Dear Friend,

I hope this email finds you well! Everything is moving along here – lots of new events and opportunities! I am contacting sponsors for my radio show, working with the publishing company finalizing my book, and launching some exciting tele-seminars. Read below for a full explanation of everything that is happening with Sarah Maria Empowerment Unlimited and Break Free Beauty!

On a personal note, I am in the process of moving. I am leaving Northern California and investigating some different areas, looking for the next best place to grow and develop my business and take the message of healing around the world. I am not sure what the future holds, but excited to find out.

Remember, ultimately confidence comes from the belief that we can create the experiences we want in life. It is up to us to become the people we want to be, although it is always encouraging when the universe sends special gifts and favors our way to help us in the process!

On that note, I want to send a huge thank you to my assistant, Kris Clark, who has been instrumental in helping me grow my business and manage everything I have going on. Are there any people in your life who are a source of support and encouragement? If so, remember to offer them appreciation. Everyone loves to feel honored and acknowledged, and the more we give, the more we will receive.

If you know anyone who might enjoy and benefit from this e-zine, please forward it along and tell them to subscribe for FREE at  http://www.breakfreebeauty.com.

With wishes of abundant blessings and unlimited love,

Sarah Maria
Leading the Beauty Revolution

What is Beauty?

Beauty, or attractiveness, including a beautiful body, is a socially constructed phenomenon that changes constantly.  As society has evolved and changed, so has the concept of the “ideal” body.  What is considered beautiful is both created and informed by changing thoughts and opinions.

Before the beginning of the 20th century, attractive female bodies had ample curves and were not particularly toned according to modern standards.  A look at the paintings below demonstrates that what was once considered beautiful and desirable would now be considered overweight.  Compare the pictures of the three women in Rubens painting, or the women in the Turkish baths, with the three modern-day women in bras and underwear.  One can imagine that Rubens would have been quite shocked to see the modern beauty ideal, given how radically divergent it is from what was once considered the “ideal body.”

Turkish Baths – 19th century

Three Graces by Peter Paul Rubens (17th century)

Modern day image

In the 19th-century paintings, you see rolls of fat and cellulite.  Their breasts fall naturally; their pelvises are large.  In the modern-day picture, the fat has been replaced with ribs, the cellulite with muscles and boney protrusions.  Their stomachs don’t protrude outward as in the paintings, but are flat and firm.  Their breasts are held in place, being pushed into perfect alignment by the bra.  All of these women were considered beautiful at some point.         

Miss America 2005 Diedre Downs

Pierre Auguste Renoir (19th century)

Consider the 19th century painting by Pierre Auguste Renoir with the photo of Diedre Downs, the 2005 Miss America.  In Renoir’s painting there is a softness to the woman that is decidedly not “fit and trim” according to modern standards.  She is not slender by modern standards, and her stomach is entirely lacking in muscular definition.  Yet she was considered breathtaking in the 19th century.

Compare Twiggy, the fashion icon of the 1960’s, with Rubens depiction of Venus in 1615 and the modern day model.  Twiggy was the first ultra-thin model and her debut marked the beginning of very thin as the new ideal. 

This is in startling contrast to Rubens painting in 1615. 

The woman referred to as Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love, would hardly be considered a sex symbol by modern standards.  According to the 21st century, she would be considered overweight and out-of-shape. 

Rubens, however, would probably consider the modern-day model, depicted right, to be underfed, as evidenced by her protruding ribs.

Venus before the mirror Rubens (1615)

Twiggy Fashion Model, 1960's

Modern day model

Perhaps most fascinating is the medieval bride around 1470.  She had a figure that corresponded to the ideal body at the time: a tight pelvis, wide waist circumference, and small breasts. 

“Liebeszauber” ("Magic of Love") Anonymous

This is in direct opposition to the hourglass shape that has been widely prized at other times in history.  The depiction of her breasts, in particular, is shocking considering modern notions of desirability.  Her breasts are disproportionately small, in marked contrast to the large breasts that constitute the modern notion of a beautiful woman.

It is also interesting to note that fashion was once used to sculpt women’s bodies, whereas now the gym and the surgeon’s office have been added to the sculpting repertoire.  The picture below depicts using a form of corset to accentuate an hourglass figure.    

There are many reasons postulated for these changing ideals.  Historically, being fat was considered to be a status symbol, and only the affluent could afford the luxury of opulent meals.

