Episode 81: Finding Your Wise Mind with Sarah Rzemieniak

Episode description: This month’s Peace Meal guest is Sarah Rzemieniak, who brings multiple perspectives to a rich discussion about eating disorders, healing, and recovery coaching. Drawing from her personal experience and professional background in dietetics and coaching, Sarah begins by sharing some of the temperamental and social factors related to the development of her eating disorder. Though she sought help soon after her anorexia was recognized at age 13, Sarah acknowledges that her recovery was not without challenges and setbacks. She shares how meditation played an essential role during a particularly difficult relapse, helping her to get out of her head and ground herself in her body.  Now an eating disorder recovery coach, Sarah uses her personal experience, education, and training to support clients in implementing the skills and tools learned in treatment into the “here and now” of their lives. Sarah ends the podcast by sharing her wishes for her young son’s relationship with himself and offering advice for people who feel like recovery is out of reach. Sarah is a Carolyn Costin Institute Certified eating disorder recovery coach, working in private practice as a coach since 2018, where she provides one-on-one recovery coaching to individuals worldwide. Before this, Sarah worked as an eating disorder dietitian until she realized her true passion was in the coaching and counseling aspect of the work. Sarah has her own lived experience of an eating disorder and considers herself fully recovered from anorexia nervosa.  We cover: How certain temperament traits can contribute to the development of an eating disorder Why relapsing is common in eating disorder recovery and does not mean you have failed  How weight-loss dieting can lead to recovery setbacks The power of meditation in recovery How recovery can fundamentally change the way you view yourself and your life  In Sarah’s words: On the difficulty of breaking free from societal pressures: “For me, it didn’t feel like it was necessarily about the praise because I wasn’t getting praise anymore. I looked unwell. But still, there was this definite sense that [thinness] is something that society values and praises.” On meditation: “There’s something about starting to meditate that actually was quite transformative. …[I’m] in my head so much and just being so controlled by these rigid rules and anxieties. So [starting to mediate] actually was quite profound.” On how her relationship with herself changed in recovery: “I feel less run by fear. That’s a huge, huge difference.” You can connect with Sarah, learn about recovery coaching, and find resources for the recovery journey at her website, sarahrzemieniak.com. Learn more about The Emily Program online or by calling 1-888-364-5977.  - About the podcast: Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program and Veritas Collaborative that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. You can find Peace Meal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends! Are you interested in being a guest on Peace Meal? Email podcast@emilyprogram.com for more information.