Category Archives: Self-Care

December 10, 2015

Introducing Body Peace!

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I’m beyond excited to finally share what I’ve got planned for the Be Your Own Beloved workshops this year.

Introducing the Body Peace Program! This is a year long journey to make peace with your body using the tool of self-portraiture to shift from a critical to a compassionate relationship with your self-image and self-esteem. It follows up on the transformation and spark that the original Beloved has created in people’s lives and takes it a step further.

Made up of 8 powerful programs throughout 2016 and the compassionate community the Be Your Own Beloved programs are known for, the Body Peace program help you change the way you relate to your body and treat yourself.

The idea of doing a year long program was sparked a few years ago but took a while for me to settle in on the right balance of empowering activities combined with space to let it soak in, space to let ourselves go at our own pace. The plan was solidified about doing this program in 2016 after I noticed how many alumni of the Be Your Own Beloved were returning for multiple sessions even within the same year…it was clear that a more continued community experience as well as continuing to have selfie activities and encouragement was something folks who took these classes were yearning for.

The program launched registration last week and we just started to gather together in our community Facebook Group leading up to class and as folks join in on the program I’ll get you all set up and you’ll be welcomed with open arms into the community.

I can’t wait to see what this year brings and can’t wait to dig deeper into creating pockets of body peace with the folks who join in. This program isn’t about never having a negative thought about our bodies again, but rather building self-trust and our own voice about how we feel about our bodies to counteract what our inner critic might say.

Much like with all my classes, the activities are derived from my own practice of using selfies as a tool to heal negative body-image and make peace with myself through the camera. As I’ve been teaching these classes over the past 4 years, I’ve been noticing what changes when we continue this practice over a longer span of time and well, what I found was that life (and my relationship with my inner critic) just got a lot more peaceful. I’d been at war with myself for along time so this peace was a welcome relief.

So that’s a big part of why the program is called Body Peace. To give us space to make peace with our body and who we see it. To cultivate more spaces of peace from our inner critic.

The program is made up of 8 classes and you can find out about them all here! There is an option to pay in full or do 2 payments instead (and you can find them both on the Body Peace Page).

The first program is called Selfie Compassion and it’s actually starting January 1st! It’s our foundational program for the program as a whole and will help us root in tools of self-compassion and mindfulness that will carry us throughout the year.

You can also join in for the Selfie Compassion class on it’s own and find out more about it here!

While both of these were created with folks who’ve taken the original Be Your Own Beloved class, you don’t have to be alumni to join in! Though the original class is definitely something to be experienced so if you haven’t joined in yet, there is a new session coming up in February and you can sign up here!

If you have any questions about the classes (especially if you’re really nervous about taking a class but something is drawing you to none the less) don’t hesitate to connect with me via the contact form! These classes are naturally going to be outside our comfort zone and that’s who I created the for…the classes are designed to help us stand in our power, to see our own beauty, to cultivate our own voice about how we feel about ourselves and our body and that is all vulnerable work but that’s what makes it so transformative too!

October 26, 2015

Selfie Self-Care for the Grey Days

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I looked at the forecast for the next couple weeks this morning and it can be described in one four letter word: rain.

I live in Vancouver, Canada so really it’s not surprise. I’ve lived here for a decade now so I’ve learned what I need to best thrive in a rainy winter. I’ve learned that for me, a pivotal part of getting through the winter here without getting the blues is to not put my camera away. Even if it rains. Even if it’s grey and nothing is blooming anymore. Even then. Especially then.

You see, this whole self-portrait path the whole Be Your Own Beloved process began for me as I was coming out of a depression years ago. I needed to learn how to fill my own well again and thanks to digital photography and our phones starting to have cameras around that time, I started going on a walk around the neighbourhood with a camera and seeing what beauty I could find.

These photo walks not only lead me through that time in a way that helped me learn to fill up my own well again, but it has ever since. It wasn’t something that I did just then to find happiness again. It’s something I do weekly ever since (if not more) to keep my well filled.

This weekend I could feel the lows tapping me on the shoulder so this morning I grabbed my camera as I headed out to a cafe to get some work done and took the long way that led me through the community garden. I go to this same one all the time but what I’ve learned over the years is that even though I couldn’t imagine there would be anything new, anything different than the other day when I was there…there is always beauty of some sort awaiting me.

