In the minutes before yoga class a few weeks ago, I saw my friend Shana walk into the studio. Happy to see her, I jumped up and immediately heard a POP in my leg. Not good. But because I can be stubborn and willful, I decided to stay. It’s not that bad. You can make it through. Come on Robyn, you’re tough. You got this. As soon as I half attempted Warrior 2 pose, it became VERY clear I needed to go. Tail tucked between my legs, I grabbed my mat and hobbled out of class. Tim, my Godsend of a physical therapist, diagnosed the injury the next day (a strained gastrocnemius muscle) and set me up with a few weeks’ worth of PT appointments. It wasn’t as bad as I feared, but it would take some time to heal. With … [Read more...] about The Unfillable Hole
Awareness
Punk Rock Eating
Why is the obesity epidemic continuing to spiral out of control? We know that being obese makes us more likely to have heart disease + high blood pressure + diabetes + sleep apnea. It raises our risk of stroke and some cancers. It puts constraints on our lives and what we’re able to do physically. Yet nothing has changed. Despite all we know and all the money we’ve spent, we are getting fatter and sicker as a society. I was listening to a podcast while hiking yesterday and something clicked. We don’t need more awareness or more programs or more funding. We need a new normal. The way of eating that contributes to the ever-evolving health crisis we’ve found ourselves in is NORMAL. As human beings, we want … [Read more...] about Punk Rock Eating
Beauty Sick Book Review
I sometimes struggle with reconciling my advocacy of body acceptance with the fact that I help women lose weight. Can you respect your body and want to change it? My answer is a resounding yes. More than ever. If I didn’t believe this to be true, there is no way I could do this work with integrity. Unwinding beauty sickness and appreciating what our bodies do FOR us is an essential component of well-being. In her book, Beauty Sick, Renee Englen, a professor at Northwestern University and head of the Body and Media Lab, very clearly and in a very compelling manner exposes the cultural epidemic of beauty sickness, the obsession with appearance, and how it affects or has affected most women in America. Using scientific … [Read more...] about Beauty Sick Book Review
What Kind of Teacher Are You?
Imagine it’s your first day of Kindergarten. You’re nervous and excited and curious and bouncing with energy. Throughout the day, your teacher cheers you on and praises what you do well… What a beautiful picture.Thank you for putting the crayons away.What excellent manners you have. You’re beaming. On the second day of school, you enthusiastically race through the doors. Now imagine, if on that first day, your teacher cruelly pointed out everything you did WRONG… You’re not very good at coloring are you? That’s terrible.Why can’t you spell your name? What’s wrong with you? Are you stupid?You’re not as pretty as the other girls in this class. It’s an extreme (and improbable) example, but imagine how you would feel at the … [Read more...] about What Kind of Teacher Are You?