I haven't worn a bra in over 4 years and some people think that is their business.
I used to get migraines. Have you ever had a migraine before? It is like a headache, but so much worse. It starts with some vague nausea and fatigue. Then the pain begins, usually behind my eyes and that is when the light sensitivity creeps in and I find myself squinting in even dimly lit rooms. Gradually the pain increased and eventually explodes, peaking with exposure to light or sound. The only thing I can do then is lay down in a dark room in silence and do nothing, waiting for it to go away, which can take hours, or sometimes, even days. Migraines are hell. I used to get them 1 to 5 times a month and it was severely impacting my life in a very negative way. You can't really get much done when you're floored by horrible pain that makes you vomit.
I had a really wonderful boyfriend at the time (whom I have since married). He happened to come across an article about theories on why women suffer from migraines at a rate so much higher than men. The most promising theory was that our bras constrict spinal nerves in such a way that causes all sorts of health problems including digestive issues, respiratory problems and yes, migraines! And so my boyfriend shared what he had learned and told me to try "leaving the migraine machine at home for a few days and see if it helps".
At first I was VERY reluctant to go without my bra. As women we are conditioned to have a certain amount of modesty, and also, frankly, shame about our bodies. Unsupported breasts are less round and full than breasts in bras, and when you aren't wearing a bra sometimes people can see that you might be a little cold...oh horrors! After a few days though, I got over feeling timid about my new braless lifestyle and I have never looked back.
I do still get migraines, but only a couple times a year instead of a few times a week. Most of the time I completely forget that bras are even a thing. I just throw on one of my favorite t-shirts and head out the door, but I do occasionally get some rude stares and even the odd rude comment or two, which brings me to a story I would like to share about a horrible woman I once encountered in a Starbucks.
I used to make my living as an RBT or Registered Behavioral Technician. My job was to go to the homes of families with autistic children and provide in-home behavioral therapy for those kids and their families. My route took me all over the Las Vegas area, mostly to very affluent neighborhoods as those were the families that could afford in-home therapy from the company I worked for. My employers kept me on a ruthless schedule, out in the field for no less than 10 hours a day 6 or 7 days a week. The need for caffeine occasionally drove me to do very desperate things, like walk into a Starbucks in Henderson at 3 in the afternoon.
I walked into the Starbucks to find the line reaching the door. I needed that cup of coffee so bad through so I decided to wait. The woman in front of me in line was yelling at someone on the phone while trying to wrangle not 1 or 2 but FIVE children, 2 oh whom were in a tandem stroller that she was leaning on. She turned around, saw me, and hung up the phone. She stared at me for a very long time before finally blurting, "you know, it is VERY inappropriate for you to be dressed like that in public, there are kids here!". I was wearing athletic pants and a Schoolhouse Rock t-shirt, men's size large that was baggy on me. The woman yelling at me was wearing a spaghetti strap tank top and bright red bra that her considerable gifts were nearly spilling out of.
I asked her, "what exactly is so inappropriate about what I am wearing?"
She yelled, "You know exactly what you're doing! Not wearing a bra out in public so everyone will stare at your tits, and there are kids here! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
I replied, "Ma'am. I am entirely clothed. there is no private part of me that is exposed, and in fact, you are far more exposed than I am, but that is not the point. The point is that you're upset at me for "making everyone stare at my tits", but no one was looking at me or even noticing me until you started yelling about my outfit. The only person here who seems to be fixated on my body is you. Is there something you want to talk about? Because I don't really think this is actually about me and my Schoolhouse Rock t-shirt."
The woman quickly grabbed her brood of screaming brats and left the Starbucks without even getting to order. When it was my turn at the front of the line, the barista said "your coffee is on us today. We see that woman every day and she is usually horribly rude to someone. You're the first person we have seen actually shut her up."
So I was harassed, I got to shut down an idiot, and I got a free espresso, all for just choosing not to wear a bra. Oh yeah! And I did NOT get a migraine that day!
