The Tao of Glamour

In the car, Berkshire bound

This New Year's, Kevin and I decided to do something completely different and headed to Kripalu Yoga Center in the Berkshires for a couples massage retreat. Four beautiful days of twice-daily yoga, deliciously healthy meals, hikes down to a mountain lake, and massaging each other lay ahead. On this trip I decided I was going to chill out a bit on my glamour practices - see what it felt like to go without makeup, bronzer, hairspray, etc., and experience four whole days without high heels.

The one exception to this experiment was New Year's Eve, when Kevin and I planned an excursion into town for dinner. As I cuddled up next to my sweetie for a rest on Saturday night, I was surprised to feel a bit repulsed at the idea of getting ready. I didn't feel as juicy without my normal beauty rituals, but life was certainly easier. Part of me just wanted to wear jeans to dinner with my hair in a bun. But if there's one thing I know its that glamour, like yoga, always feels better once you start.

For many people, getting ready can feel like a chore. I feel this sometimes too, but on the whole, getting ready feels like sitting down at an easel with a palette of a hundred watercolors. I love the explosion of creativity I feel as I smooth on my signature red lipsick. I adore the satisfaction that comes from seeing my eyes lined to perfection, and seeing the pink flush of passion swirled onto the apples of my cheeks. I see Goddess in these things. They are a powerful expression of my aliveness. As I slipped on my silver party dress I felt the foundation of the weekend underneath me, and my state of serenity began to give way to excitement, turn-on and possibility.

Downstairs, Kripalu was having a dance party to celebrate the new year, so before dinner Kevin and I sauntered down to the Elmview room when DJ Dharma Dan was spinning disco and dance beats. The room was vibrating with men and women dancing in the new year. I felt possessed with the urge to jump right in and cut a rug, so I boogied myself right into the center of the dancefloor. Feeling gorgeous, sexy and alive, I completely let my sensuous, erotic creature loose as I twirled around the room. Grinning from ear to ear, I was in ecstasy. Looking around, I suddenly realized that in a sea of North Face and Lulu Lemon, I kind of stuck out like a disco ball. I was the only one dressed up. This attracted attention, and was intimidating at first. I felt that feeling of "I am being too much. I'm making others uncomfortable". But one thing I've learned in my years of using glamour as a spiritual practice, is that too much is usually just enough. After all, the mountains of Lake Tahoe are too much. A Key West sunset is too much. The Milky Way is too much. A zebra is too much. If we are truly children of the Great Creator of all this decadent beauty, why do we sometimes hold back because we are afraid of being too much?

I stand for decadent beauty on this planet. I stand for the passionate, juicy, sparkly, hot, sexy, glamourous presence of the feminine in all places and all things. Today I encourage you to step closer to the edge of how vibrantly you express your beauty. Make other people uncomfortable with how radiantly you shine, for as we know, discomfort is really just inspiration in disguise. The mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe, the waters of Key West, the sun, moon and stars all bow to your beauty. Use this day to bow back.