Oprah Winfrey On Body Image: “I Feel More Connected To My Inner Spirit”

Oprah has always been a full-figured woman, but she reveals that it wasn't until after an intensive class with Eckhart Tolle, studying his book, "A New Earth," that she felt at peace with her body.

Via her "I Know For Sure" column of O, The Oprah Magazine, Oprah shares that her new understanding of the body is that there is much more to it than her physical attributes.

She says:

"I know for sure that I am not my body. I feel more connected to consciousness, or soul, or inner spirit—whatever you choose to name the formless being that is the essence of who we are."

It is hard to believe that Oprah, who is credited with creating the revolutionary confessional form of media communication, would have insecurities about weight gain. Still, she does share that, like most other women, she hated being "fat."

This insecurity led Oprah on a turbulent ride of fasting to lose weight, mandating diets, then gaining weight, and so on. She explains that her struggles with weight gain had a rather high impact.

It made it hard for her to understand the words of spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson, who tried to explain that she has to "accept the magnitude of her function" before she can reach full magnificence.

Now, Oprah shares that she better understands Williamson's words to mean that her low self-esteem and demeaning thoughts or perception about her body is what always sabotaged her attempts to lose weight.

Oprah:

"I've given up scale-watching—letting a number determine how I see myself and whether I'm worthy of a good day. Part of my awakening through the New Earth classes has been to recognize how shallow and small that made me."

The most excellent message from Oprah's short piece is that you must accept yourself for who you are, that you are someone of great essence that and not just a body.

Seeing yourself as a unique creature and being thankful for your being, regardless of what you look like, will surely add a spring to your steps every day.

With this new-gained confidence, there is nothing else you can't do as long as you are determined and work hard.

Like Oprah says: "It is indeed a miracle when you realize the fullness of who you are. You're not your body, and for sure, you're not your body image."