On the first Saturday of June, nearly 60 women of all ages came together for the second annual Occupy Beauty event at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where they embarked on day of community, playful exploration, and yoga. (See here for a report.) The event was designed by Melanie Elkin, founder of Yoga’licious ( melanieelkin.com) , who helps women discover their own unique beauty by giving them the tools to practice self-love in a world that often encourages the opposite. “Occupy Beauty is a model for the way women can come together and be in such sweet and delicious support of each other,” explained Elkin, who offered these thoughts during and after the event.
What beauty means to her: Beauty to me is a feeling, and living from my essential self and expressing her to the world and to myself. It’s also lovability and knowing that all parts of me are lovable.
What to change about culture’s perception of beauty: Less focus on beauty being only one physical way of looking. If I could put it on a billboard, it would read, “It’s beautiful to have feelings and express yourself.”