Events
bodyPeacebyPiece
A workshop exploring creativity and play as a path
to joy and freedom from disordered eating and body image issues
Saturday, October 22 ▪ 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
The Om Factory ▪ 265 West 37th Street ▪ New York, NY ▪ omfactorynyc.com
$65 before Oct. 10, $85 after
So what’s it all about?
Get out of your head and into your heart using art! We’ll show you how to use writing, painting, drawing, collage, movement and mindfulness to heal and deal with challenging emotions, past and present. Use the creative process to shift your focus from ohmigod, can’t, what-if, body dissatisfaction, what you ate or didn’t eat towardswhat you do want and what makes you feel grounded, peaceful and happy. We’ll also have FUN (remember that?)!
Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is open to any woman who has struggled with any level of disordered eating and wants to actively explore new and creative ways of coping, expressing and healing. Any woman 18 or older is welcome.
What would we say to someone who really wants to do this, but is also really scared?
It’s okay to be scared! “Feel the fear and do it anyway!” Here’s the thing: Creativity is play. We recommend you take a deep breath, don’t think, jump in and play! We promise that this workshop is a safe place where you will have the freedom to feel, remember, express and let go.
Space is limited. Payment reserves your space. Click here to pay via PayPal.
Facilitators:
Susan Weiss Berry, MS, MFA, CNS is a Certified Nutrition Specialist, Mindful Eating/Mindful Living Teacher and Founding Director of Evolved Eating. www.evolvedeating.com For over 30 years she’s been teaching women how to—once and for all--stop struggling with what they eat, AND create more meaningful, creative, happier lives than they ever thought possible! Susan, who grew up thinking she didn't have a single creative bone in her body, is also a national award-winning writer. For the last 25+ years she’s been happily creating fiction, non-fiction, poetry and essay, meditating, dancing, cooking, baking, singing, beading, doll-making, playing with sculptiure, collage, wreath-making, interior decorating and photography.
Margaux LaskeyWriter, Performer and Creator of size ate, the award-winning autobiographical one-woman show and blog that explores her hilarious and harrowing adventures with body and food – the disordered and the divine. (www.sizeate.com). She performs her show at colleges, conferences and retreats as part of education and outreach, and is currently developing the show into a film. She believes that the process of getting better doesn’t always have to suck; sometimes it involves glitter, giggles and dance.
For class and scholarship information, please contact swb@evolvedeating.com.
What participants are saying about bodyPeacebyPiece:
"The bodyPeacebyPiece workshop was fun! From the moment I stepped into the studio with Susan & Margaux I felt completely safe & free to be the authentic, creative, & playful me. The workshop showed me that creating, exploring, being silly, & being present can be safe & fulfilling. Thank you!"
-Melissa
"I really enjoyed the workshop! It was really helpful to have permission to be silly & act like a child :) I found it so relaxing to work on my map & mask. I also was really touched by the meditation where we expressed gratitude for our bodies...it was a message I really needed to hear."
~R.M.
"The afternoon lifted my spirits & threw some stress out the window. I woke today with an inner peace. Sometimes you just need to say whatever, I cannot spend any more time worrying about this, toss the nagging thought away & grow. I was inspired to draw, have a little fun & be cheeky.
Thank you for planting the seed."
~Jane
"Thanks for hosting the bodyPeace workshop--I really enjoyed it! I hope you plan to have future peace-finding events. Before I arrived I was worried that I wouldn't fit in, that my struggle would not be as relevant to what everyone else in the group was going through. That was wrong. The tone of the workshop was non-threatening & safe. I didn't feel put on the spot or forced to share anything I was uncomfortable with. I was really touched by the openness of the participants & their eagerness to connect with me. Thank you so much."
~Andrea
"I thought the workshop was very interesting. I found it very helpful & refreshing, It gave me reminders of what I'm striving for & keeping me on track. I have been more in tune to my needs. It was a great workshop. Thank you! "
~Jacqueline
"I had so much fun at the bodyPeacebyPiece Workshop & am so glad I came because I learned new creative tools to help cultivate a deeper acceptance of what my body looks like & feels like. The afternoon changed how I feel towards this newer, higher weight-a necessary part of my recovery from an eating disorder, but something I've struggled to accept alone for a long time. Perhaps, most importantly, the women I interacted with this weekend made me realize that all along, I’ve never truly been on my own. While there are times where I've felt no one could possibly “get it,” they were there. Their companionship, empathy & compassion made me appreciate how “real” these women were & how rare it was to find them. I experienced what it’s like to lean on one another & find strength together. Their smiles, hugs, beauty, their joyful dances & quiet moments of reflection, let me know I wasn’t alone any longer in the struggle. Thank you"
~Erin
STEPPING AWAY:
"We are shaped by our thoughts. We become what we think." The Buddha
When we STEP AWAY from "The (spinning, worrying, critical ) Mind" and step into the present moment, we create a path for understanding and healing our struggles with body, food and weight.
~You can leave the Diet/Binge/Purge/Starve/Regret Cycle for good.
~ONCE AND FOR ALL-END YOUR STRUGGLES with food, body and weight.