This time it was a flower that had fallen on the ground that caught my eye and became my muse for the next 10 minutes.

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After taking a few dozen photos I left it there in hopes someone else coming to the garden for self-care would see it and feel it’s beauty.

On the walk I was also thinking of how grateful I am that Be Your Own Beloved is starting next week. I like to offer it in November even though it might not be the sunniest month for most of us (unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere of course) but its because its not the sunniest month that it becomes more important than ever to offer ourselves this kind of self-care.

Cause the class and these photo walks really isn’t just about ‘getting the shot’, or only taking selfies when it’s gorgeously happy and we’re feeling good and rockin’ a fabulous outfit. Sure, it’s a lot easier to be kind to ourselves, to be our own beloved when those things are in place. But we’re worthy of that kind of love all the time.

It’s actually more about building our resilience in showing up for ourselves when we’re not feeling that way. That’s not to say we won’t get kick-ass photos (cause oh my gosh we will) but no matter what the season, this process is really less about the photo and so much more about the ways we show up for ourselves despite what our inner critic says, despite the old stories we see in our photos and yes, despite the rain or weather.

So rain or shine, I’m excited to dig into these prompts with the class this coming month and celebrate all the incredible photos you’ll take and the vulnerability and bravery that we step into in the process.

Come join us!

October 22, 2015

All of You is Worthy of Your Love (belly, rolls, curves & folds included)!

I went out for a photo walk in the garden I always go to, in a dress I had recently thrifted that felt like a second skin. The sun was out and I was aflutter with excitement about my upcoming trip. As well, the garden was quiet. It’s often filled with gardeners…though while strangers, I totally adore them cause they pay little notice to the woman in the polka dots taking photos amongst the flower beds.

But this day was quiet so I felt comfortable putting down my camera on the edge of a raised flower bed and stepping into one of the more open spaces in the garden.

I took tonnes of photos letting any worry about that being ‘too much’ slip away (I’ve had practice on that one). Everything felt in alignment and I felt really good about the photos as I looked at them…knowing that while it wasn’t my goal (my goal was just to celebrate feeling fabulous in that new-to-me-dress and how it felt like it let me see my body with kindness and even confidence exactly as it is right now) I would probably end up using them for my website.

And indeed I ended up using many of them as new blog and Facebook page headers and all around the site.

Then the moment came.

It was as though my eyes became tunnel vision focused in on one part of the photo.

That roll. That place where leggings end and push in a bit. You could call it a muffin top (though I don’t love that term…mostly because I hear it said with such mocking of our bodies rather than empowerment).

How could I not notice that.

Why did I post the photos?

Cool I didn’t notice it and judge it right away but what if people are out there judging me?

Now, if you’re wanting to say “I barely even noticed it” or reassure someone else of the okay-ness of their body…please do pause. That is super lovely of you but I hope you’ll keep reading before jumping to the comments to reassure me. This is the challenge of talking about the inner workings of our minds in the process of healing my body image…people want to reassure us, save us from ourselves. But don’t worry, I’ve got my own back…these are things that no matter what anyone else says, we need to let the kindness into our own hearts, for ourselves. So know that is what I thought in that moment and continue on to find out what happened next…

Do you know that feeling? That gut drop when you see a photo online and your eyes focus on one thing and only one thing?

It’s something I hear folks talk about regularly and definitely a tender thing for a lot of us.

In this moment I had that “I should take it down” feeling and that old muscle memory of taking a photo down in a panic almost began and then, thankfully, a new voice I’ve been cultivating (my inner body-love-mama-bear-protector) appeared kind of like it did in this moment I shared a while back and said.

“No….are you kidding me. How is this photo any less worthy than a moment ago when you loved it”.

And really, what was I to say to that. My inner-body-love-protector voice knows what to say to bring me back to my heart.

That voice is really new to me but its something I’ve been working really hard to develop. It had been a long long time of not knowing what words could calm my critic down before they finally developed into a voice that did speak the right words to help me return to centre. Though of course I still have those times where my critic is fiercer…its all a work in progress and always will be.

