Transforming Body Image Through Women's Wilderness Experiences

This paper explores the possibilities for transforming body image through women's wilderness trips. The author proposes that through the metaphor of reconnecting with the Earth body, a woman is given the opportunity to reconnect with her individual physical body. However, the wilderness experience alone is not sufficient to create a major transformation. Other critical elements are the therapeutic effect of the group process and risk-taking activities, such as hiking and team building exercises which contribute to breaking down the stereotypes concerning women and their bodies. Through this combination of experiences, women have the opportunity to reevaluate and reformulate their own norms for the female body.