Embrace Your Body: Saying No To Diet Culture - A Women's Somatic Workshop for Connection, Compassion & Confidence

A nurturing and supportive online sanctuary, Embrace Your Body: Saying No To Diet Culture is a women's circle designed to help you reconnect with your body and cultivate connection, compassion and confidence.

Hosted by somatic coach and performance artist Dani Tonks, this workshop will guide you through somatic coaching techniques, playful movement inspired by burlesque, and expressive arts practices to release societal pressures and embrace your body exactly as it is. 

With the festive season and New Year often bringing unrealistic body ideals, this event is designed to gently remind you that your body is worthy of love and care just as it is. Together, we will create a space where all emotions—joy, grief, and everything in between—are welcome and held.

This online workshop offers a supportive sanctuary for women (and those who identify as women) to reconnect with their bodies, free from the pressures of diet culture and societal expectations.

What to Expect:

• Somatic Coaching Techniques:
  • Guided Body Scans: Explore sensations and emotions within the body to foster awareness and connection.
  • Breathwork: Learn to use the breath to release tension, relax, and cultivate presence.
  • Gentle Movement: Practice mindful movement to appreciate and reconnect with your body.
• Expressive Arts:
  • Burlesque Taster: A fully clothed introduction to playful, sensual movement, accompanied by a brief history of burlesque, celebrating its roots and its power.
  • Creative Journaling: Use writing as a therapeutic tool to explore emotions and victories in your body love journey.
  • Visualisation: Harness the power of imagination to cultivate a positive self-image and envision a future of self-love.
• Interactive Circle:
  • Sharing Circles: Participate in a safe, supportive space where you can share your experiences and listen to others.
  • Guided Discussions: Explore body image, self-love, and resilience, fostering open dialogue and connection.

Who Is This Workshop For?

• Those feeling disconnected from their bodies
• Anyone tired of diet culture and the pressure to change their bodies
• Women looking for a creative, supportive circle
• Anyone who feels alone in their experience and wants a space to be heard

About Your Facilitator

Dani is a trauma-informed Somatic Coach, trained actor, self-taught dancer, and experienced workshop facilitator. Dani is also a Systemic Psychotherapist in training at The University of Bath.

With over 15 years of practical experience in somatic and embodiment work, Dani brings a playful yet sensitive approach to her facilitation. Her work skilfully combines a range of disciplines, including acting, dance, somatics, ritual, meditation, and drama, to create transformative and inclusive spaces for participants.

Dani has walked a personal journey of recovery from eating disorders and body dysmorphia, beginning at just 8 years old. Having found healing through somatic therapy, expressive art, and performance art, she now brings over a decade of experience in somatic coaching and acting to this circle. Her own discovery of burlesque has empowered her to reclaim her body and voice, and she wants to share these tools with you.

Currently training in Systemic Psychotherapy at Bath University, Dani’s work is grounded in deep emotional intelligence and a trauma-informed perspective. She has collaborated with various organisations across the UK, including The Psychedelic Society, Medicine Festival, Spike Island Art Centre, Craigberoch.org, and numerous charities such as Shine and Beat Eating Disorder Charity. Dani’s background as an international performer in film, theatre, radio, and TV further enriches her diverse toolkit, which she brings into her coaching and facilitation practice.

Her extensive education includes training in Trauma-Informed Facilitation, Organic Intelligence® for Coaches, and Mental Health First Aid. Dani holds a BA in Acting from East 15 Acting School, where she focused on somatic and embodiment work, contemporary dance, and Jungian Psychology. Her unique combination of experience and training has equipped her to guide individuals and groups through deep personal exploration and healing.

Dani creates spaces that encourage emotional resilience, body awareness, and creative self-expression. Whether in a somatic workshop, performance space, or coaching session, she supports others in connecting more deeply with themselves and their bodies.

Instagram - @dani___tonks 

Website - www.danitonks.co.uk 

Further Information

This fully inclusive workshop welcomes people of all backgrounds, including all ethnicities, sexual orientations, and experiences. Though therapeutic, it is not a substitute for therapy. If you have experienced trauma or have concerns about attending, please consult a health professional.