Women can be incredibly self-critical seeing ugly bags instead of sparkling eyes and laugh lines instead of bright smiles. No amount of makeup hides the violence of self-rejection. And the advertising, media and beauty industries can further bully and batter us into believing the most self destructive lies.
Authentic Beauty was founded on one simple principal that “You Are Beautiful.” We believe every woman is beautiful and our mission is to empower all women and girls to feel beautiful from the inside out.
Here’s the hard part. We are all unconsciously affected by the images around us; this is not a new realization, but what is important is the understanding that almost all of the images that surround us aren’t real. They are Photoshopped, altered and manipulated to create a standard of beauty that is unattainable and inauthentic. The beauty industry uses this to support their marketing strategy. If you feel bad about yourself, they can be the solution for you to feel good about yourself if you just buy more of their stuff.
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We look to these images and to the media’s portrayal of women as a way to gauge what we should look and act like as well as what we should have or want to have. They send us messages of what is normal and what is expected. Have you really been paying attention to what you are looking at? Or what your daughter, your sister or mother is looking at? 78% of girls report feeling bad about themselves after looking at magazines.
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Buying into this unrealistic standard of beauty leads to low self-esteem and dissatisfaction of one’s body image. We have a serious problem in our country. We are exposed to 40,000 advertisements a year even though the United States only accounts for 5% of the world’s population. We are exposed to over 40% of the world’s advertising, and the images we are looking at aren’t REAL
This month, we celebrate Love Your Body Month and the first step in transformation is self awareness. Become aware of what is unconsciously affecting you. Pay attention and take proactive steps to protect yourself and the women and girls you love from buying into the unrealistic standards of beauty.
What we believe at Authentic Beauty is that your image should be a reflection of your Authentic Self. You should never be told how you should look. You need to discover what that is for you and learn to author your image. Take an Image Journey, our transformational, self-discovery makeup lesson, and unearth an image that is true to your authentic self.
And join us for a series of affirming and empowering events all month long during Love Your Month Body. Created by The Eating Disorders Information Network (EDIN), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of eating disorders through education, outreach, and action, we hope you will join us for this series of incredible free workshops, presentations and interactive activities throughout the Atlanta area dedicated to body acceptance, positive self-esteem, and eating disorder awareness. All events are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC unless otherwise noted.
WORKSHOPS
Media and Body Image Workshop
Monday, February 22 from 6:30-8:30 pm
Location: Conference Room at 1117 Perimeter Center West, Sandy Springs, 30328
Event Contact: Debi Demare at [email protected] or 912-531-3324
In this interactive workshop we’ll discuss how the media influences your relationship with your body and your body image. We’ll start by exploring and questioning our current perceptions of the “ideal” body, presented so pervasively in the media. Participants will learn how to “deconstruct” such media messages and more critically examine potentially healthier ways to re-interpret media messages, which will contribute to the development of more positive body image.
EmBodying Love: Healing Body Image Through the Arts
Friday, February 26th, Reception begins at 6:30 and the performance at 7:30 at The Galloway School (215 West Wieuca Rd. Atlanta, Ga, 30342)
Event Contact: Jill Weinstein at [email protected] or 404-451-4738
Photography reception in lobby of theater, followed by showcase of teens performances, featuring dance, poetry, song. Theme for all acts will be Hope, Transformation & Healing.
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
Thursday, February 25th at 12:00 p.m
Location: Oglethorpe University
Led by Linda Buchanan, Ph.D. from ACE and Page Love, RD
Event Contact: Atlanta Center for Eating Disorder (ACE): [email protected]
Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders in partnership with the Eating Disorders Information Network (EDIN) will be sponsoring an event to scrap scales. Many people suffer by over utilizing scales and by allowing the scale to dictate their mood. We invite attendees to bring their scale, get creative and destroy them together. We also hope to take the “scrap” and make a sculpture to memorialize the freedom experienced by being “sans scale”.
