Bucks County’s Dana Falsetti to host “Yoga at Every Size” event where she’ll share her story of strength and body positivity
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
To look at Dana Falsetti and the confidence she exudes today, one would never know the struggles she went through just a few short years ago. Growing up, the New Hope native and George School graduate was at constant war with her body image, going through bouts of depression, severe weight fluctuation and binge eating. But after discovering her internal strength through the power of yoga and positive thinking, she overcame those obstacles and now works to provide hope to others in similar situations. On Sept. 14 at the Newtown Athletic Club, Falsetti will share her story and a few basic yoga positions at the special event, “Yoga at Every Size” from 6–8 p.m.
The focus of the NAC event will be body acceptance. As much as we may want to look like slim Victoria’s Secret models, some bodies aren’t able to shrink to that size no matter the amount of dieting and exercising forced upon them. Falsetti understands this firsthand.
“I always felt this pressure to conform,” she reflected.
Throughout her teen years, Falsetti explained how her weight was constantly fluctuating. But in college, she surpassed all of her past gains, leaving her more unhappy with her body than ever. She worked to lose weight as quickly as possible, but even in the thinner body, nothing had changed. She still wasn’t happy.
About five years ago, Falsetti decided to try something new — yoga. Unexpectedly, the meditative practice allowed her to dig deep within herself to get to the root of the problem. As time passed, she became stronger both inside and out. She had reached a state of body acceptance, realizing she didn’t have to be skinny to be healthy or feel confident.
“I was doing things I didn’t think I’d be capable of,” she said.
Though she admits she has some bad days like the rest of us where she doesn’t feel 100 percent confident in her own skin, Falsetti doesn’t plan on letting negative perceptions consume her again anytime soon. For her, confidence and acceptance need to come from within a person.
“Most people seek validation from external places, but this never sticks,” she said. “It’s fleeting.”
Today, Falsetti can be seen on the covers of Seventeen, People, Shape and NY Mag, and was the 2017 Shorty Award winner in the Health and Wellness category. Each day, she shares her story of strength through writing and images on social media as well as workshops, online classes and podcasts.
“It helps people feel less isolated,” she said.
Also at the NAC event will be licensed psychologist and certified eating disorder specialist Rachel Millner, who will provide guidance and practical advice for attendees who are struggling with body image issues or stuck in the cycle of dieting and overexercising. In her line of work, Millner treats both children at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and adults at her private practice in Yardley who are suffering from anorexia and other eating disorders.
“They’re not listening to their bodies,” she said. “They need to discover what kind of movement makes them feel good.”
Millner explained how in today’s society, having a larger body is frowned upon when in reality, we actually have little control over our size. Many believe if they eat or exercise a certain way, they’ll achieve their dream body, but unless this is done in a healthy, positive way, Millner said diets fail 95% of the time.
While there is no simple answer, she said the most important thing is helping people work through the internalized messages they have about dieting and exercising.
“Popular media gets it wrong,” she said.
To appreciate all body sizes, including their own, it’s vital people get exposure to all types, not just the ones on television or in the magazines.
“We need to develop a more friendly relationship with our bodies. We’re at war,” she said. “Our bodies have lots of wisdom if we just tune in.”
In her 12 years in the field, Millner has seen a growth in awareness, more family members seeking help for their loved ones with eating disorders and the body positive movement becoming more mainstream. But she admits there’s still work to do.
“Everybody is impacted by diet culture,” she said. “Everyone has internalized messages.” ••
If you go…
“Yoga at Every Size” is a free event for all ages. It will take place Thursday, Sept. 14, from 6–8 p.m. at the Newtown Athletic Club, 120 Pheasant Run, Newtown.
For more information on Falsetti, visit danafalsetti.com. For further resources regarding eating disorders, Millner recommends visiting haescommunity.com.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
