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A Balanced Perspective Weekly
on Health and Wellness
June 24, 2007

1. Women Who Have 10 or More Pounds to Lose
2. Do You Have Warts on Your Face?
3. Programs for Young, Professional Women
4. Cooking Classes

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1. Women Who Have 10 or More Pounds to Lose

This newsletter is a little longer than usual today, so I
just wanted to tell you some things before you read it.
It will take you less than 10 minutes to get through and
I think you will really like today's story. I believe it will
challenge you and encourage you, so definitely make
some time to read it.

I'm really happy that it's summer and I decided to bring
back, for a short time, my 6 month transformation
program. This is primarily for women who have 10 or
more pounds to lose and want to do it in a healthy way.
They want to stop feeling like they need to hide behind
their weight and they want to start living. They want
to start doing the things they have been dreaming
about doing and stop waiting. They want to discover
the reasons why they are not succeeding with their
weight loss goals, and implement ideas that will really
work for them. They also want to work on aspects of
their life that are dissatisfying, including their career
path, relationships, creative pursuits and or long term
goals.

This program is for women who are ready to be
proactive. This program is not psychotherapy; it is for
women who are ready to implement a plan and find
practical strategies to move past the obstacles that
are getting in their way.

Program Includes:

The 6 month program includes two 50 minutes sessions
per month (a total of 12), a pass to three cooking
classes, a pass to one of my upcoming self-esteem and
body image workshops, a health food store tour, and
e-mail support from me in between sessions.

The cost is $250 per month for the 6 months.
($300 discount for those who want to pay for the entire
program at their first session)

This program will provide you with accountability, a
structure to follow, plans and schemes to get around
your pitfalls, better understanding about healthier foods
and how to use them, discussions and exercises to
improve self-esteem and lots of cheers from me when
you meet your goals!

Please e-mail me for further info or to schedule a
session. Phone sessions are available.
melissa@myheartdances.com 917-689-6530

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2. Do You Have Warts on Your Face

My guess is - yes.

I wonder how many of you opened today's newsletter
just to find out what the heck I was talking about.

If you wanted something to challenge you today,
something that you could really think about and chew
on, you've found it. I know it seems a little longer
than usual, but you should get through it in 5 minutes.

The excerpt below is a story I read this weekend from
a book called Real Love by Greg Baer, M.D.

I have some thoughts for you to consider at the end.

"Once there was a rich and beautiful kingdom that stretched beyond the horizon in all directions. But the prince of that kingdom was very unhappy. He had warts all over his face, and everywhere he went, people teased him and laughed at him. So he mostly stayed in his room, alone and miserable.

Upon the death of his father, the prince became king and issued a decree that no one - on pain of death - would ever laugh at his warts again. But still he stayed in his room, ashamed and alone. On the rare occasions that he did go out, he put a cloth bag over his head, which covered his warts but also made it difficult for him to see.

Finally, after many years, the king heard about a Wise Man living on top of a nearby mountain. Hoping the Wise Man could help him, the king climbed the mountain and found the old man sitting under a tree. Taking the bag off his head, the king said, "I've come for your help."

The Wise Man looked intently at the king for several long moments and finally said, "You have warts on your face." The king was enraged. That was not what he'd climbed all that way to hear. "No, I don't," he screamed. Ashamed and angry, he put the bag back over his head.

"Yes, you do," the Wise Man insisted gently.
"I'll have you killed!" shouted the king.
"Then call your guards," the Wise Man said.
"My guards aren't here!" the king shrieked helplessly. "I climbed all the way up this mountain to ask for your help, and all you can say is that I have warts on my face?! How cruel you are!"

Angry and frustrated, the king ran from the Wise Man, falling repeatedly because he couldn't see very well with the bag on his head. Finally, the king fell down a steep slope and into a lake, where he began to drown. The Wise Man jumped in, pulled the king to shore, and took the bag from his head so he could breathe. The king was horrified when he saw the Wise Man staring at him. "You're laughing at me," the king said.

"Not at all," the Wise Man replied, smiling.

With his eyes fixed on the ground, the king said, "The boys in the village laughed at me, and my father was ashamed of me."

I'm not one of the boys in the village," the Wise Man immediately responded, "and I'm not your father. That must have been hard for you."

"Yes, it was," the king admitted, with tears in his eyes.

"But as you can see, I'm not laughing at you, and I'm not ashamed of you," the Wise Man repeated.

Somehow being with the Wise Man did feel different to the king. He looked into the lake and saw his reflection. "I really do have a lot of warts."

"I know," the Wise Man agreed.
"And you don't find them disgusting?"
"No, and I don't find my own warts disgusting anymore either."

The king noticed for the first time that the Wise Man also had warts. "Why do you not wear a bag over your head?"

"I used to," the old man replied, "but with the bag over my head, I couldn't see. And I was lonely. So I took it off."

"Didn't people laugh at you?" asked the king.

"Oh, sure, some did. And I hated that, just as you do. But gradually I found a few people who didn't laugh, and that made me very happy."

The king was thrilled. No one had ever looked at his warts without laughing at him or showing their disgust. "I think I won't wear the bag when you're around."

The Wise Man smiled. "When you go home, you might even leave the bag here."

"Will I find other people like you, who won't think I'm disgusting?" the king wondered aloud.

The Wise Man nodded. "Of course you will. And with the love of those people, you won't care when other people laugh."

The king dropped the bag on the ground and went back to his kingdom, which was far more beautiful without the bag over his head. And he did find people who didn't mind his warts at all. For the first time in his life, he was very happy."

We miss so much of this world and so much from our
relationships when we hide.

And everyone of us does it.

What are You Hiding?

