It is our philosophy that the obsession with dieting and weight prevents women and men from owning their natural rights as spiritual, passionate, and creative beings. Cultural pressure to diet and lose weight, be thin or “buff” steadily increases. We are faced with an abundance of images, which convey the belief that happiness and respect cannot be attained without achieving a culturally prescribed thin body-type and likewise, a lack of messages promoting size acceptance and self-love. For the people of our society, this cultural standard is psychologically and spiritually damaging, leading to eating disorders and the destruction of self-confidence. Our society’s obsession with thinness obstructs individuals from realizing both their sacredness and potential.
Each individual’s relationship to food and body is unique and complex, shaped by personal, familial and cultural influences. Freedom from the struggle with food and weight is possible by using an approach that integrates emotional wisdom, intuitive eating and body acceptance.
Emotional Wisdom
Create alternative ways to meet your emotional and spiritual needs.
The symptoms or behaviors of eating disorders (overeating, undereating, and the obsession with food and weight) are often developed by individuals as ways to cope with psychological stress. They have learned to calm themselves with this behavior in response to feelings that are overwhelming to them. In order to stop the behaviors it is first necessary to develop emotional wisdom; the ability to identify, express and process emotions. Once this is achieved they can create alternative ways to meet their emotional and spiritual needs.
Intuitive Eating
Be able to make choices based on your body’s wisdom.
Individuals with eating disorders are usually out of touch with physiological cues that signal hunger and satisfaction. Through constant dieting or cultural/familial rules about eating, they have learned to disregard the signals of hunger and fullness and have developed strict definitions about “good foods” versus “bad foods”. The restrictive nature of most diets leads to feelings of deprivation and can actually worsen compulsive behavior, leading to the diet/binge cycle. By relearning to eat intuitively, individuals can base their food choices on internal bodily signals of hunger, satisfaction and fullness.
Body Acceptance
Remember the sacredness of your body, no matter what size or weight.
People who struggle with food and weight usually experience severe body hatred. In a culture that objectifies the body, individuals learn to value an unrealistic “perfect body” and equate thinness with self-worth. This creates immense cultural pressure to obtain a body type that is unnatural for most. Issues pertaining to low self-worth and self-doubt become misplaced and often result in a negative and sometimes abusive relationship with ones body. This can be combated by healing body shame and developing self-love at every size.
Eating disorders can be overcome and individuals can find a natural, loving and peaceful relationship with their food, weight and themselves.