Kerry Washington has learned to love her body.

The 'Scandal' star has confessed becoming a mother to her 13-month-old daughter Isabelle - whom she has with her husband Nnamdi Asomugha - and ignoring preconceived ideas of beauty has helped her to feel completely comfortable in her skin.

She said: ''There have been times when I felt like my body had to be a certain way in order to love it, instead of loving your body as it is, which is the way to be most comfortable in it.

''[Hollywood] taught me to resist the urge to define beauty based on other people's judgements.''

She added of motherhood: ''I think lending my body to that miraculous journey has taught me a lot about surrendering my own needs for someone else's being.''

The raven-haired beauty, 38, has also learnt how to ''get to that Zen place'' and swears by regular massages as well practising Pilates to help her relax.

When asked to name her beauty sanctuary, Kerry told Stylist magazine: ''On a massage table! I like deep, deep tissue massages. I always say, 'Don't hold back. I can take much more than you think.'

''I do a lot of Pilates and I feel like I get to that Zen place.''