Most of us are hiding some aspect(s) of ourselves from
others. There are parts of us that we don't want other
people - or certain other people - to see, and sometimes
we have even hidden those things from ourselves as well.

How many of you thought in the back of your mind, "Why
doesn't he just have the warts removed?"

That is our American mentality isn't it? If we appear
beautiful, we will gain love.

It doesn't work that way. There will always be warts
present. If we get rid of a hundred, we will find another.
We think people will love us if we just fix this one part of
our body, if we keep the wrinkles and the gray hairs at
bay.

Where are You Pretending?

We come up with all kinds of ways to make ourselves
attractive to those around us. We want to do everything
possible to hide our flaws. Some of us do this by
becoming the "class clown." We distract everyone from
the things we are insecure about by using humor. Many
of us, especially women, hide behind being pretty, sexy,
or beautiful. Others of us work hard at being perfect,
blaming others for our mistakes.

I would venture to say that most of us have a hard time
owning up to our mistakes, the things we have done that
disappoint others.

The thing is, until we let all parts of who we are be seen,
until we can be honest with others about our feelings,
mistakes, weird habits, imperfections - we will never know
what it is like to be totally loved. In the back of our mind
we will hold onto the idea that in order to keep this
person's attention we must stay beautiful, perfect, poised
etc.

Dating

It is not easy to tell the truth about who we are.
Sometimes it's even hard to realize when we're not telling
the whole truth. Next time you go on a date, pay
attention to what you say and what you do. Do you ever
misrepresent yourself? When you begin to get involved in
a relationship, do you ever compromise who you are
because you don't want to turn the other person off?
Maybe you have sex before you are ready? Maybe you
laugh when you don't think their joke was funny. Maybe
you don't call back right away because you don't want
them to know how much you really like them.

Dating is not the only place we do this. We do it with
our employers, our co-workers, our friends, our family.

A Natural Evolution

It takes practice, and you won't see everywhere you do
it all at once. Just allow yourself to begin to notice

I'm not saying go out there and just let it all show at
first meet. I am saying, be honest as things naturally
evolve. Even be honest about things you are not ready
to share or give.

A relationship might move forward a little more slowly,
but at least it will be real!

Today, just start with one thing. What is one thing you
think you "pretend" at? What is one thing you are afraid
of being honest about?

Be honest with yourself first. And then... maybe be
honest with someone you trust - of course that would
mean taking a step and trusting them just a bit more.

xoxo

Melissa

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3. Programs for Young, Professional Women
(including artists)

**Similar programs to the 6 month transformation program
mentioned above are available for young, professional
women who also have a specific goal in mind that they
really want to move forward on. This is usually in the
area of their career, a creative project, or an overall
implementation of a healthier lifestyle. These programs
include time to work on self-esteem and body image;
healthier, balanced meals; and stress reduction.

Please e-mail me for more info. melissa@myheartdances.com

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Within the past few months I have made huge lifestyle
changes. I take time to listen to what my body needs.
My cravings for artificial sweeteners and processed foods
have diminished. I cook with all whole foods and feel
stronger, more alert, vibrant, and healthy. I have a
renewed passion for life and sense of well-being. I am
overcoming my eating disorder, exploring my spirituality,
and discovering new possibilities for a gratifying career
path. I treasure our relationship. Thank you so much for
your support.

Elyse, Dancer, NYC

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4. Cooking Classes - 2007
(located on the Upper West Side)

Organic Food, Organic FUN, and Good Company

Thank you for sharing you home, knowledge, great recipes,
and warm friends. There's something very intimate about
creating and sharing a meal with others. It was interesting
to learn about your holistic health background and cook
with new ingredients. I look forward to taking more classes
with you. - Heather

***Some of these dishes might sound new to you, but I
promise you, they are delicious!!****

Tuesday, July 10 6:30 pm
Vegetable Maki Rolls
Citrus Guacamole
Salsa! Salsa!
Miso Soup

Saturday, July 21 11:00 a.m.
California Waldorf Salad
Picnic Potato Salad
Lemon Vanilla Mousse
Lime-ade

Thursday, August 2 - 6:30pm
Sautéed Seitan w/ Red & Yellow Peppers
Steamed Eggplant with Sweet Miso Sauce
Stir-Fried Sesame Beet Greens
Almond Crème

Don't see a class on days that you are available?
Make a request... mailto:melissa@myheartdances.com

Pre-Register Today – Only $40 per class
All classes are held on the Upper West Side

Class is from 6:30 until 8:30p.m.
And includes all of the following

*Hands-on instruction
*Meet new people
*Learn cool facts and tips about the food you’re eating
*Get healthy tips
*Receive a copy of the recipe to take home
*Enjoy a DELICIOUS meal at the end of class!
Made by The Fabulous You!

Please contact Melissa at mailto:melissa@myheartdances.com for
more details and to register or call 917-689-6530

**Classes are fun, relaxed, and not intimidating! They are
great for beginners!

**Private classes are also available, more details at:
http://www.myheartdances.com/services/cook_class.htm

Call me to schedule an appointment: 917-689-6530
melissa@myheartdances.com

Sessions are $125 to $75

For more detailed info on private coaching:

http://www.myheartdances.com/services/private_couns.htm

For a further explanation of fees:

http://www.myheartdances.com/services/fees.htm

"You are non-judgmental and so real and practical about dealing with these issues. I tell everyone about you. You are so young, but you are so smart and have great insight. I love working with you, and I'm a tough customer." GG, NYC

As always, thanks for reading and please send comments
and feedback
melissa@myheartdances.com

™ was developed to support individuals in living from their heart and going after what they want in life. Our mission is to support you in deciding to be honest with yourself and be honest with others so you can face your fears and go after your dreams to "let your heart dance!"