I consider myself a pretty confident woman, even throughout those often difficult teenage years, I was always self-assured, but somehow despite possessing those strengths I have succumb to the odd cosmetic procedure.
Sadly I am not alone, thousands of women take the plunge every year, a number of which includes many of my beautiful girlfriends...
so what is going on? It seems we can't go anywhere without having some 'body ideal', 'perfect smile' or 'luscious locks' shoved down our somewhat imperfect throats...
the media seems hell bent on portraying these assets and procedures as some kind of social norm.
I doubt anyone managed to escape the recent expose of Kim Kardashian's rear...
I'm talking media coverage here not mass! Isn't it all just becoming a little too ridiculous? And where the hell are we all heading? I'm fortunate that when I was younger and therefore more impressionable, social media didn't exist.
Neither was there such a celebrity culture that now seems to engulf many of our young impressionable women.
I feel for all women from all backgrounds and of all ages who when exposed to such coverage feel just a twinge of insecurity.
It's incredibly sad that recent figures suggest self-esteem amongst teenage girls is in decline.
Wouldn't it be amazing if there was a cosmetic treatment out there that not only gave us a palpable glow but reversed the signs of ageing, increased our general health and most importantly improved our self esteem?! Well the magic elixir could well be within our grasp! I have been practicing Vedic meditation for almost a year now and it has had a profound effect on almost every aspect of my being.
One aspect that I wasn't expecting it to affect was my self-esteem.
Treatments and procedures that once took precedence just aren't that appealing anymore.
I feel incredibly content and confident with my lot; fellow girlfriends are asking what am I doing? Have I a secret potion they're unaware of? I'm rarely ever short of a 'you're glowing' comment which isn't just reliant upon females.
I retort 'I'm meditating' something which often results in a bemused expression...
but its true ladies! High-end cosmetics I once owned have been replaced for less expensive options and yet I look and feel better than ever! All thanks to my twice-daily practice of Vedic meditation.
One landmark development which confirms the profound effect Vedic meditation has on my self esteem is that up until recently I would never have dreamt of wearing my beloved converse trainers with either skinny jeans or leggings, in the fear that my foot to leg ratio was somewhat adrift.
A silly self-esteem issue that is nothing more than something I've created.
Less than a year on and I now wear my converse with pride and I hear nothing but compliments on the choice of my kicks, a far cry from what I had imagined! We often hear that beauty comes from within, and from first hand experience it seems to be true.
People behave differently towards you if you feel confident in yourself, and for me, I'd much rather inject meditation into my morning than a muscle paralyzing neurotoxin!