In modern-day developed nations food is abundant, and the heavy ideal has been replaced with the thin ideal.  In a worldwide study, 62 different cultures were examined and it was shown that being slim is preferred in those countries where people do not need to think twice about getting enough food.  (Anderson, 1992)

Interestingly, the social position of a woman also seems to play a role in body size.  In traditional cultures where women primarily have domestic duties, heavier figures are more in vogue.  In cultures where women are more involved politically and economically, more slender figures are preferred.  (Barber 1998)

Depending on the time in history, small breasts with ample buttocks and thighs was considered ideal.  Then it switched so that a large bust with slender thighs is considered ideal.  As people have had more time for fitness and exercise, a more muscular look has become desirable.

The point of all of this is to realize that it is all an illusion.  For various reasons, society decides that a certain look is beautiful.  This look is the broadcast in paintings and pictures, modern-day movies and TV.  Notions of beauty are preferences that come and go, changing all the time.  The concept of an ideal body is no more than a certain image that people idealize for a period of time.  The examples in this section have been from a western perspective, and other changing preferences can be found in various cultures around the world.

The question remains: Do you want to be subject to the ever-changing whims of cultural preference?  Do you want to accept a vision of beauty that deems some people are attractive, while others are not?  Or do you want to know that there is only one beauty, and you are that?      

Lots Going on This Month!

Ayurveda and Beauty Teleseminar

Please join me for an incredible seminar on Ayurveda and Beauty.  Do you want to learn how you can feel attractive, radiant, desirable, and beautiful all the time?  The ancient science of Ayurveda can assist in helping us re-discover our inherent beauty and self-worth.  Join me for a teleseminar with Lissa Coffey as we explore how the ancient healing science of Ayurveda can be used to create more beauty in your life.

When: Tuesday Nov. 18th at 6 pm PDT, 9 pm EST. 
Visit www.breakfreebeauty.com/teleseminar to register. 
When you register, you will automatically receive a free downloadable recording of the call. 
If you can’t make it, still register so you can receive the free recording!

Body and Soul Radio Show

In case you don’t know, I have a weekly radio show on the Internet, Body and Soul.  The show is broadcast on www.webtalkradio.net, but you can also listen to all the recordings on my blog.  Check out my blog on the site: http://breakfreebeauty.com/blog/.  Click on "Media Coverage" and you will see a listing of all the recordings.  I am interviewing some really amazing people!

Blogging

I am starting to blog regularly and would love to have you join me in the blogging world.  Please check out my blog on the website listed above.

I am also a featured voice on a recently launched community site, www.intent.com.  This is a wonderful site with great information from leading authorities in health, wellness, and spirituality.  It is also a wonderful community where we can make our intentions known and begin to co-create a loving, sustainable world.

Personal Coaching

• Are you finally ready to feel great in and about your body?
  


• Are you sick of feeling tired, lonely, and depressed?
  


• Do you want to feel joyful, energetic, and powerful?

If you are finally ready to create the body and the life that you love, consider personal coaching.  I will guide you step-by-step as you achieve unparalleled health, vibrancy, and joy.  Visit www.bodyimagecoaching.com to sign-up today and begin to transform your life for success!

Sarah Maria is leading the Beauty Revolution. She is a body-image coach who teaches people to love their bodies no matter what shape, size, age, or ethnicity. She leads workshops internationally, speaks around the world, and conducts coaching with individuals and couples, empowering them to love themselves and live their dreams.
Before launching Break Free Beauty, Sarah Maria earned a BA in Theology, graduating summa cum laude, and then earned her MIA in International Affairs from Columbia University. She later earned her law degree from Stanford University.

But woven into her outstanding achievements academically, Sarah Maria experienced an intense hatred of her body. Starting at age 14, she began a vicious cycle of 500 calorie diets, bingeing, and purging. The pain of this cycle motivated her to investigate holistic healing and spirituality. As with everything she does, Sarah Maria pursued these disciplines with a passion.

While pursuing her academic career, she studied and practiced yoga, earned a diploma in Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counseling as well as certification as a Chopra Center Meditation instructor. After graduating from law school, Sarah Maria opened a healing business, Ananda Healing Arts, offering yoga instruction, Ayurvedic and nutritional counseling, and massage therapy. After seeing how many people were controlled by self-hatred and discontent with their physical appearance, she founded Break Free Beauty, a company committed to teaching self-love.

Sarah Maria has developed a concrete and practical approach to helping people love their bodies. She teaches a five-step program that takes people from self-loathing to self-love.  Her passion is sharing this signature system with others so that everyone, no matter what their body looks like, can learn to love and cherish themselves. She helps clients love their bodies, connect with the soul, and live their dreams.