It’s also been about building resilience and not let those critical moments take over my day (cause that used to be the case…I’d take down those photos mortified at what people might have thought and then get caught up in the shame of it).

It isn’t just the moments of feeling absolutely fabulous and loving a photo that are the goal as much as learning how to hold ourselves with kindness when we don’t feel that way.

So the photos are still there and believe me I won’t take them down. Because I’m not looking to teach about body-image by being picture perfect. I want to continue to be real. And real me has rolls and folds and a belly and curves.

And I know in this body-love path, sometimes we need to see people who mirror our own selves rockin’ their self-empowerment to claim our own. My body is probably going to be quite different than yours in a myriad of way (cause we humans are so beautifully diverse) and sometimes when we see someone else’s story we have a tendency to do the “Ya, but she’s not _____ ” and compare our own bodies. If that’s the case, treat yourself to some time over at one of my favourite Tumblrs called Stop Hating Your Body which I love cause they really rock at including a really diverse range of folks on their blog. I hope you’ll see yourself reflected back by someone proudly rockin’ their own confidence.

If this whole idea of being in front of the camera and seeing photos of yourself feels well, terrifying or vulnerable to you…maybe the time is right to come and join in for the Be Your Own Beloved class that starts November 1st. This class wasn’t created for people who already rock selfies with total confidence. It was created for you, for folks who find the idea of it really really vulnerable (cause thats where I began with the process too). You don’t need fancy gear and smartphones are 100% welcome (even encouraged). Come join us and learn tools not only to take photos you feel good about but to build resilience for when you see ones that bring up old stories…like the one that happened for me today. Class starts soon!

September 14, 2015

Self-Paced Class Sale (and Changes Ahead)

I’m excited to share that this week I’m holding a SALE! Use the code YOUAREBELOVED when you purchase one of the Self-Paced classes you’ll get $10 off these already affordable classes.

I thought I’d share a bit about which courses you can choose from but also share that there is change underfoot. At the end of the week when the sale concludes I’m also going to be taking a number of these classes off the Be Your Own Beloved e-course roster…not because I don’t think they are gonna inspire you big time (cause they are) but because I’ve got a lot of new offerings heading your way this fall and especially in the coming year and I want to make room for those. So if you’ve been wanting to take one of these classes someday, the time is now!

Beloved Beginnings

The Beloved Beginnings Class is the one self-paced class that will still be available, but it’s also extra affordable already so by joining in for the sale you get this class for $19!!

The beloved beginnings is a super gentle introduction to the idea of seeing yourself with kindness through your camera and a class you might want to try if you’re drawn to taking the month-long Be Your Own Beloved class but want to get a gentle intro to the journey.

The class is normally $29 but this week you can take it for $19 CAD.

Find out more here.

Or register here for Beloved Beginnings here:

Double Exposure Love

Learn to make absolutely incredible double exposures. This program is packed full of playful and helpful information on how to make double exposures technically and creatively. I share my 5 favourite tricks for creating striking and visually powerful double exposures. Prepare to fall head over heels in love with double exposures (if you aren’t already)!

Class is regularly $39 but you can take it this week for $29!

You can find our more on the class page.

Or register here:

Cultivating Self-Care

The Cultivating Self-Care program is a 14 day workshop and a powerful jolt of inspiration, helping you to brainstorm and then fine tune creating some self-care practices to help fuel you and to claim space in your life for YOU. It’s all about making more time to be our own beloved, to treat ourselves like we would a dear friend and to cultivate more self-compassion along the way!

Class is normally $39 but for you this week it will be $29!

Head on over here to find out more about the class.

Or jump in and register here!

Be Your Own Light

The Be Your Own Light E-Course invites you to explore the light around you and the light within you too. It’s about using the tool of light to take photos that you can see yourself with kindness through and slowly and gently inviting yourself further into the frame, into the visual story of your life!

It’s time to let your light shine, to let YOU shine through in your photos and you’re going to make that happen in this class!

The program is also normally $39 but on sale for $29.

Find out more about this powerful class here.

