national eating disorders awareness week

unrelated photography. it just makes me happy.

this is gonna be one crazy week, but a blessed one, no less. i have four size ate shows this week at various schools in the area.

i'm SUPER-EXCITED!!!

(i always used to have a little meltdown in acting class, just before i was about to perform. "i'm so nervous/scared!!!" i'd proclaim. my acting teacher would respond in a very wise, Earth Mother sort of way, "okay... so i'm hearing you say that you're excited." she said that for the most part, the feelings of scared and excited physically feel the same way - butterflies in the belly, a racing heart, a rise in body temperature. it's just that "scared" has a negative connotation while "excited" has a positive connotation. so, when you feel "scared" about taking a healthy risk, try saying out loud to yourself and to others around you that you are excited. it works. i pinky swear.)

as you might already know, this week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. that means lots of body-positive events. if you're not in the NYC area, you can go here to find out about events in your neck of the woods, but here's two that i know about in NYC that i heartily recommend.

"Turning the Lens on Eating Disorders" Film Screening
Thursday February 26th, 2009 7:00pm
Pace University, Lecture Hall West, 1 Pace Plaza, 2nd floor
Seating is limited, RSVP by February 25th, 2009 to nyfilm@myneda.org

Mix, mingle, and join NEDA at the movies as we screen two films that explore the impact of eating disorders. A Panel Discussion follows, led by Eating Disorder expert Sondra Kronberg, MS, RD, CDN, and featuring Arol Jahns and Stephanie Schweitzer, writer/producers of Swept and Carla Precht, co-producer/co-director of Beauty Mark

i did this Fearless Eating Workshop last year, and it really helped me get over some residual food fears. and fyi? the food is delicioso! even if you can't go (but you should! i'll be there too!), you should check out Susan Weiss-Berry's website.

Fearless Eating Workshop
Saturday February 28, 2009 12-2 PM
Employees Only Restaurant
510 Hudson St. (between Christopher and W.10th)
$50.00 /seating limited to 20

Join Susan and Julia Jaksic, Executive Chef of Employees Only for a fabulous five-course progressive tasting. Come and challenge your food fears with Mindful Awareness, Writing and Meditation. Experience eating EVERYTHING without the freak-out! To register: swb@evolvedeating.com and we will email information about sign-up and payment.

what can you do for yourself and for others this week to honor National Eating Disorders Awareness week?

for others, i'm going to perform my show in hopes of getting people thinking and talking about the issue. that is the first step, i believe, to recovery.

for me? well, i'm going to do my best to take exquisitely good care of myself this week. it's gonna be a full one, so i'll need all the self-care i can get. long hot showers; wholesome meals; hugs, hugs, and more hugs from The Cute, and taking a moment every day to reflect upon why i do my show, and how lucky i am that i get to.