Dear Friend,

I am almost done with my book! I can hardly believe it – I have been writing all summer long and now I am in the final stages of editing the book. I am sending a final draft to the publisher in a couple of weeks. Writing this book has been an incredible experience for me. It has confirmed the truth that in reality, I do nothing. Rather, I am being done. This wisdom is expressed in the Tao Te Ching and it was truly my experience with this book. I just showed up, willing and ready, and whatever I needed flowed directly to me. Life truly begins to be a completely different experience when it is lived in this way. Imagine life spontaneously happening on its own; we just show up for the ride. I am learning to live my life more and more from this place.

I took a break from writing to attend Jack Canfield’s Breakthrough to Success Seminar, which was a lot of fun. If you are not familiar with him, he does great work. He is the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and is a great source for personal empowerment and success in all areas of life. One of his books is showcased down below.

Then I traveled to Virginia to learn to latest about using the Internet to help grow a business. I came back with wonderful information that will improve the services I can offer online. Be on the look-out for new e-courses, videos, and content-rich material to help you love your body and love your life! Some of the latest is down below.

Peace, Love, and Beauty,

Sarah Maria
Leading the Beauty Revolution

What Causes Negative Body Obsession?

A question that I get asked often is, “Why does this happen?”  Why do most women, and a growing number of men, dislike their bodies? Why do they feel that their physical appearance is inadequate? Is it because they are overweight, or does it occur regardless of their size, shape, or color? What causes Negative Body Obsession?

Is it the media, with its obsession and idealization of thin, which stands in marked contrast with the majority of the American population? Is it a mental or neurological phenomenon, where people’s brains produce a deluded image of themselves? Is it the fault of computers and fast food chains that make people eat more and move less? Is it the fault of parents, of teachers? Is it loneliness? Who or what can we blame for this sorry situation?

The answers to all of the questions above are yes and no. Yes, the media has promoted a limited idealization of beauty, but we all have created the media. Yes, it can be a mental or neurological phenomenon, with brain imaging scans revealing amazing data on how our brains work and why some people suffer from anorexia while others suffer from bulimia or compulsive eating, while others live without such problems.

We can change how our brains work; we can quite literally heal injured, overworked, and under worked parts of our brains.  Yes, fast food chains and sedentary lifestyles have not helped America in its search for health and fitness, but there are many strong, vital, and healthy people who spend hours in front of a computer or flying on an airplane. Yes, our parents might have given us many negative thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that have created tremendous suffering. But they were only passing on the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that were true for them given their states of awareness.

Every cause is simply a manifestation of a fundamental flaw in the way we think of, perceive, and live reality.

There is one cause and one reason from which all other reasons flow:

The root of the problem is not realizing that each and every one of us is intrinsically beautiful and inherently valuable exactly as we are, right now.

That is it – every other cause stems from this fundamental error. If we lived from this truth and this reality, we would create world that reflected this. Instead, most people live from a place of delusion and illusion, believing that they need to change something or hold on to something in order to be beautiful, desirable, adequate, and worthwhile.

Our reality is a projection of our consciousness, of our beliefs, our attitudes, and our behaviors. Since most people accept a dualistic standard of beauty that is based on a limited and scarcity-based mindset, this is the reality we have created.

Let’s first discuss the role of the media. The media depicts predominantly thin women and muscular men. Fashion designers claim that clothing is showcased better on thin models, so most models are tall and rail thin. Consequently, much of the clothing that is made is designed for people who are not reflective of the majority of population. People look at idealized and air brushed images and think that they should look like that, believing that one body type is better than the other. Advertising leads people to believe that if they look a certain way, which is different from how they currently appear, then they would be privy to the sexy partner, the great house, the fabulous clothes, and the exciting lifestyle. In essence, they would finally be happy and successful.

The media projects this illusion, and we accept it as true. Who is to blame? The media? Those who create the media? Those who watch, read, or listen to the media? Those who believe the media? You see, it is everyone. It cannot be separated. All of the parts reinforce the whole. We cannot expect the media to change if we do not change. We can decide what stories we will allow into our minds. We can choose what we will believe to be true. It is only when we uncover and uproot the ultimate illusion: that we need to change in order to be beautiful, loveable, and worthwhile, that we can begin to change ourselves, the media, and ultimately the world around us.

When we decide that we are inherently perfect, whole, and loveable, when we confirm that beauty comes in many different shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities, then we will experience this to be true. If enough people live like this, it will be reflected in the media, in advertising, and in every other sector of society.
(To be continued in the next edition)

Membership Program!

It is finally here! Thank you so much to everyone who responded to my last query. I have finally put together a membership program as a cost effective way to bring you useful content to create the body and life that you desire.

Here it is:

• Every month I will do a weekly Q&A call, answering any questions you have related to your body, food, health, and how you can create a body and a life that you love.
  


• Every month I will do a second call, focusing on how you can create more of what you want in your life. I will cover everything from banishing stress from your life, how to lose weight, how to improve your health, how to achieve your goals, and how to create the love and intimacy that you crave. You will learn how to overcome your fears and live with unwavering peace, love, and joy. You will learn how to live with confidence, and attract all the abundance that you want into your life.
  


• Every month you will receive free access to recordings of all of the calls, just in case you have to miss the tele-seminars.
  


• You will also receive access to exclusive articles just for members.
  


• You will also receive a FREE 30-minute coaching session with me every month, where you can ask individual questions and get personal help to begin living with peace, joy, and abundance in every area of your life.
  


• Finally, you will receive access to my latest e-course. This e-course will take you through the five-step process I have developed for overcoming Negative Body Obsession and creating a body and a life that you love.

Since you are already subscribers (thank you so much for your support!), I would love to have you become my founding members. I am offering two months FREE membership, so you can try it out, and see if you like it. After that, it will only be $47 per month.

It is my intention to give you phenomenal content that will transform your life every month! As the program grows, there will be exercise information, the latest in nutrition, and a growing list of resources and tools to help you create a life that you love, the life of your dreams.

If you want to sign-up for this introductory opportunity, send me an email at:  sarahmaria@breakfreebeauty.com . Write “membership” in the subject line.  Please list a number and time where I can contact you and I can get you set up with your two months FREE membership and ongoing tools for personal growth!

I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Here's two of my latest strong recommendations:

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield - This book is really wonderful. It provides excellent tools to move your life in the direction you want to go.

Power vs. Force by David Hawkins - This book is simply amazing. It is one of the most profound books on increasing consciousness that I have ever read. Seriously.

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.