Or Register for Be Your Own Light here:

The Rebel’s Guide to Falling in Love with Photography

In the Rebel’s Guide to Photography e-course I will help you push past fear of not being the “perfect” photographer. You’ll be invited to shake up the rules of how one is supposed to take a picture and to discover the magic of making beautiful mistakes while discovering the creative photo-seeker in you. You are invited to try 15 different photography activities designed to spark magic through your camera and each activity will arrive in your inbox for 15 days after you register!

All of this for $39 (but of course with your discount it is $29).

You can find out all about it on the course page.

Or if you’ve been wanting to take it and are ready to register, come join in!

Just use the code YOUAREBELOVED when you sign up for the Self-Paced E-Course of your choice and I’ll get you all set up for class to begin! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to use the contact form to connect with me!

August 19, 2015

A Change in Perspective

When I first picked up a camera (and fell head over heels in love with seeing the world through it) I wasn’t in the place I am now. I felt like I could only see my life in one perspective, tunnel vision, and that perspective was solidly rooted in my self-doubt and critique. Life was pretty mediocre and somehow I had convinced myself that was what I was deserving of.

But then the point came where every cell of my body started screaming ‘No…you’re wrong…this isn’t the only path your life could take”. What if it could be different? What if you could see yourself differently.

So, terrified, I let go of the tight grip on that perspective of myself and my life and let go.

But doubt still awaited me…who was I to want more? And what in the world might more look like? What was this new paradigm I was hoping to shift to and how in the world was I going to get there.

The camera became my guide.

I realized I didn’t need to know the answers. I knew this as soon as I picked up a camera and started seeing the world through it. It blew my mind how the same old street that I had walked down hundreds of times suddenly looked so different.

I realized that every day I could take my camera out and see something new, see beauty I would otherwise have passed by. To see the world from endless new perspectives.

And I did. There was always beauty to be found. Always a new angle to shoot at. It still feels that way even 9 years later.

That there is always going to be a new perspective, a new way to see through these same eyes.

I didn’t need to know how to ‘figure out my life’. I just needed to keep open to a new perspective and let it unfold.

So many of the people who join the Be Your Own Beloved class have a very a fixed vision of how they see themselves in photos. It seems set in stone.

“I’m not photogenic”

“Photos feel like proof of all the negative self-talk I have”

“I can’t get a good photo of myself”

I hear these kinds of statements all the time, the sureness of one perspective that to them, has always seemed true. I know that feeling well, as I have felt similarly. I had no expectation that the camera was going to help me heal my relationship to my self image. It was truly outside of the realm of possibility in my mind.

Plus, really, why would I think that? I had seen no clue through photos that the camera could capture me in any other way than the usual way that I could only see with critique. I was sure that I wasn’t beautiful. I saw it in my photo-story and I believed that is what other people saw too. I had proof in those photos. Or did I?

But then it all changed. The more I saw the world around me from brand new perspectives be it a flower petal or feather or taking a portrait of a friend. I approached them as though they were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, because now they were.

When I started turning the camera on myself, somehow a glimmer of that energy broke through the tall walls of self-doubt.

What would happen if I looked at myself in that way?

What if I approached myself as a photo subject and looked for beauty? I could find it everywhere, at any moment. Why not in myself? Why not in ourselves?

Do you, or did you have a fixed perspective of how you see yourself in photos?

What if you could break that one perspective wide open and see yourself through a whole new viewpoint, a whole new perspective?

And I know it’s scary. I know because I’m not just teaching this, I’m living this work. Because I still can still remember that feeling of believing that there would be no way, ever, that photos could be my ally. I was sure they were my enemy and proof of all negativity my inner critic launched at me.

But it wasn’t. And it doesn’t have to be the only perspective for you too.

I’m deeply passionate about helping people see themselves with kindness through their cameras not because of how much I love myself now, but because of how much I hated myself then.

I spent far too many years with that tunnel vision of self-digust.

I spent far too much energy critiquing myself and stubbornly disbelieving that there could be another way.

I spent far too much of my life worrying about how other people saw me above how I saw myself.

And I don’t want you to spend any longer there either. Because there is a new perspective awaiting you. One the camera will help you see. One that simply needs you to choose to see it. One that is available to any of us if we let it be.

Let’s choose to see ourselves from a different perspective (even if we can’t imagine what that would look like). Let’s trust in ourselves and invite in the camera as our guide.