BODYpeace by piece: a workshop

i'm 'cited. tingly toes and butterfly belly 'cited.

know why?

this fall, i'll be putting together a workshop with the wise and wonderful Susan Weiss-Berry of Evolved Eating. if you haven't checked out her website and her work, you really should. she's of the "listen to your body, eat what you want, when you're hungry, stop when you're full" school of nourishment, plus she incorporates mindfulness and meditation into her approach.

HER PROCESS REALLY WORKS.

doesn't matter whether you've struggled with anorexia, bulimia, overeating or if you're just OVER DIETING and plain tuckered out from worrying every moment about your weight and what you ate for lunch, and when you'll be able to eat again, and what you ate for dinner 4 days ago, and if it was high in fiber or high in fat, or low-carb or high-carb, and "oh, my god, do my kankles look fat in these gladiator sandals?" and "holy shit, my knees are SO FAT," and "i have like, FIVE chins!" and did you walk enough just running errands around the city to burn off that ice cream bar you ate last night while watching that silly 1930s musical or if you should make a point of going to the gym and bouncing up and down on the elliptical machine for an hour even though your sports bra is shot and your boobs are threatening to give you 2 very big black eyes and your thighs are beginning to chafe and it's kinda hard on your knees.

so, yeah. it doesn't matter. if you're over any of the above, and you're looking for some one-on-one support, give her a call. i also know she has all sorts of exciting things up her sleeve - mindful eating workshops, cooking classes, etcetera, so keep an eye on her website.

but seriously, back to Me. ( ;

the tentative title of the workshop we're putting together (although personally, i'd prefer to call it a "funshop") is:

BODYPeace by Piece
multimedia story telling as a path to recovery
from eating disorders and body image issues

quite a mouthful, i know, so we're still tinkering with the subtitle. we're planning on approximately six 3-hour classes, two Saturdays a month, during the months of October, November and January in midtown-NYC. over the course of 4 months, we'll guide each member of the class through the process of developing a piece of art - a one-person show, a blog, a series of podcasts, an EP of songs, a video blog, an illustrated book, a short film, or some combination thereof - that tells her or his story of struggle and recovery surrounding eating disorders and body image. all of this will happen in a very safe and supportive environment. because that's how we roll.

fun, right? potentially a little terrifying too? of course! most things worth doing are!

why am i doing this? my escape from disordered eating took one giant leap forward when i started developing my one-woman show and writing my blog. not only did it provide me with a means to express myself in a creative, fun and cathartic way, it also gave me a reason to wake up every morning that wasn't my weight and food. i'm hoping we'll be able to give this experience to every member of the class and potentially provide a jumpstart to their own recovery.

recovery needn't always be a forehead bent to a brick wall in desperate prayer. sometimes it's a dance, a song, a monologue, a thick streak of red paint across a blank, white canvas that says IF YOU SEE ME, I AM NOT ALONE.

i want to know your thoughts on any and all. is this the sort of thing you'd be interested in attending? why or why not?

if not, would it help if i told you we'll be spending the entire class in tiaras and tutus? (that's not true, but we would not object)

i'll be discussing this more on this blog as Susan and i suss out the details. we have not worked out a price yet, but once we get the space secured, we'll be able to do so. please feel free to email or Facebook message me with any questions or comments you'd rather not post in the comments section.