Ashamed to be in a Female Body?

Attempting to describe our current situation often feels like trying to tell a fish that they're surrounded by water. What is patriarchy and why does it matter? Patriarchy is the supremacy of the masculine qualities over a family, clan, institution or society. Supremacy being key here in that the feminine qualities are seen as less important. Some masculine qualities include: linear thinking, goal-oriented action, intellectual processing/perceiving, and believing oneself to be separate from nature.  Some feminine qualities include: horizontal thinking, emotional/feeling processing, experiential perception, nourishment, and intuition. The feminine and masculine reside in every body and in every gender. When respected and in balance they feed into each other creating a deep alignment with one's being-ness to take action in the physical world. When the feminine qualities are seen as separate and less than the following can occur: dry perception lacking emotions, individuality and separation, aggression and war, loss of connection to oneself and nature. To put all of this into a larger context, over 5,000 years ago femininity was revered. Then slowly masculinity was seen as better and more important. This shift also included worshiping Goddesses and Gods to then suppress Goddess worship all together. Finally holding that there is only one God and it is Male. It was only in 1920, one hundred years ago, that women were included in the voting process. From the 1920s to present there is still this flavor of women being here to serve men, to nurture society, and stay in “their place” (meaning where a man deems this place to be). This is the more female bodied and male bodied aspects of this larger myth of masculine superiority playing out.Have you internalized patriarchal beliefs?

• Ashamed to be in a female body?
• Suppressing, dismissing or demeaning emotions?
• See female bodied people as not intelligent or less intelligent?
• Feel that you are above nature and/or can control nature?
• Separate yourself from intuitive, experiential body awareness?
• To show your true feelings is weak?
• Moving from A to B in a direct/straight line is the best way?
• Don't trust or connect to your intuition?
• Are things seen only as competitions?
• Is strength/dominance above all other virtues?
• Is a male bodied person’s needs more important than anyone else's?

These are just some of the ways masculine superiority beliefs can show up at the individual level. To begin to disintegrate this myth we must each start within ourselves and honor the feminine qualities within us.  Enjoy being for the pure bliss of being, express your emotions authentically, honor your intuition, and for the love of nature stop apologizing for being in a female body!  The truth is that these patriarchal myths not only hurt the female bodied persons, it also hurts male bodied persons. I invite you to delve into your inner femininity openly and freely.