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Hellena Post - Creatrix

I've tried on so many uniforms and badges that now I'm just me - mother of 8 children and all that entails, flowmad, and human animal parent. Writer of this living book of a blog, philosopher, and creatrix of hand dyed and spun crocheted wearable art. I gave up polite conversation years ago, and now I dive into the big one's.....birth, sex, great wellness, life, passion, death and rebirth.


Saturday, June 15, 2013

To bra or not to bra.......

I just read an awesome blog post about the usage of bras, that I highly recommend you read.  About how it's really not a funky practice for our boobs.  And the comment I wanted to leave was so huge, that I thought I'd better blog about it myself, not least because the more this kind of information is out there the better, but also because it comes down to sovereignty again.

Hot on the tail of my last post just fresh off the press about self organisation, this is so timely because the self organisation that can exist within our communities and groups, can also exist in our bodies.  Us Westerners are so into control.  Controlling our groups with heirarchies, controlling our creativity with standardised learning, controlling our animals and our children, who often have the same rights as each other, controlling our fibres that we make things with, controlling the ways that everybody does everything, and most of all, personally, and in our direct experience, we try to control our bodies.  What they look like, smell like, feel like, perform like, when they rest, when they eat, what they eat, and all the different ways that we 'manage' them into submission.  Do our best to knock all the animal edges off, so that we can prance around in our dog trotting ways emulating aliens that don't shit, stink, have hair in unsightly places, writhe with sensuality, or force us to admit our card carrying status as animals like all the others.  

And I would like to suggest, that instead we could surrender to our humanimal bodily experience, and maybe even find that our bodies, like our grass roots communities and wild environments show us, have within them an inherent consciousness, that when respected and uncontrolled, can find a harmonious balance from seeming chaos.  

I've written before about our signature smells that can be liberated through using only natural soap and water and no deodorants or cleaning products, but never really got into my proud bra free status.  I don't wear a bra.  I'm over 6 foot tall, and I've weighed between 100 and 125 kilograms for years now, especially during babies, and have big bosoms.  I've been up to a size 26H which is pretty huge, and I've breastfed 8 babies now, all for the first year of their lives, when they've naturally weaned themselves.  

Incidentally......apparently there was a test done in the 50's as to what size bra one should buy.  If your breast could hold a pencil underneath it, pinned between breast and chest, then you were a certain size. If your breast couldn't hold a pencil it was another.  Three pencils was considered a larger sized cup.  But since a very young lass, my bountiful breasts have been able to hold a whole pencil case.  A soft one of course.  I wonder what size that would have been?  Bloody Big Bra perhaps.......

When I was a young thing I was a bit of an obsessive bra wearer.  I'd wear them to sleep.  And felt awfully nude and nipple shy and vulnerable to go without one.  And then I had my first baby and discovered all sorts of things as a result, one of which was the joys of making love with women.  And a lot of women who love women are really into women.....surprisingly......in their raw, natural, authentic and real states.  So I came to really love my breasts, and their fulsome milk giving nurturance, and how they wobbled and bounced as I walked was almost a badge of honour, that I was a WILD woman, who'd howled at the moon and found her soul, and loved my body as it was.   At first it was uncomfortable and I sweated a lot, but after a time my body found it's own balance, and I got used to hanging loose.  

For a very brief time I explored complete femininity, and lacy push up bras, and fell as in love with my cleavage as all the very short men who I hugged often did.  

Then I met Currawong, but as a punk anarchist, he was every bit as into reclaiming the beauty of the untamed or uncliched body, and loved my bouncing breasts.  I convinced myself that I needed to wear maternity bras from birthing to at least 6 months down the track for only the first three of my babies, and had mastitis, and sore breasts often, and a huge mess around with bra straps and nursing pads.  But with my fourth baby I just let the whole thing go, wore latex tops that held material nursing pads in place, or just gushed into cloth nappies that stayed in place under my tank tops.  I had no problems, and my breasts were so less sore in general, and they've always been easy and comfortable since.  

I'm 42 now, and 8 babies later they droop, and my nipples point to the ground.  They're so soft and the skin is so gently stretchy that they're comfortable and warm pillows for any of my babies.  They get a bit tender coming up to bleeding, but in general I forget about them, cause they just bounce along for the ride.   Before I got to evolving into complete self love and acceptance,  I sometimes felt stared at, and uncomfortable, and exposed, and wished I could just have a body that didn't attract attention.   But what always helped me deal with that, was to remember that I was part of a sight seed of a different way of being for everyone who looked at me, for an individual who was going about their life as a natural and authentic human animal.  And for my daughters, so that when they grow they can choose which cultural fads they want to take part in, and not feel pressured into fitting into anyone else's norm.  And for my sons, to be able to appreciate women in all their glorious forms.  And for my Currawong, who has been such a huge part of my self love and appreciation, through the glowing reflection of his adoration for my body, and maybe in particular my beautiful bosoms.  



