How to love your body with Marla Mervis-Hartmann

This podcast episode features Victoria chatting with Marla Mervis Hartmann, a body image expert, about loving your body and yourself. Listeners can expect to learn Marla's journey to self-love and tips on overcoming disordered eating and negative body image. Main Discussion Points: - Marla's struggles with food, exercise and body image growing up as a dancer and actress, and her journey to self-acceptance - The role of spiritual practices like mindfulness, prayer and surrender in building self-trust and compassion - Tangible tools like thinking of yourself as a friend and asking "would I treat my friend this way?" - The paradox of learning to surrender and hold space for discomfort in order to experience real pleasure and joy - Preview of Marla's forthcoming book "Befriend Yourself" Guest Bio: Marla Mervis Hartmann is a body image expert, Reiki master and lifestyle coach based in Maui. She struggled with food and body image while pursuing acting and dance, and now helps other women make peace with their bodies through self-compassion practices. Marla has been featured at TEDx Salinas and works at eating disorder recovery centers. Key Quotes: "We don't have to do it all on our own. We don't have to figure it all out. We don't have to figure out how to love ourselves, eat well...There's support and there's care and there's love, and it's totally possible to let go of that control and find a deeper, more loving way." [00:06:04] "Pleasure is how am I talking to myself? Is that bringing me a pleasurable experience? How am I moving my body? And for me that was a big one." [00:21:18] "Surrender is not giving up. It's actually completely the opposite because surrender can be really hard." [00:48:47] Connect with me Join my free support group: https://victoria-kleinsman.circle.so/c/free-support-group/  Join my group coaching: https://victoriakleinsman.com/group-coaching/  1:1 coaching: https://victoriakleinsman.com/11-coaching/ Connect with Marla BOOK: :https://www.loveyourbodyloveyourself.com/book Breaking the Cycle of Emotional Eating Free Gift: https://goloveyourbodyloveyourself.com/emotionaleating Website www.LoveYourBodyLoveYourself.com TEDx Talk :Watch my Tedx Talk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/marlamervis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveyourbodyloveyourselfalways Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveyourbodyloveyourself https://www.facebook.com/marla.mervis