Invisible Girdle

In the tradition of my Grandmother’s tied corset
And my Mother’s stretch girdle,
I too wear something which flattens my tummy.

It is not made of cotton, or lycra, or polyester.
In fact it is invisible.
But is more powerful than a cast iron chastity belt.
My girdle is made up of beliefs.
That women should have a 24 inch waist.
A round middle on a woman is a “pot belly”,
Which signals lack of self-control and discipline.
The only time it is appropriate for a woman
To have an extended midsection
Is when she is pregnant.
And then, her abdomen is considered community property,
Available for everyone to touch.

My invisible girdle
Is an unconscious holding in of my tummy.
I don’t even realize I do it until I think about it.
All day long, I do not relax the center of body.
I hold it in, so no one knows
That, like my mother, I have a woman’s belly.
It grows as I get older.
So the difficulty in holding it in becomes greater.
It is to the point where I don’t think I can keep it flat any longer.
But what if I let it out?
Will others think I lack self-control or discipline?
Will they ask if I am pregnant?
Will I continue to be respected as a person?

Recently, I started learning T’ai Chi Chih,
A meditative practice of body movements.
I learned that located in the belly
About two inches below the naval
Is something called the “T’an T’ien”,
Which is considered the center of the body.
It is the core of body energy,
From which all movement originates.
In T’ai Chi Chih,
The T’an T’ien must be full and relaxed,
Not tight and empty.
In order for body energy to flow
To bring well-being and health and joy to life,
The T’an T’ien must not be constrained.
Perhaps, all of these years my invisible girdle,
By constraining my T’an T’ien,
Has been robbing me of well-being, health and joy.

It is time to burn the girdle!!

In the tradition of my Grandmother,
Who abandoned her corset,
And my mother,
Who threw away her girdles,
It is time to shed my invisible one.
It is time to say,
A woman’s waist should not be 24 inches,
It should be whatever size it is.
A woman’s big belly is not a “pot,” but a well of energy.
A full middle is not a sign that a woman lacks self-control or discipline.
It is a sign of her honesty, her self-respect and her integrity.
And to my own belly, I say,
“Relax, be full, be beautiful, and be the center of my healing energy!

– Denise Moreland
Student of Marie Dotts