Reading Response: The Second Circle - Body

Between reading this excerpt and the exercises we've been doing in class this week, I've been much more aware of my body and the way I carry myself. I would say the biggest habit I have created is holding tension in my chest and "over-compensating" by pulling my shoulders too far back, which forces my spine out of alignment and causes me to pull my hips back as well. I also have a tendency to lock my knees. My shoulder placement, in particular, is what I have tried to be more aware of this week. The segment about the "beautiful body" as defined by today's media interests me, because I think it really affects people today, especially women. As the text suggested, I found a candid photo of myself and made observations. I noticed the same habit with my shoulders, which contributes to a rigid spine, and how close my feet were together. The placement of my feet suggest that I am "diminishing" myself by taking up less space, according to the text. This reminds me of a poem I read that talked about the different ways men and women take up space in their every day lives. The example the poem used was the way men and women sit on public transportation. Men have more of a tendency to spread out comfortably - knees apart, arms rested on the seat back - and take up space, while women will sit with their knees tight together or crossed and hands in their lap - taking up as little space as possible. Women are expected to be small and pretty and conform to standards imposed by the media. I think this connects to our lesson because it influences how women hold themselves daily, and I absolutely think it affects me too. Another thing that came to mind was last week when I was approached by a stranger and asked for direction. The text suggests that the reason I was approached was because I was in Second Circle, or at least the most Second Circle person available, yet at that moment I was completely unaware of this.