There was a time, quite recently actually, when I would have looked at this photo and would never think to ever post it for everyone to see. Why? Because you can clearly see my face. If you haven’t noticed, I rarely show my face in photos. It’s a result of some of my body image issues that I’ve had for years. I would think, I wish my nose bridge was higher and my eyes bigger. I wish my hair was straighter and thinner, and my jawline more defined. The list goes on. I still have those thoughts, but I notice they don’t matter to me as much anymore. Part of the reason I started posting photos on Instagram was to try and become more comfortable with sharing my image with the world. It was to be a way for me to just get out there; like jumping right into a swimming pool. It’s starting to work, as evidenced by me posting this photo. I am beginning to accept the way I look based on how I was born to. I am beginning to see some beauty in the way that I look, and I am beginning to think my image is no less beautiful than that off my counterparts of other ethnicities. My look is simply just different; some people dig it and some don’t. More importantly though, I’m learning that the qualities that we have as a person, our character, is more important. And when that begins to shine on the inside, it shows on the outside. As I become more comfortable with my image, I hope it shows through my photos. I want others that look and feel like me to know that they are not worth less just because they look different than the conventional image that media has pushed on us. I want others to know that there is value beyond how we see our own physical looks. And I thank all of you supporting me, showering me with your feedback and for helping to get me where I am.

– Jared

Check out Life of Jafu on Instagram for an amazing yoga journey set to beautiful Vancouver scenery.

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