Candlelight Vigil
Art Auction: Thursday, February 25th at 5:30-6:15pm
Thursday, February 25th at 6:15pm-7:30pm
Location: The Ridgeview Institute
Led by Women’s Center for Trauma and Eating Disorders at Ridgeview Institute
Event Contact: Jessie Alexander at [email protected] or 770-434-4568 ext 4120
The Candlelight vigil was originally developed by ANAD as a nationwide grassroots event dedicated to eating disorder awareness and prevention. The event includes art exhibitions, musical performances, poetry, and speakers. There will be a candle lighting ceremony to remember those past and present who have struggled with eating disorders.
6th Annual Athens NEDA Walk
Saturday, February 27th at
Location: UGA Health Center Side Lawn (55 Carlton Street, Athens GA 30602)
Event Contact: Danielle Rousseau at [email protected] or 404-324- 7500 and Brittany Bingeman at [email protected] or 706-542-8690
This walk will raise money for the National Eating Disorders Association’s research, programs, and awareness efforts. Participants will hear from people involved in eating disorder treatment as well as hear some personal stories. Afterwards, they will follow the route around the University Health Center on a walk that is less than 1 mile.
YOGA, DANCE AND BODY MOVEMENT
Bend and Berries: Yoga & Smoothies Workshop
Thursday, February 11th at 6:00pm at Thrive Counseling
(6095 Pine Mountain rd. suite 105, Kennesaw, Ga, 30152)
Led by Allison O’Brain and Annusa
Event Contact: Thrive Counseling Intake Department at 678-217-7529
Workshop that sees you BEND your way through a half-hour to EMPOWER…AND then BLEND your way to WELLNESS with simple, delicious smoothie recipies.
Listen to Your Body: How to Hear What It’s Telling You
Saturday, Feb 21st from 12pm- 2pm
Location: Korsi Yoga, Roswell GA
Led by Tori Rodriguez and Ahoo Sarab
Event Contact: Tori Rodriguez at [email protected]
Tori Rodriguez, integrative licensed psychotherapist and certified Ayurvedic health coach, and Korsi Yoga are excited to offer a free community event for Love Your Body Month called “Listen to Your Body: How to Hear What It’s Telling You.” Tori will discuss the latest research on why body awareness is essential to health and happiness, and she’ll offer solid tips on how to enhance yours. Ahoo Sarab will lead a restorative yoga class to reinforce the theme. The event will take place at Korsi Yoga in historic Roswell on Saturday, Feb. 20th from 12pm to 2pm.
Embracing Change: Challenges and Joys After 40
Sunday, February 21st from 4-5:30pm at Dance 101
Location: Dance 101 (2480 Briarcliff Road, Suite 11, Atlanta, GA 30329)
Led by Dina Zeckhausen, Phd and Diane Nathanson RYT-200
Event Contact: Dina Zeckhausen at [email protected]; 404-386-2945
Dr. Dina Zeckhausen will discuss common concerns of women over 40 and share helpful attitude-shifts regarding food & body image. A woman recovering from a decades-long battle with bulimia will share her insights. Yoga instructor Diane Nathanson will lead a relaxing all-level 30-minute yoga experience, followed by discussion/sharing. Dress comfortably & bring a yoga mat.
Love Yourself Through Dance
Sunday, February 28th from 3:00-4:00 at Perimeter Church
Led by Abbey Smyth and Dorothy Schlicting
Event Contact: Abbey Smyth at school [email protected]
RSVP Required
Dance class focusing on body awareness
At Authentic Beauty Makeup Salon & Hair Studio, all of our staff are licensed and professionally trained makeup artists, estheticians and hair stylists and they are also trained to empower women and girls to love what they see when they look in the mirror.
On February 29th, Alison Cross, a licensed counselor and specialist in the area of eating disorders, will also be talking to the Authentic Beauty staff about the importance of feeling beautiful from the inside out. And she will give insights and strategies on how to deal with the media’s onslaught of images on women and girls as well as empower them to find their own sense of beauty within themselves.
Until women make peace with the mirror, love what they see and refuse to accept the unrealistic standard of beauty that pervades our society, we will continue to perpetuate the current statistic that only 2% of all women think they are beautiful. At Authentic Beauty, we believe every woman is beautiful and our mission is to empower all women and girls to feel beautiful from the inside out.
