Reclaiming Your Body After Shame, Trauma, and Disconnection with Chiara Mecozzi

There’s something to be said about being a woman today - the weight that we carry and how that shows up in our body, in our lived experiences. But it’s healing that weight that is a whole different conversation.And that’s exactly what we’re talking about in today’s episode. I’m joined by Chiara Mecozzi - an Argentine-American visual artist and creator of Fuerza Cruda, a body of work exploring women’s relationships with their bodies and the internal dialogue that shapes how we see ourselves.Chiara and I met because a friend of mine, Stephanie Redlenner (go listen to her episode if you haven’t yet), shared her work with me. I saw this beautiful Argentinian woman moving, painting, and creating these raw, powerful reflections of the female body, and I was instantly drawn in.After following her for about a year, I reached out, took a cab ride to Brooklyn, New York, showed up at her brownstone… and got naked. Literally (although, maybe not in that exact order).But the reason I went was simple: I wanted to love my body. I wanted to feel connected to my body.What unfolded was a healing experience. It felt like liberation. Chiara created this sacred space for me to truly feel safe in my own body… and from that place, feel empowered in it.But this conversation is about so much more than that experience.In this episode, we go deep into what it actually looks like to come back into your body after years of disconnection, shame, and conditioning.Chiara shares her journey from abuse, self-abandonment, and external validation… to using art as a tool for healing, rewiring, and radical self-love. What started as photographing her own body through discomfort and grief became a full-body reclamation, and now, a movement helping women do the same.This episode is about remembering that you have a choice, learning to feel safe in your body again, and what becomes possible when you stop shaming… and start choosing yourself.​​We also explore:* How shame and conditioning disconnect us from our bodies* The “pick me” pattern and why it runs so deep* Art, photography, and creative expression as tools for healing* What it actually feels like to be seen without judgment* The difference between discomfort and misalignment* Why safety in your body changes everything - your relationships, your boundaries, your lifeAnd maybe most importantly… what it feels like to say, “this is me,” and mean it.I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed the conversation with Chiari!If this resonates with you, please reach out to us. We’d love to hear from you.Connect with Chiari Mecozzi:Instagram: @chiaramecozziEmail: [email protected] Website: www.chiaramecozzi.comSubstack: art@chiaramecozziConnect with me, Ashley Logan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleydlogan Website: https://ashleydlogan.comSubstack: https://substack.com/@ashleydlogan Get full access to Ashes to Ashley at ashleydlogan.substack.com/subscribe