My mom and dad with me in Parma, Italia. The happiest I have ever felt about my body was living in this town...

On the beach of Monterosso, skinny to large Italian women walked in a way that truly took my breath away. Everyone looked amazing and I was truly envious of them. They knew how to love their bodies and I didn't, and it was showing. My self consciousness may as well have been an extra 50 pounds of chub, because it was definitely weighing me down and I decided to drop it on that beach. Coming home from Italy, I started to walk like an Italian for a while. Shoulders back, head up and proud of my body.

From left to right: Jenny the Canadian, Andrea the Italian, me the American. Andrea taught us foreigners to love life through good food, good wine and loving your body for what it is.

why don't we love our bodies as much as they do in europe?

As I write this post today I am reminded that my Italian walk has slipped away a bit, and I want to know why and how to bring it back. I have been asking people around lululemon a few questions about loving their bodies. I wasn't shocked by their answers, but I want to find a way to put an Italian sway in their days. Here is what I found:

Hollis dancing to her own beat.

Hollis, a runner and dream maker, and in the eyes of most women has a perfect body.

Do you love your body?

Most days.

How do you find the love in your body on the days it seems to be lacking?

Exercise or run or cycling when I can't find the love and I am reminded of how strong my thighs are because that's the body part that I hate the most. My thighs give me strength in a conflicting way.

Dane, one handed push up, no problem!

Dane walks tall, works out a lot, and in the eyes of most women, is pretty smokin'.

Do you love your body?

No. I haven't in the past and I'm starting to.

How do you find the love in your body on the days it seems to be lacking?

I beat myself up mentally and then feel better by exercising. Sculpt yoga classes make me feel the best about my body, and when I need the love, I go to class.

Natalia punches it out and always exudes confidence.

Finally, there's Natalia. Natalia is beautiful inside and out, and seems to have it all figured out. When I met her a few weeks ago, I was blown away by her internal beauty and was instantly reminded of the Italian women I so admire. She is an IntenSati instructor and is trying to teach the world how to love themselves through exercise.

Have you always loved your body?

Absolutely not! It wasn't until my teen years when I found exercise that I began to appreciate my body and enjoyed being physical. I can honestly say that I now love my body. IntenSati has a lot to do with that, it reminds me that the point of exercising is not to fit into a pair of jeans, but to feel strong, healthy and confident.

What tips and mantras can you share with those of us who are still working on loving our bodies?

Find a type of exercise that you enjoy. If you feel that exercise is torture or punishment, chances are you will not stick with your routine and that you will feel resentful and angry, neither of which are emotions that cultivate self-love. Of course it should be challenging, but if you hate running or swimming, I would not start by committing to run or swim every day! Try lots of classes and find one you love.

One affirmation I think is really powerful is; I love myself exactly as I am. This helps remind me that even as I am striving to be stronger and more fit, I must begin from a foundation of love for myself just as I am in the present moment. After all, love is always a more powerful fuel than self doubt.

walk like an italian, sweat like a north american, and love your body

In the end what I found was that we North Americans may not show that we love our bodies in the way that we walk and talk, but we definitely love our bodies in the ways we sweat. Now if we can just put a bit more of an Italian bounce in our step, we might be able to convince ourselves and the world of the love we have for our bodies. When you are not feeling the love, find a way to sweat and fake it until you make it. Life's too short and you only get one body, so love it up. Namaste.

One month ago, I wrote a Big Hairy Audacious Goal on a piece of cardboard that said, “I have been featured on lululemon.com in a sports bra by July 1st!”. I had a lot of friends asking me why this was a BHAG. While some people have no problem heading into a hot yoga class sans shirt, I have always been a little shy of my body. So what better way to overcome my fear than to declare to the world that I will show my stomach off! This scary goal fit into my health, personal and career goals!

• Health: it motivated me to push my body a little harder when I worked out because I knew I was going to be wearing a sports bra in public and online.
• Personal: it helped me overcome my ego, as I was committed to doing it whether I was in my ‘ideal’ physique or not.
• Career: it pushed me to create and accomplish a BHAG and be featured on my company’s website for all to see!

In order to hold myself accountable, not only did I write my goal down, I shared it with the entire company through our internal communication channel and online for all of our guests to see. The response was a little overwhelming, but it was also empowering to see the support I got! For me, this wasn’t just about taking my shirt off and snapping a picture, it was about being comfortable in my own skin, literally.

following through

Flash forward to July 1st. I woke up, packed my yoga gear, picked the hottest class on YYoga’s schedule and was on my way. I even specifically wore a long sleeve shirt as extra motivation to take off my top in class. As I walked up the stairs of the studio, I secretly had my fingers crossed that the class would be full and I would be turned away. I quickly pushed these thoughts aside and told myself, “Shawna, this is not a big deal".

