I absolutely love the Soulful Shout Out series here on Soul Speak! I get to highlight and introduce you to beautiful people and their wonderful offerings!
I love connecting people and sharing products that I love, and so I’m just thrilled to be able to do that each week with you here.
If you would like your product/website/service promoted here, please click here to read the details and then email me to apply. (I take what I share very seriously and will only share products and services that I am in alignment with.) The spaces are going quickly and the introductory prices are going way up after the first of the year, so please keep that in mind when you’re signing up! A huge thank you to everyone who has already done so. You’re all absolutely wonderful, and I am so grateful for each of you.
And now, let’s get to this week’s beautiful soul and her wonderful offer just for you!
This week, I am featuring Tanya Penny!
Tanya is a wonderful soul who helps people free themselves of stress and create balanced lives. She is a huge advocate of self care and rest – two things that I definitely could use more of!
Tanya is someone who truly walks her talk. As she’ll share with you, she has been through so much in her life and has been able to see her pain as blessings and inspire others to do the same.
I’m so happy to introduce her to you! She is offering a free online class on the 18th. Keep reading to learn more about Tanya and also see how you can join her class!
Welcome, Tanya! Thank you so much for being here! I’m going to jump right in and get started!
I believe that some of our hardest moments are actually our deepest blessings, which I have witnessed in my own life. You write about this as well, and I would love for you to share more about your own “dark night of the soul” and how it turned out to be one of your biggest life blessings.
I have had a lot of “dark nights” that included struggling with depression and anxiety since I was a child that increasingly worsened when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2004. It was then that I definitely hit my “bottom, bottom.”
Another “dark night” was my struggle with body shame that started when I hit puberty early at the age of 10. The boys teasing me, girls saying nasty things, as well as all the negative feedback from my parents on what this “meant” was the start of my 20+ year struggle with emotional eating, eating disorders, and excess weight. My body shame and low self-esteem/worth also led me to a string of abusive relationships, which only made my self-worth plummet even more.
Were you able to see these painful experiences as blessings right away, or did it take some time to get there?
I definitely did not see this as a blessing until the last few years. But after I found the path to healing my body hatred and weight struggle, I was inspired and passionate about sharing it with other women. I realized that most women (no matter what they look like or how much they weigh) struggle with body image and weight. I also understand and teach women that the weight is not really the issue but help them to find the underlying cause. The weight is just a symptom of a deeper issue, usually stemming from our past. I work with women to discover what this is so they can heal it once and for all.
I love that you help others move into a healthy self image where they fill themselves with self love. Can you talk about some of the tools and practices that you use to help your clients embrace their life fully and freely?
My B.A.L.A.N.C.E. System for Mind-Body Healing is what I use with my 1:1 clients as well as in my group coaching programs and is comprised of several tools that include:
- Mind-Body Healing Philosophy – Reading or understanding your body’s “stress signals” (negative feelings and emotions) as messengers or clues as to where your life is out of balance (e.g., excess weight, pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression).
- A guided therapeutic and relaxation practice (tools) called Integrative Restoration (iRest) that helps you to acknowledge and accept all parts of yourself as well as understand, feel, and release negative feelings, emotions, and thoughts. It is very nurturing and profound in that it works on the subconscious level. It is even okay if you sleep through it!
- Self-work including journaling exercises and looking at our “shadow” qualities or parts of ourselves that we normally reject or consider “bad.”
For anyone who is reading this who is currently suffering from low self esteem, do you have any words of encouragement or tips to help them learn to love themselves?
No matter what has happened to you in the past or what you have done (or didn’t do), know that you have always done the best that you could, no matter what. And that “it” wasn’t your fault. Release the shame and guilt and have compassion for yourself. Treat yourself as if you were a child/friend/pet and tell that part of you that you are sorry for the past and that you are loveable, deserving, and worthwhile. Know that returning to loving yourself is a process that begins with catching any negative self-talk and turning it around. That is a big part of what I help women to do.
We all know that stress is bad for us. And yet it sometimes feels like it’s so hard to not get stressed out when we have so many tasks to complete and circuits plugged into the online world that never turns off. Could you share one way/technique that you have found to lessen your own stress?
Honestly I use my guided iRest practice every day as my mind-body stress release medicine. I tend to be a “doer,” anxious, and push myself way too hard (raise your hand if this is you) so taking a time-out to use this practice is my way of saying enough/stop.
I am very protective of this time and treat it like a doctor’s appointment. I suggest that whether it is iRest, another relaxation/meditation practice, or just reading/playing, that you take 30 minutes each day at lunchtime (I like to use it to recharge) or right after work to stop. Tell yourself it is necessary to rest. I could work myself day and night because I love what I do and also because I am conditioned to do like most of you. YOU HAVE TO STOP or you will burn out for good. (The MS was my messenger in that).
Your free webinar to help others love themselves and their bodies is coming up! Could you tell everyone about it?
Yes! “The 3 Keys to Love Your Body & Release Weight” virtual class happens on September 18th!
I am super excited to share with you in this complimentary class:
- Learn why even the greatest determination and your best attempts may secretly be sabotaged by negative thinking and self-talk, emotional eating, and stress.
- Get a simple technique to release destructive thinking and self-talk.
- Discover how to easily free your stress.
- Learn how to heal emotional eating for good.
- Experience iRest, a profound relaxation and guided therapeutic meditation practice I use daily to love my body and maintain my healthy body and lifestyle.
You can get all the details and register here: http://tanyapenny.com/3-keys-call
What’s next on the horizon for you?
Oh lots! I have a 90-day virtual program starting October 2nd for 30 women (and brave, conscious men) that goes deeper into releasing body shame, emotional eating, stress, and excess weight (the same tools and program I used to release body shame and create and maintain a positive self-image, healthy body, and balanced lifestyle). You can find out more details at http://tanyapenny.com/love-your-body-program
What does your soul want you to know?
That I have a gift to share and even though I’m afraid sometimes (a lot of the time), I have to share it so that others can end their struggles and live a life of health, peace, joy, and passion. So they have the confidence to find and share their unique gifts too.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Wow! I think I’ve said enough for now! I like to talk/share! 🙂 That is what my clients really like actually: I am real. I am sometimes raw. I get it and I don’t ever judge them because I’ve been there. Total acceptance and compassion is what I offer.
So beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing your heart with us today, Tanya!
For everyone who’s reading – be sure to sign up for Tanya’s free class! It sounds like a loving way to honor your body and your soul. It takes place on the 18th at 6 pm pacific time.
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Big hug,