Join me for my next interactive workshop to learn practical and powerful Mindfulness Tools (and more) to help you find peace with food and your body.
When: Tuesday, January 25th, 6:15 - 8:00 PM
Where: East End Avenue & 83rd St, NYC 10028
Cost $ 25.00 --Payment: Credit Card or Check
To register and for more information: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=4ffyfhdab&oeidk=a07e39f0fo378a2ca36
Or contact: swb@evolvedeating.com
What participants are saying about Stepping Away:
"Susan's approach to healing is simply the best thing I've come across in my recovery from disordered eating. Both in our private sessions and in the group meditation workshop she is full of wisdom, empathy, and positive energy." -- Denise, 34, New York City
"I had a great time at the workshop last night. It was a comfortable, safe space to not only learn from Susan, but to also learn from others who were willing to share their personal experiences, struggles, and triumphs. During the workshop we did several meditations and then discussed our experiences. It was nice to share our difficulties together and discuss how these practices apply to our everyday lives." NJ
"I LOVED the class, I felt really unjudged and accepted. I also felt very present in the room. Thank you for putting such a great class together!"
-Gina. F.
"The workshop was very helpful to me. Susan always underlines so many important issues, whether it's in explaining how we numb ourselves in day to day lives or how we can come back to being mindful and what mindfulness can do for us".
-M.M.
"It was a great experience . What I found most helpful were the techniques you taught to actually pinpoint the automatic thoughts that flood my mind and learning ways to process them. I also like the " Labeling" of the thinking process. For me I found it so helpful."
-J.C.
"This workshop was remarkably helpful. Practicing mindfulness techniques in a concentrated way, in a safe and peaceful environment, made applying those techniques to my daily life that much easier. Since the workshop, I have felt relaxed and content-- like a cooked noodle rather than a raw, breakable one! I'm enjoying my moments! Thank you, Evolved Eating!"
-K.L. , NYC
"This workshop was awesome and it served as a reminder of what is not only really important but what is REAL... No matter what kind of chaos is going on ... the present moment and BEING in your body simply melts all of the other things away. Susan stands in her truth with this and not only teaches with her words but more importantly with her disposition. I left feeling grounded, peaceful and empowered."
-Carllie Jaxen
"Susan’s instruction was very gentle. This helped me to be gentle with myself and guided me back to the present moment and to peace."
-Christina, NYC
"Great workshop! I look forward to future events."
-Amanda, NYC
"I learned how to stop obsessing not just about food but about all the little things that run through my head all day long. Thank you."
-Rebecca, NYC
"I found the workshop meaningful & empowering. The atmosphere set the stage for honesty and I immediately felt at ease in the space. I am looking forward to the next workshop/opportunity with Susan & Evolved Eating."
-Jennifer, NYC
NEW EVENT FOR FALL 2009
bodyPeacebyPieceSM
What:
A 5-session workshop exploring multimedia story telling as a path to recovery from eating disorders and body image issues
When:
October 17 and 24 from 1-3 PM
November 7 and 14 from 1-4 PM
A surprise field trip adventure in December!
Where:
The Barrow Group
www.barrowgroup.org
312 West 36th Street
New York, NY
Except October 17. Details TBA.
Who:
Susan Weiss Berry, MS, CNS, CHHC, Owner/Founding Director, Evolved Eating www.evolvedeating.com
Margaux Laskey, Writer, Performer and Creator, size ate, the one-woman show and the blog www.sizeate.com
Detailed bios below.
What’s it about?
bodyPeacebyPieceSM will teach you how to focus on and create your recovery stories. Shift your focus away from fear-mind, body dissatisfaction, what I ate/didn’t eat, should/shouldn’t eat towards dreams, ideas and passions. We’ll show you how to use storytelling as a way to heal and deal with challenging emotions, past and present, by exploring numerous forms of creative expression including painting, singing, acting, blogging, collaging, dancing, film-making and more. This workshop is a safe place where you will have the freedom to feel, remember, express and let go.
Who is this series for?
This workshop is open to all who have struggled with eating and body image disorders and want to actively explore new and creative ways of coping, expressing and healing. Anyone over age 18, male or female, is welcome.
What would we say to someone who really wants to do this, but is also really scared?
It’s okay to be scared! “Feel the fear and do it anyway!” Here’s the thing: Creativity is play. We recommend you take a deep breath, don’t think, jump in and play!
Cost: $225.00
Some scholarships available.
Space is limited. Payment reserves your space. Click here to pay via PayPal. (If the link is broken, copy and paste the following into your browser: http://sizeate-bodypeace.blogspot.com/)
For class and scholarship information, please contactswb@evolvedeating.com
Facilitators:
Susan Weiss Berry, MS, CNS, CHHC Owner and Founding Director of Evolved Eating (www.evolvedeating.com), is a Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Holistic Health Counselor, Mindfulness Educator, Coach, award-winning Writer, mentor, meditator and dreamer. For decades she’s been playing with writing, dancing, singing, beading, doll-making, sculpture, collage, wreath-making, fetish making, cooking, decorating.
