Our bodies are valuable for more than what they offer other people.
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Our bodies are valuable for more than what they offer other people.

Our bodies are valuable for more than what they offer other people. So often, when people try to come up with something good about fat bodies, the first and only idea is “comfort.” So many folks have fond memories of snuggling with lovely warm soft fat bodies as children, or snuggling their own children. After…

Lindley, a fat white woman in sunglasses and a two-piece swimsuit, splashes through shallow ocean water on a sunny day.
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Every time I get into wild water (not a pool or hot tub), it’s a victory over my anxiety disorder.

Content note: Trauma, water fear, injury Every time I get into wild water (not a pool or hot tub), it’s a victory over my anxiety disorder. When I was about 13, I went wading in the ocean at a church camp on the North Carolina coast. I loved ocean swimming and had zero fear. The…

A fat white woman with glasses, short brown hair and a floral cold-shoulder top stands in a forest with shadows from tree branches crossing her face and a neutral expression.

“Body liberation. Rather than just expanding the beauty ideal to become more inclusive, let’s work towards freedom from relying on beauty to find value.” Lindo Bacon

“Body liberation. Rather than just expanding the beauty ideal to become more inclusive, let’s work towards freedom from relying on beauty to find value.” Lindo Bacon @lindobacon ◇─◇──« »──◇─◇ Image description: A fat white woman with glasses, short brown hair and a floral cold-shoulder top stands in a forest with shadows from tree branches crossing…

How to take laughing photos, and why it matters
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How to take laughing photos, and why it matters

When I’m working with clients to create images during my body- and fat-positive photography sessions outside Seattle, I always try to get some laughing photos! Laughing is joyful, it loosens us up and helps us relax, and it gives us a different perspective on ourselves. Posed shots are nice as well, but how often do…

A set of photos depicting a yoga class full of students in a studio with red and white walls and a wooden floor. The students are in various yoga poses, meditating and being assisted by an instructor

🧘 Featured stock photo collection: Inclusive and body-positive yoga and meditation 🧘

🧘 Featured stock photo collection: Inclusive and body-positive yoga and meditation 🧘 This collection at Body Liberation Stock includes solo and group yoga and meditation images. There’s representation of folks who are fat, BIPOC, have invisible and visible disabilities, have limb differences and more. They’re all available for commercial use in your marketing — from…

A magenta square with a chat bubble graphic containing the journaling prompt. Lindley's logo is at the bottom. End image description.

Body-Positive Journaling Prompt #55: My Body as a Partner

Here’s something to think and write about in this coming week: Is it possible for me to consider my body as a partner, rather than an adversary? What might that look like? You’re welcome to share your answers here (as long as they meet the space boundaries in my pinned stories) or write them down…

A fat woman with brown skin and black hair sits in a bra, panties and flowing robe on the edge of a wooden deck, surrounded by green plants, at a Seattle body-positive botanical boudoir photo session.

Should I re-open my calendar for Seattle body-positive boudoir and portrait sessions?

I’m considering re-opening my calendar for body-positive boudoir, portrait and small business photography session bookings soon, so I’m judging level of interest. I’m vaccinated and I ask that you be as well, for my and your safety. Sessions will be distanced as much as possible and preferably outdoors. My home/studio is outside Seattle, WA. Are…

Watch: My trick for handling social anxiety at events
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Watch: My trick for handling social anxiety at events

I promised I’d make more videos, but speaking off the cuff makes me so nervous! So I’m sharing a trick I recently learned for helping myself AND other people feel more comfortable in social situations. Click through and watch it on Instagram for closed captions/subtitles. I’m a photographer, writer and fat acceptance activist. Dive deep…

Body-Positive Journaling Prompt #56: Showing up fully in the world
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Body-Positive Journaling Prompt #56: Showing up fully in the world

Here’s something to think and write about in this coming week: If you were able to show up fully in the world, without body shame, what might that mean for other people in your world? You’re welcome to share your answers on the Instagram post (as long as they meet the space boundaries in my…

Thin privilege is not having your "health" status be constantly the focus of, and scrutinized by, an entire culture.

