomed out of this experiment feels raw, authentic, and truly special.
This exploration has also felt like a coming home. A return to the dance studio; a place I have always felt at home within.
Coming Home to your Body is an unfolding series. You can witness it — raw, real, ongoing — on the Petal + Ash Instagram. Here’s a peek of one — head to our Insta for more!
What does coming home mean to you? Let me know in the comments!
Founder’s Favorite
Substack can be a confusing place. I was very recently turned on to Writers at Work with Sarah Fay, PhD. She helps demystify the platform and I’m really loving her tips! I’ve just begun my learning journey with her, but I’m looking forward to growing through her framework and wisdom.
