SaNdRa* – USA

When I appreciate beauty in whatever it is: in the landscape, in people, in music, in our bodies, I feel like we are opening up in a higher level within ourselves and with the oneness we share with the rest of the people in the world.

As human beings in this physical world, we receive a body, a vessel to our soul. Like it or hate it, it’s the only sure thing we have for the rest of our life.

If humans would not wear clothes or any accessories we would be very similar. Underneath our skin we are all the same: flesh, blood, muscles, organs, water, systems, etc. Interconnectedness that resembles the micro and macro cosmos with all that is in our planet and our universe.

It has amazed me since very early age in my life how our human bodies function without us making any effort, it is the miracle of life. But at the same time we are powerful beings who can transform and heal our whole bodies with our intentions and thoughts or if we chose the opposite we can make ourselves sick.

Honoring my body with the right nourishment at all levels bring me in touch with my spirit. Being in nature as much as possible and sun-gazing have been lovely ways to ground myself, release the tensions of the world, learn from the stillness of our mother earth, reconnect with my higher self and experience self-love and self-acceptance.

That’s the reason why when I was invited to be photographed for this project in the first place what came to my mind was to do it in nature, honoring the sun. The wisdom of our ancient ancestors who were so connected with the sky inspired me. I knew that mother Gaia would allow me to let go of my shyness if I would feel it at any moment, and it was just like that. I was a bit nervous but Erica offered to be naked with me during our shoot. My apprehensions were gone immediately. We shared the moment as joyful goddesses playing freely without any boundaries. The beauty connected and inspired us.

Holding a mandala with a pre-Colombian symbol of the sun above my head I honor the sun, mother earth, the present moment, and myself. The sun activates our codes, remind us that we are light beings. Without the sun we could not have life on our planet.

This amazing experience grounded me, liberated me, released me from any thoughts I had ever had about my body or the public who would ever see me in this media. The same media that I bought into many times in my life; maybe since I was a little child, when I wanted to be like the girls in the magazines… with long blond hair. I have gone far since those times. I have been on a journey of self-acceptance and finding my own truth in my adulthood. A quest that has lead me to understand that we are all the same, no matter race, religion, social status, etc.

As Pierre de Chardin said: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience.”

… And all of this too shall pass.