“The creative process has been an essential part of my recovery from eating and body issues. Writing offers me a constant place of renewal as well as a place to kick, scream, swear, throw punches, sweat and detoxify. When I’m writing, I’m not worrying, or planning. I’m not rushing. I am present at play. By returning day after day to this creative universe and staying with my memories, dreams, fears, desires, I find the stories I want to tell and in so doing reconstruct and make sense of my life. While fear mind prefers I obsess over wrinkles, taxes, and thighs, oh my! my creative mind whistles—psssst, over here, here’s something cool to explore, a place to sit and play, where the biggest worry is choosing blue paint or red!”
Margaux Laskey Writer, Performer and Creator of size ate, the Award-winning autobiographical one-woman show and blog that explores her hilarious and harrowing adventures with body and food - disordered and otherwise. (www.sizeate.com). She performs her show at colleges, conferences and retreats as part of education and outreach. She’s been a crafty, artistic gal sometimes dipping and sometimes diving into all sorts of creative endeavors since she was wee – dancing, acting, jewelry-making, calligraphy, violin and flute playing, watercolor painting, baking, graphic design, illustration, singing, skipping, blogging, etcetera!
“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 about my weight and food. We're hoping we'll be able to give this experience to every member of the class and potentially provide a jump start for your 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.”
PLAY. CREATE. HEAL.
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"Fearless Eating" Event for NEDAW 2008
A Benefit for The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Sat. March 1, 2008
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
$50.00
Location: Whole Foods, 95 E. Houston St., NYC, NY
RSVP: Susan Weiss Berry, swb@evolvedeating.com and we will email information about sign-up and payment.
What is Fearless Eating?
Remember when food was a pleasure? Drippy ice cream cones, finger licking fried chicken, pasta, pizza and potatoes, oh my! Then the carbo cops and the skinny bitches rode into town spewing studies and rules and we freaked out.
Join Certified Nutrition Specialist Susan Weiss Berry, Director of NYC- based Evolved Eating and Julia Jaksic, Executive Chef of Employees Only for: "Fearless Eating," a girls-only evening of fabulous food. Five-Course tasting with Mindful Awareness/Writing Exercises. Peel, mix, chop and challenge your food fears. Experience eating EVERYTHING without the freak-out!
Fearless women gathered to sample amazing food at The March 1, 2008 Fearless Eating Event at Whole Foods in NYC. We ate mindfully, meditated, wrote and laughed a lot. It was a great evening!
What is "Fearless Eating" about?
It's about eating and enjoying foods you may not normally allow yourself to eat. Foods "The Mind" might label as bad, fattening, high-carb, indulgent and definitely not allowed. Still these are the foods you would really love to eat! Your goal as a Fearless Eater is to eat Mindfully. Meaning, to notice, without judgment what really happens before, during and after each tasting. What thoughts fill your mind? What happens in your body, especially your five senses? With gentle attention, you can become aware of the thoughts and emotions that get in the way of eating fearlessly.
What does it mean to be a Fearless Eater?
It means that you eat with awareness and a sense of curiosity. You eat every time you're hungry, regardless of how much you weigh, how much weight you think you want to lose, what you ate yesterday or 4 hours ago. When you experience the physical cue that you're (mildly) hungry, you not only eat—you eat whatever you want. You make the choice. You don't plan in advance; you don't count carbs, calories or fat. You let your body tell you when it needs to eat, what it wants, and when it has had just enough. Then you move on. Evolved Eaters are Fearless Eaters!
What happens at a Fearless Eating Event?
You'll receive information about Mindfulness and Intuitive Eating. You'll receive instruction in Mindfulness meditation and then we'll practice. You'll play with the idea of eating a fearful food---and then you'll eat one, slowly, tasting, being aware of any fears, concerns or resistance. You'll have lots of support and feel safe. You'll write down the things your yapping mind says about how "bad" this food is, how fat you're going to get, how it's not possible to eat what you want and still be ok. You'll write it all down, close up your notebook, and move on, to the next course, without reacting.
Fearless Eating teaches us to work with "Fear Mind"
Fear mind is the yappy, negative, bossy voice inside your head. Sometimes it's referred to as Monkey Mind but I like to call it Hamster Mind. This mind is present in all of us. It's a recycled tape that runs and runs. Usually, you react to its messages without ever really hearing it. Fear mind messages prevent you from enjoying eating; stop you from following your instincts, from being awake and aware in the present moment. Fear Mind hooks you into reacting with old eating/restricting behaviors. But when you have the opportunity to pay attention, you'll realize that fear mind is not God, nor is it the voice of truth. The truth is, you can have these "fearful" thoughts, and not buy into them, not react. You can choose to eat the food you want--like all the fabulous food Julia prepares--AND experience first hand that NOTHING BAD HAPPENS when you eat these so-called "bad" foods. Regardless of fear mind's warnings, you will not burst into flames, nor does God punch through the sky and knock you over. You don't blow up. These fears are just stories in your mind—but they are powerful stories. Fearless Eating teaches you to enjoy any food you choose without the FREAKOUT!