The New Crescent Moon is the time for new beginnings. We begin the course by shedding new light on the struggle with eating and food so you can look at it in a new way – one that is infused with understanding, hope, and meaning. In the soft, reflective light of the New Crescent Moon you will gently discover what has been hidden from view, those issues that lie beneath the surface of so many of your eating difficulties.

This is where we discover personal beliefs developed many years ago (unbeknownst to us) that still contribute to the struggle with food, fat, dieting and weight: family situations (past or present) that continue to affect us, and the cultural conditioning that has secretly been driving disordered eating behaviors for so many women.

Using metaphors and ancient wisdom stories, we reframe the struggle, shine a gentle light on the truth that there is nothing wrong with you (and there never was!), so you can see a way out and receive relief, inspiration, and a multitude of “aha” moments that will inspire you to find the lasting freedom from battles with food, fat, and dieting that you desire.

This is what you can expect:

WEEK #1

Finding Meaning

You are welcomed into a circle of women who will support you on your journey towards freedom from eating. Through stories, poetry, and metaphor we begin by examining the cultural and personal context of your struggles with eating and your body so you can view it in a different light. We explore what it means to be emotionally sensitive and highly intuitive in a modern culture that does not celebrate those qualities – and how that contributes to struggles with food and body image.

Through reframing the struggle with the understanding that there is nothing wrong with you, you will be able to see the way out. We will offer our first teleconference during this week where you can share your questions regarding your relationship with food and we will respond.

WEEK #2

True Self &Metaphor

You are introduced into the world of metaphor, where you will learn the coded language of disordered eating. As you crack the code, you will begin to see the hidden function of your food and weight obsessions, and get a glimpse of what the recovery process will look like for you. As you continue to shatter the myth that there is something wrong with you, you will find self-compassion, encouragement, and hope — and you will realize you CAN let go of this.

WEEK #3

Finding Balance

You will get a view of the “Bigger Picture” as you learn about the “masculine” & “feminine” principles that exist within all of us, regardless of gender. You will see how the yin/yang imbalance within yourself (and within a culture that values logical, linear, goal-oriented activities over emotional, intuitive, relational states of being) has had a profound impact on your relationship with food and your body. You will discover how to release yourself from cultural conditioning and false stories, and restore balance to your psyche.

WEEK #4

Body Awareness

In this week, you will be applying the concepts that we have been exploring and discussing in a very practical way. You will discover, on a daily basis, what has been getting in the way of your eating when you are hungry, and stopping when you are full. With clarity, precision, and curiosity, you will learn how to how to identify and locate your personal physical hunger and satiety sensations – within your own body.

You will learn how to listen to, and respond to, your body’s signals and messages when they are very subtle – before they get out of control. Our second teleconference will be held during this week, and you will learn tools to tune into your natural, instinctual way of eating and how to separate it from other feelings and needs you may have. Many have found these tools most helpful

WEEK #5

The Body’s Guidance

You will dive even deeper into learning how to distinguish emotional hunger from physical hunger. In doing so, you will see how the specific foods you crave or fear distract you from uncomfortable feelings or difficult situations – and learn what it is you need to get back on track.

WEEK #6

Hunger as a Metaphor

You will continue explore the symbolic nature of hunger as it applies to your life, and discover how certain foods and disordered eating patterns are speaking to you in the language of metaphor.

In this week, you will identify specific foods you crave or fear, or foods you might continue to eat past fullness and look at them through the lens of metaphor. You will uncover what these foods represent symbolically to you, and discover the other hungers that lie beneath them.

WEEK #7

Soul Hunger

In this week we look at the nature of addiction and how it relates to eating issues, and how emotional and spiritual hungers play a part in obsessions and additions. We explore the urge to eat when not physically hungry as a signal of a different kind of hunger, and how food restriction, exercise addiction, or purging behaviors are attempts to escape from hungers of a different nature that seem insatiable. You learn will explore how to find and feed those other hungers.

WEEK #8

Bodytalk

You will explore your relationship with your body, shift your understanding of the causes of negative thoughts about your body. You will learn what to do to clear your obsessive thoughts and heal negative body image. We wrap up this module with a final teleconference where we will chat about food as a metaphor. Anita will demonstrate her magic with the foods you are craving. You won’t want to miss it.