Intuitive Dressing & Body Stories

Body, mind, success: cultivating a positive body image

 

Why does it matter?

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Feeling good about your body is not just a matter of aesthetics: it is key to mental well-being, self-confidence, healthy relationships, and even academic and professional success. A positive body image helps us live with more authenticity, energy, and serenity.

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What is body image?

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Body image is how we think and feel about our body: its physical appearance, the emotions it evokes in us, and the beliefs we hold about it. It can change over time and be positive, negative, or ambivalent. It profoundly influences our self-esteem and mental health.

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When body image is negative...

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• We constantly judge ourselves

• We perceive our bodies in a distorted way

• We believe we have to change in order to “be accepted”

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These thoughts can arise from social pressure, diet culture, childhood experiences, or comparisons on social media. If left unaddressed, they can lead to:

• Low self-esteem

• Anxiety and depression

• Eating disorders

• Difficulty in relationships

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The good news? It can be cured!

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With small steps (and a dash of kindness towards ourselves), it is possible to transform the way we see ourselves.

 

Positive body image is built with:

• Awareness

• Self-compassion

• Emotional support

• Healthy relationships

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And above all: you can be healthy regardless of your size or body shape.

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Body size is largely genetic, while health depends on the choices we make every day, consciously or unconsciously, regarding:

• Physical activity

• Nutrition

• Thoughts and inner voice

• Clothing and personal care

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All these aspects profoundly influence our physical and mental health.

It is never too late to adopt healthy, personal habits that make us happy to be ourselves.

 

By celebrating our humanity with self-love and self-compassion, we can live in harmony with our bodies.

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About the Workshops​​

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​Intuitive Dressing - 3 hours workshop​

Topics covered:​

• Uniqueness as a superpower

• Awareness: Body Positivity, Personal Preferences, Personal Values

• Self-love

• Overcoming roadblocks and Limiting Beliefs

• Personal style and authenticity

• General guidelines and style rules

• The three-step process plan

• The wheel of style + 6 aspects

• Discussion: Silhouette and Personality, Character Roles, Lifestyle and Personality, Fashion Trends, Style Manifesto

• Next Steps and Checklists + Resourced Listening

• Style Planner

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Body Stories - 2 hours workshop

Topics Covered:

• Self-assessment: loving your body

• Health, weight, intersecting identities, weight discrimination

• Reclaiming your health starting from the story of your body

• Practising personal and intuitive care through awareness regarding the famine response, intuitive eating, your own eating rules and habits, and choosing intuitive movement

• Cultivating self-love beginning with two practical exercises

• Authentic beauty and ancestral beauty

• Community and conscious lifestyle choices

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Rooted in the Be Body Positive Model, this workshop guides you through five core competencies:

• Reclaim your health on your own terms;

• Practice intuitive self-care;

• Cultivate radical self-love;

• Declare your authentic beauty;

• Build empowering community.

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Through deep conversations, reflective exercises, and worksheets, you’ll begin to rewrite the story you hold about your body, with compassion, curiosity, and courage.

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The Be Body Positive Model was developed over a decade of listening to diverse people share what they needed to feel confident in their bodies and to practice excellent self-care. A Stanford University pilot study showed that The 5 Competencies of the Model had a positive effect on participants’ self-reported guilt, belief in the thin ideal, body satisfaction, and social determinants of body image. Further improvements on all measures were shown eight months after group participation. A California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) three-year pilot study showed improvement on all measures—including body satisfaction and self-compassion—at the end of the intervention, and even greater improvement after three years. If you are interested in hearing the wonderful results these students experienced, watch this video. Cornell University recently completed a two-year pilot study on their adaptation of our curriculum. Results from the Cornell study will be published soon.​

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How It Works

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You can participate in the workshops:

• Individually, to one or both of them;

• In groups, within schools, NGOs, or community teams.

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The workshops are fully customizable and can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each participant or group.

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What you’ll get:

• practical exercises to support you during your unique journey;

• worksheets and cheat sheets based on your needs and areas you intend to improve;

• a playlist containing uplifting music and messages;

• inspirational reminders to help you stay on track;

• a group of like-minded people to support and cheer on you during your journey of self-discovery.

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These workshops are for you and/or your community if you want to discuss and improve aspects such as:

• increased self-awareness and self-knowledge;

• personal preferences;

• decisions and choices based on specific criteria and supported by logic and intuition;

• learning to take care of oneself;

• respect for others, despite differences in physical appearance, personal preferences and subjective choices;

• inclusion and body positivity;

• sensitivity and self-reflection;

• sense of well-being;

• limiting beliefs and tools to overcome them;

• avoiding autopilot;

• sense of empowerment - believing in one's own abilities to create a life as desired;

• self-confidence;

• self-expression;

• personal freedom and respect for others' freedom;

• ability to develop a vision and implement it;

• body image/embodiment;

• reframing and life coaching techniques transferable and applicable in other areas of life.

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Do you have a group of friends / teens / children or a youth organisation who you think might benefit from such workshops? Contact me and let's tailor one for your school / organisation / informal group!