Thin privilege is not having your “health” status be constantly the focus of, and scrutinized by, an entire culture.

Thin privilege is not having your “health” status be constantly the focus of, and scrutinized by, an entire culture. A comment from @conceivingitall in a discussion we had the other day made me realize how much fat folks’ health* is a cultural obsession. When you live in a fat body, your health is public property….

Here are 5 reasons to learn about weight stigma from fat people.
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Fat people MUST be treated as the experts on our own lives, bodies and oppression.

Fat people MUST be treated as the experts on our own lives, bodies and oppression. Must. Here are 5 reasons to learn about weight stigma from fat people. 1. Learning about weight stigma from people with thin privilege deprives the people most affected by fat hatred of the opportunity to speak authentically about our lived…

The ocean does not apologize for its depth

The ocean does not apologize for its depth

“The ocean does not apologize for its depth and the mountains do not seek forgiveness for the space they take and so, neither shall I.” » Becca Lee Be the first to know when I reopen my calendar for body-positive boudoir, portrait and small business photography sessions. ◇─◇──« »──◇─◇ Image description: A fat person with…

A size 32 plus-size woman raises her arms joyfully while standing in waist-deep water.
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Where to find bathing suits over a size 32

One of the best things about summer is water: swimming, splashing, wading, dancing, drinking, flavoring, floating, fishing, boating, or soaking in it! The larger your clothing size, though, the more challenging it can be to find a swimsuit you find comfortable or beautiful. For folks who wear clothing sizes larger than are generally carried at…

A fat white woman with blonde hair sits on concrete water stairs in a blue and fruit-print bikini.
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🐙 I don’t want to reclaim Ursula

I don’t want to reclaim Ursula. Released in 1989, Disney’s animated movie The Little Mermaid struck me at a formative time in my life. Ariel hit me right in the heart. Open and sunny and earnest and curious and longing, both of us. Both of us yearning for unexplored territory. Isolated in rural North Carolina…

In this black and white photo, a fat white woman stands nude in front of a window high above a city and looks out, reflected in an oval mirror.
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A culture of compensation

I recently talked about how people who are privileged in a particular area often expect people who are marginalized in that area to educate them, give them ideas and even fix their organizations for free. I’m also thinking about people like Ragen Chastain, who answer literally thousands of emails per month to provide free labor…

Three fat white people with feminine appearances stand back to back with arms crossed, smiling, in a park. Text on the image reads, "Creating More Equitable Groups: Unpacking Weight Stigma 2. Questions for reflection for fat allies and Health at Every Size® practitioners. Lindley Ashline."
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Unpacking Weight Stigma II: Creating More Equitable Groups

I’ve produced another workbook! This one is for everyone who’s ever run, or tried to run, a group (whether online, like a Facebook group, or in person). Running a support or special-interest group of any kind — online or offline — is one of the kindest things we can do for our fellow humans. Though…

Four fat people in summer clothing hold bathroom scales and playfully bite them.

10 Tips for Making Your Weight Management Practice More Weight Inclusive

One of the most important issues facing weight management, bariatric, dietetic, endocrinology, special interest groups, and other provider groups and practices today is weight stigma. It’s important to update your resources, handouts, training, certifications and other materials to remove stigmatizing language in order to improve patient compliance and positively impact clients. Here are ten ways…

Lindley, a fat white woman with sunglasses and a purple swimsuit top, is shown from below holding her hair up and smiling at the camera.
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Seattle, heat waves, weather and empathy

The Pacific Northwest is heading into an extraordinary weather event, where Seattle could reach 104 degrees for at least two days in a row, and Portland, 109 degrees. The dry eastern side of Washington state could reach 114 degrees. Like two-thirds of Seattle, we don’t have air conditioning, but we’re lucky and privileged enough to…

A black-and-white photo of a fat woman's face with the title of the blog post.
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Stop saying that weight loss doesn’t solve anything.

