Body Language

For so many years, Tasha Bishop felt like the odd one out after being diagnosed with MRKH; a condition that meant she was born without a womb or internal vagina.

After coming to the realisation that none of us fit the mould, Tasha set out to change the conversation – instead of herself. We're all odd-ones-out and bodies are multitudinous marvels, after all.

In this person-focused and filter-free podcast, Tasha interviews a different guest each week, listening to their corporeal stories and exploring the rainbow of bodies that make up this world. Body Language will uncover the way we talk about our bodies, feel about our bodies, and so often hide them. This is a journey to understanding how we can come to value our imperfections in a society set on perfection.

Nadia Deen AKA “the orgasm whisperer” is founder of AM: Appointment and founding member of the Intimology institute. On a mission to offer advice and tips for people with vulvas to achieve their best orgasms yet, Nadia speaks to Tasha about how important it is to unpack sex, pleasure and be more in the moment. Nadia talks about how important masturbation and meditation are for sexual wellness, and how to find your body again after sexual trauma.

In this week's episode of Body Language, Tasha speaks journalist and subject of the award winning film Seahorse - Freddy McConnell. Freddy, a trans man who decided to conceive and deliver his own child, documented this incredible journey. Tasha and Freddy talk about gender and Freddy's feelings of dysphoria during this journey, and why language is probably the most inclusive tool.

For support:

http://www.mind.org.uk

https://www.mermaidsuk.org.uk

Author, trainer and body positive role model Laura Hoggins liberated herself from fixating on the way she looks by celebrating her body for its incredible physical abilities. Laura speaks to Tasha about why lifting weights is good for your self esteem, and once and for all dispels the myth that lifting only makes you bulky.

For support:

http://www.mind.org.uk

In this podcast episode, Tasha is joined by fat positive activist and founder of 'Girls Wank Too' Honey Ross. Honey explains why she has set out to provide diverse narratives of the female form by using her social media platform as a palpable place of confidence, self love and empowerment. In reclaiming her body after trauma, Honey shares how she has explored the effect sexual abuse had on her sexuality, but also how this kindness and patience with herself has given her back her self compassion.

For support:

http://www.mind.org.uk

Often when we see someone who uses a wheelchair or prosthesis, it’s easy to assume they had an accident. This is something Grace Mandeville - actress, presenter, designer and body activist - has spoken openly about. Grace was born with a foreshortened right arm, and in this episode speaks to Tasha about how she does not identify with the word ‘disabled’. Listen in as they unpick the language surrounding disability, and the importance of visibility for all bodies.

For support:

http://www.mind.org.uk

Skin activist and model Maya Spencer Berkeley joins Tasha this week to talk about finding empowerment and love from her body through her battle of chronic skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa. Maya is passionate about giving skin conditions more visibility in the modelling industry, and to help normalise difference. In this powerful discussion of body positivity, Tasha and Maya talk about how they have come to a more accepting place in their relationship with their body, and how beauty really is happiness.

For support please visit: https://www.mind.org.uk/

The illustrious Scarlett Curtis joins Tasha this week for an open and honest talk about her ever changing conversation with her body. Following a complicated back surgery, Scarlett recounts how she plunged into a dark mental health period where she felt very body dysmorphic. Scarlett tells Tasha about how the simple act of colouring her hair or painting her nails helped tie her back to herself during a distant and traumatic time.

To kick off the series, Tasha is joined by Anna Whitehouse, also known as Mother Pukka, who has made waves in the mum blogger sphere sharing her most intimate experiences of motherhood. In this moving discussion, Anna opens up about how her experience of miscarriage impacted her feelings towards her body, as Tasha talks about the strength she found after her diagnosis.

For support or more information:

https://www.tommys.org/

https://www.thepantsproject.com/welcome-to-the-pants-party

https://fertilitynetworkuk.org

https://www.mind.org.uk/