A program inspired by the book The Slow Down Diet by Marc David

An 8-week course on Monday evenings from 7 pm to 9 pm starting April 30th

The more I listen to people talk about how unhappy, unfulfilled and uninspired they are in life, the more I hear the words “I have no time…I’m just too busy.” This is when I had an idea for a program that in 1 word I describe as “slow.”

When I ask these same people to paint me a picture of what they would prefer their lives to look like, they say things like, “I’d eat breakfast sitting down instead of in my car, I’d exercise more, I wouldn’t rush everywhere, I’d take a class or do a hobby I love, I’d go to bed early, I’d have more time for me.”

But instead, they “don’t have time”. They are being pulled in every direction. They wake up tired, they skip breakfast, they stop exercising, they cancel self-care appointments, they crave carbs and coffee, they wolf down dinner and call it a meal, snack themselves to sleep while watching one reality TV show after another…then beat themselves up over not being perfect.

The antidote to this hectic and unsatisfying life is slowing down.

So many of our reasons for over-booking our schedules and fitting in as much as we can into the least amount of time is because of self-imposed expectations to make us feel good enough, to feel like we’re accomplishing something in the world, to make ourselves feel worthwhile. Why is it so difficult for us to make space in our lives to be still and embrace ourselves for who we are?

Because we are used to denying ourselves pleasure – in particular, at meal times.

But food’s nourishing capacity far exceeds basic physical survival. The way we experience pleasure with food is a mirror of how we experience pleasure in life. And when we slow down our lives, we open the door to the joyous sensations of food, health, and the present moment as it is. To do this, we have to believe we are valuable and worthy to receive.

Slowing down begins by becoming more aware of our miraculous bodies, feeling hearts, and thinking minds in choosing, preparing, and eating food. Engaging all parts of us as we look straight into our struggles with food is the doorway to relaxing into our bodies, careers, fears and desires, and whatever else life presents to us. Self-criticism transforms into self-nurturing, anxiety into ease, negativity into gratitude. Paying more attention to anything, then, will help us reawaken not only our pleasure in eating but our joy of living.

Is it really possible that slowing down can help us live fuller, more aware lives? The answer is yes!

An 8-week course on Monday evenings from 7 pm to 9 pm starting April 30th

This program is my heart’s gift to you. I want you to be on this journey with me to create more time to enjoy our lives.

These 8 weeks are about gathering together in my living room with delicious mugs of tea in hand, cozy blankets and pillows nearby, and nourishing and delicious food. We will build a sense of warm kinship and support as we share our voices and connect over our stories, our truth, creating lives that we love and love to live within.

Here is how we will slow down together over the course of 8 weeks:

Week 1 – April 30th – Relax into Time- the gift of time; relaxing and slowing down with meals

Week 2 – May 14th – Quality is Everything- put more heart into how we create food, eat it, and share it; keep food real

Week 3 – May 28th – Awareness is Presence – invite your senses to a meal; the 7 kinds of hunger; Why do you feel like eating?

Week 4 – June 4th – Commit to Rhythm – create a lifestyle with regular times for meals, rest, enjoyment, sleep, and nourishment

Week 5 – June 11th – Trust in Pleasure – enjoy and celebrate food; the way we experience pleasure with food is a mirror of how we experience pleasure in life

Week 6 – June 18th – Your Story – transform the thoughts and feelings that limit your happiness into ones that make you overflow with yummy inspiration;  When you sit down to a meal, who is eating? Re-write your story

Week 7 – June 25th – Sacred Nourishment – nourish the body, nourish the soul; offering gratitude to our food, to our bodies; the power of ritual; soul healing through forgiveness

Week 8 – July 2nd – Celebration – the creation and enjoyment of a gorgeous nutritious meal infused with your energies of love, beauty, and awareness

Ready to take it slow?

• The 8 week program is $275