Here’s one concrete action you can take to help end weight stigma: Stop saying that weight loss doesn’t solve anything. And I’m going to need you to read alllll the way to the end of this post before you @ me, because I am not jumping on the diet wagon here. Does intentional weight loss…

A fat white woman in a short-sleeved red dress sits in front of a stone wall and shrugs.
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Why fat folks don’t want to help make your organization inclusive

Image description: A fat white woman in a short-sleeved red dress sits in front of a stone wall and shrugs. There’s a pattern I’ve seen displayed dozens of times by people and organizations who are asked to walk their talk about size inclusivity, and it goes something like this: Invalidation or gaslighting of the fat…

Image description: Lindley, a fat white woman, stands in front of a brick wall in a heart polka-dot dress. She's holding a rainbow umbrella and smiling.
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In Conversation with Lindley Ashline – Why Therapists Should Use More Diverse Stock Photos

Image description: Lindley, a fat white woman, stands in front of a brick wall in a heart polka-dot dress. She’s holding a rainbow umbrella and smiling. It’s always a pleasure to speak with Jodie Gale of the Psychosynthesis Centre — did you know we recorded a podcast episode together? — and today we’re talking about…

20+ Truly Inclusive Plus-Size Clothing Brands
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20+ Truly Inclusive Plus-Size Clothing Brands

In a world where clothing companies constantly claim to be inclusive, it can be hard to tell what is actually inclusive, especially if you don’t wear plus sizes yourself. Full clothing inclusivity requires carrying up to at least a 12X/size 40 U.S., ideally with a custom sizing option. (And, even more ideally, with options for…

Dark purple African violets bloom, surrounded by other houseplants from Seattle plant stores and nurseries.
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A short guide to a few of the better-known Seattle houseplant purveyors

Image description: Dark purple African violets bloom, surrounded by other houseplants from Seattle plant stores and nurseries. Alpine Nursery & Landscape: One of my favorites. Huge greenhouse, friendly and helpful staff, huge selection of both indoor and outdoor plants. Get on the waitlist for unusual varieties they grow in house, like tradescantia quadricolor. Perfect for…

Product Drop: CPAP Proud Buttons and Stickers
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Product Drop: CPAP Proud Buttons and Stickers

Image description: Two sets of buttons and a set of stickers. One set of buttons and the stickers have an illustration of a CPAP machine; the other buttons have an illustration of a cute sleep mask. All of them say, CPAP Proud. End image description. One in 15 Americans has sleep apnea, but we don’t talk…

Lindley, a fat white woman, looking into the camera and smiling. She's wearing glasses, a pink and blue top and a camera necklace.
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A re-introduction

Image description: Lindley, a fat white woman, looking into the camera and smiling. She’s wearing glasses, a pink and blue top and a camera necklace. I created this intro for my Instagram, but why not post it here as well? Let me do a little re-introduction + bring you up to speed. I’m Lindley (she/her,…

Now available: Body Liberation Quote Library
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Now available: Body Liberation Quote Library

Image description: A photo of a fat person silhouetted against a sunset along with a thin crowd, lifting a fist defiantly, behind text that reads, “Body Liberation Quote Library from Body Liberation Photos.” End image description. For years, people have been asking me where I get all the quotes I include in my social media…

A low, tree-covered island is silhouetted against a bright sky and calm water.
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The exclusion of returning to the office is intended.

Image description: A low, tree-covered island is silhouetted against a bright sky and calm water. As the extreme pressure from employers to return to the office (for white-collar work) begins, remember: 1. Offices are designed to exclude minorities, particularly those who are neurodivergent and/or mobility limited. 2. When remote work primarily benefited those populations, companies…

That time I took on Whole30 headquarters
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That time I took on Whole30 headquarters

Image description: A close-up of a woman’s hand holding a restaurant menu, with her arms and chin in the background. Did I tell you about the time I took on Whole30? One of the dangers of being the only person in the world regularly producing stock images of fat and very fat bodies is that…