I was the last one to join the class and ended up right in the middle of the room. I placed my yoga mat down and pondered the idea of wearing my long sleeve shirt for the whole class (it was moisture wicking after all).

Shawna letting go to achieve her BHAG.

I'm not going to lie, I kept my shirt on for the first 15 minutes of the hot yoga class and as a result I began to feel quite nauseous. Not because of the heat, but because of the internal conflict in my head and the increasing butterflies in my stomach. At that very moment, Will Blunderfield, an inspiring YYoga instructor, told the class to “just let go”. While it was a general statement to the class, in that moment I felt like he was speaking specifically to me. I took my shirt off and dedicated the rest of my practice to myself.

Forty-five minutes later, the class ended. While I admittedly had the urge to reach for my shirt a few times throughout the class, I didn’t. No one looked at me funny, no one judged my body and no one cared. So if no one else cared, why should I? In that class, I let go of more than just my shirt. I let go of my ego, my baggage and the barrier I put in front of myself.

Will I be able to let go and rock another class in just a sports bra? Yes.

I ran the San Jose Rock n Roll Half Marathon recently. I'll discuss my performance later in the post, but I had to get some thoughts out of my head and onto the screen (pen and paper in the past, right?).

Every time I go to an event, or race...if you prefer to call it that, I am touched, moved and inspired. This starts the day before the race: race packet pick up day!

the day before

You can feel the energy of anticipation from tens, hundreds or thousands of people, whether it is their first race or their 100th.

As I stroll up to the packet pickup table, I can't help but move with a sense of confidence. I can't help but smile as the volunteer hands this seasoned volunteer his race number. This is it: all of the work you put in to the days, weeks and months before, culminating in just a few hours. I thank the volunteers for their time (required!) because these people make the races we love so much fun.

I walk the expo floor, searching for the coolest new athletic gear, like most endurance geeks do. I rarely find anything I haven't seen before, but alas, I did get something and put another item on my wish list! I bought a Power Balance band, this little wristband that is supposed to help with your electrical field and balance. The expo conjures up memories and emotions of races past and as I leave I call my best friend, reminiscing about our first half marathon four years ago.

race day

Race day is here! This is it: graduation day. You put in the work and this is the easy part (most of the time). The energy reaches its climax when the starter's pistol sounds. Off we go! The fun is trying to harness your excitement in the first mile, to remember your pace!

For this race, I ran in a faster group and couldn't help but feel more alone despite the other 9,000+ runners. The silence of fast runners was draining! The best part about running in slower pace groups is the eavesdropping on neighboring conversations and engaging in your own friendly banter.

I run with a purpose. I'm out to do my best each and every time I tie my shoes. I also run for fun. I smile and thank all the volunteers, I high-five the kids and cheerleaders lining the street. Their energy and support carry me in every race. It is so cool that random people are cheering you on as if you were Michael Jordan on the court! As the miles add up, so do the thoughts running through my mind. I am no longer running on the initial anxiety, but more so on pure guts and personal pride. I have a goal and I will attain that goal or be damned trying. At mile 12, it is almost over, I'm almost there and my body is begging me to walk...but I won't. I feel the nervous energy of the racers around me, each running for the best finishing time of their life. I turn on the juice, and start to pick people off. "Go Jonny Go! Hold that pace! You are an animal!" I finish and feel accomplished, I've more than reached my goal, I kicked its ass.

Wait! I'm not done yet! I haven't told you why I just put my mind and body through the spin cycle.

1) I did it to inspire. I not only run for myself, but I run for those who can't as well as those who won't. I run with the hope that my athletic pursuits will inspire others to make the most of their wonderful bodies. The abilities we each have are amazing and a gift. Why not use them? I think I inspire others with the desire and will to push beyond what we THINK is possible. Why be mediocre when you can be great?! No one can tell you when you are great or not, that is something only you will know. It is easy to answer with one question...Did you do your best? If you said anything other than an ecstatic YES!, then you weren't great, and only you know it. Give it your all, and see what mental and physical rewards you will reap...I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised.

2) I race to be inspired. On the walk to my car, I look at the faces of the people still running, two hours after I had finished. I can't help but cheer and clap them on. Most of them don't look like "athletes" but they are and not because anyone said they were, but because they are doing it. At times I have to take a deep breath. Everyone has a story for why they are out there. Is it to raise awareness for a cause? For someone who couldn't be there that day? To challenge themselves? For the free stuff? My eyes fill with saline (just a little)...as I couldn't be more inspired by these people. I'm inspired that people are living...and choosing such a fun way to live.

So folks, keep moving, keep grooving and keep inspiring me to be great. I promise to do the same.

I guess you could say I race because it makes me smile, and we could all use a good smile. Why do you race?

Want great insight on listening to your body and resting between runs? Check out Janice's blog: http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/run-hard-rest-harder