If you've been suffering from migraines or back pain or breathing issues, I cannot definitively say that your bra is the thing causing it all, but I can say that giving it up for a week might just help solve your problems. Additionally, bras are expensive, they actually cause your breasts to sag worse over time, and even the most expensive and well-made bras just aren't comfortable. So give it a shot! Free the boobies!
A helpful link with 9 benefits of going braless:
http://tiphero.com/benefits-of-not-wearing-a-bra/
I had a really wonderful boyfriend at the time (whom I have since married). He happened to come across an article about theories on why women suffer from migraines at a rate so much higher than men. The most promising theory was that our bras constrict spinal nerves in such a way that causes all sorts of health problems including digestive issues, respiratory problems and yes, migraines! And so my boyfriend shared what he had learned and told me to try "leaving the migraine machine at home for a few days and see if it helps".
At first I was VERY reluctant to go without my bra. As women we are conditioned to have a certain amount of modesty, and also, frankly, shame about our bodies. Unsupported breasts are less round and full than breasts in bras, and when you aren't wearing a bra sometimes people can see that you might be a little cold...oh horrors! After a few days though, I got over feeling timid about my new braless lifestyle and I have never looked back.
I do still get migraines, but only a couple times a year instead of a few times a week. Most of the time I completely forget that bras are even a thing. I just throw on one of my favorite t-shirts and head out the door, but I do occasionally get some rude stares and even the odd rude comment or two, which brings me to a story I would like to share about a horrible woman I once encountered in a Starbucks.
I used to make my living as an RBT or Registered Behavioral Technician. My job was to go to the homes of families with autistic children and provide in-home behavioral therapy for those kids and their families. My route took me all over the Las Vegas area, mostly to very affluent neighborhoods as those were the families that could afford in-home therapy from the company I worked for. My employers kept me on a ruthless schedule, out in the field for no less than 10 hours a day 6 or 7 days a week. The need for caffeine occasionally drove me to do very desperate things, like walk into a Starbucks in Henderson at 3 in the afternoon.
I walked into the Starbucks to find the line reaching the door. I needed that cup of coffee so bad through so I decided to wait. The woman in front of me in line was yelling at someone on the phone while trying to wrangle not 1 or 2 but FIVE children, 2 oh whom were in a tandem stroller that she was leaning on. She turned around, saw me, and hung up the phone. She stared at me for a very long time before finally blurting, "you know, it is VERY inappropriate for you to be dressed like that in public, there are kids here!". I was wearing athletic pants and a Schoolhouse Rock t-shirt, men's size large that was baggy on me. The woman yelling at me was wearing a spaghetti strap tank top and bright red bra that her considerable gifts were nearly spilling out of.
I asked her, "what exactly is so inappropriate about what I am wearing?"
She yelled, "You know exactly what you're doing! Not wearing a bra out in public so everyone will stare at your tits, and there are kids here! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
I replied, "Ma'am. I am entirely clothed. there is no private part of me that is exposed, and in fact, you are far more exposed than I am, but that is not the point. The point is that you're upset at me for "making everyone stare at my tits", but no one was looking at me or even noticing me until you started yelling about my outfit. The only person here who seems to be fixated on my body is you. Is there something you want to talk about? Because I don't really think this is actually about me and my Schoolhouse Rock t-shirt."
The woman quickly grabbed her brood of screaming brats and left the Starbucks without even getting to order. When it was my turn at the front of the line, the barista said "your coffee is on us today. We see that woman every day and she is usually horribly rude to someone. You're the first person we have seen actually shut her up."
So I was harassed, I got to shut down an idiot, and I got a free espresso, all for just choosing not to wear a bra. Oh yeah! And I did NOT get a migraine that day!
If you've been suffering from migraines or back pain or breathing issues, I cannot definitively say that your bra is the thing causing it all, but I can say that giving it up for a week might just help solve your problems. Additionally, bras are expensive, they actually cause your breasts to sag worse over time, and even the most expensive and well-made bras just aren't comfortable. So give it a shot! Free the boobies!
A helpful link with 9 benefits of going braless:
http://tiphero.com/benefits-of-not-wearing-a-bra/
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