And with my complete and easy surrender to my body, and what it actually is, I find that I have such a profound gratitude for the amazing beast that it is, to have taken me this far in life, borne this many babies, enjoyed this much sex, love and bonding, had such stamina and energy for all of life's distractions, and has these amazing pillows of soft flesh and skin that can express so many sides of me.  When left to their own devices, and accepted for what they are, they come into a graceful prime.  In the cold they can shrink up almost pert like and my nipples harden in weather and in lust.  And when hot they kinda spread and hang out and try to keep as cool as they can.  They nestle and fold my loved one into me in all sorts of ways, and I wear halter tops and sheer stretchy tees and let them shake the tango along with all the other generous curves of my womans body.  

And I've got so used to it, and have so many women round me now who also walk the world braless, that sometimes I catch myself looking at women with obvious bras on, and think to myself 'Now that's just wierd.....'

Breasts are wonderful.  And a journey.  Enjoy them.  





21 comments:

  1. My boobs say hi to your boobs and look forward to a booby outing when the weather is warm xx love and respect always darling xxx Wanda

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    1. Bring it on baby!! Party Booby at the Big Bamboo!!

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  2. Braless in the tropicsJune 16, 2013 at 6:14 AM

    Beautiful writing, thank you for this!

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  3. I loved this blog! Can you imagine women in the United States going braless? The government, the police,the politicians and religious leaders would have apoplexy! Ah, but I can be free in my home! Tip: The older we get, the lower they hang and the thinner they get. I should take a photo of mine and send it to you so you can compare 42 year old boobs to 60 year old boobs!

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    1. Well that could be a bit of fun darlin! Thank you :)

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  4. Love ya boobs :)
    From another braless woman.

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  5. Kate in Georgia USAJune 21, 2013 at 9:46 AM

    Well.
    I read the blog post you linked to, and then all the links in that blog post, and then followed all the links in those links....I was reading for hours!
    Today, my husband and I shopped for camisoles and tanks I can wear instead of bras. I went braless for the first time in public since a teenager. and it feels GOOD! (I'm almost 50)

    Thanks. And my husband thanks you, too! ;o)

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    1. And it's moments like these that make me truly grateful to be me and to blog about what I do! That's just about the best result that I could have possibly ever hoped for. That's so cool!!! And I'm so glad that it felt so good. Good luck on your journey, and my husband had a huge grin thinking about your husband and how good that must all be.

      Blessings a million times and thank you so much!! You've totally made my day :)

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  6. Another fabulous post Hellena! I work out a lot and tend to wear loose sportsbras, but when practicing yoga at home, I don't like to wear a bra and it feels awesome!

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    1. I was one of those types who always ripped em off as soon as I walked in the door :) So glad I've got good reasons to back me up now!

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  7. Well I'm inspired-you have yet again written about what has been bouncing around in my brain. I've been needing a push to go with my instinct to be braless-thanks!

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  8. I've been braless for almost 10 years, and actually had my first negative comment the other day (Oh gross her tits are like hanging down like this) from a grown woman who knew full well I could hear. It's had it's ups and downs. But I can't go back. Enjoy!

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    1. Yeah, I cop the odd comment and look, but I couldn't really care anymore, and figure it's just good that folk see a woman with large pendulous breasts who doesn't give a shit :) Thank you!

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  9. Digging your input Shelby, you seem to be serious bout my blog! You've read a couple in the last few days, and I appreciate it :) Always nice when someone drops in who seems to like it..... And I love your description of your bosoms! Thanks so much for the impetus to keep going :)

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  10. Great blogpost as always Ms Post ..... I only ever wore a bra for about 3 weeks or months aged 12 or 13 ....... couldn't get used to the restrictive feeling. Had small breasts, so never really an issue of needing support. Used to always swim naked too, so much so, it felt really weird to swim in bathers/togs/swimmers, 'twas hard to let them get wet ...lol

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  11. I am disquieted by the image
    Of the perfect Goddess;

    Forgive me please for
    Speaking out of turn,
    And I know it's just
    My fear of loss,

    But I really hoped that
    Her breasts might sag a little
    From nourishing the children,

    That there might be a small
    And almost imperceptible
    Stretch mark,
    Not enough to piss her off,
    But as a badge
    To honour the birthing,
    (And maybe as designator
    Of a place for a caress
    Or a kiss),

    And maybe a little cellutlite;
    Not enough to piss her off,
    But just a little,
    So that I can see that
    Life is a louder song in her ears
    Than the whine of a treadmill;

    No, I won't enslave the Goddess
    And I couldn't anyway,
    And I know it's just
    My fear of loss,
    But what I feel
    And think I know,
    Is that
    If she is perfect,
    Then I,
    A perfectly imperfect man,
    Will be invisible to her.

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  12. I've been braless since high school in the 70's and love it. Oh I did use the maternity bras for a bit [first child] but like you discovered I was better of without them. I'm happy to say most of my friends are braless as well, young and old!

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  13. don't worry - as dropsy as they ay be now they will perk up down the track especially if you exercise your arms a fair bit in the general doing things in ordinary life exercise

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I love your comments, and your feedback......it makes this whole blogging thing worthwhile. Peace and blessings to you!