PAST events
2017
Chachi Live: The Power of Loving Your Body
The Chachi Power Project held its first event: Chachi Live: The Power of Loving your Body, on 13th May 2017 in Edinburgh.
The event was open to all genders and all ages. We brought two London body positive personalities to Scotland. Michelle Elman, a body positive advocate, social media star, Master NLP Practitioner and life and body confidence coach was joined by Nadia from The Self Esteem Team. The Self Esteem Team work with school pupils, teachers and parents to help them learn more about mental health, body image and self-esteem. To date, they have worked with 70,000 teens in over 300 schools and Nadia discussed ways you can help the young people in your lives.
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All profits went to Penumbra, a Scottish based Mental Health and Wellbeing Charity and there was an opportunity to purchase prints from the illustrators; Katie Abey, Evie Caldwell and merchandise from Mere Souer.
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If you have an idea for a future #bopo event and you want to collaborate, partner or just share your thoughts then contact us. We are always up for new awesome ideas which could open up the body positive world to a wider audience.
orA beauty: 1st birthday party
On 19th May 2017 I helped celebrate Ora Beauty's 1st Birthday by speaking about The Chachi Power Project to the attendee's of the Birthday party. Ora Beauty is a beauty salon with a big emphasis on self love and self care, based in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh.
Nadine the owner had heard about my project and was keen for me to spread the body positive message to those who would be in attendance. Nadine and Kellie who manage and work in the salon have the ethos; #Loveyourlife and wanted me to add my perspective and spread a positive yet very important message to their 30 or so friends who would be in attendance. I was so pleased to be part of this special occasion.
Positive Body Image in Children MeetUp
This was our first ever official #ChachiCollective meet up and took place on June 6th, 2017 in Glasgow.
We discussed concerns and anecdotes surrounding children's body image and looked over Abbie Henderson from Penumbra's (a Scottish Mental Health and Wellbeing Charity) newly created body image resource which was about to be piloted in schools in North Ayrshire. Guests included teachers, Rainbow Leaders, grandparents, parents and yoga instructors. Many points were raised at the event especially focussing on how we talk about bodies in front of children, the issues surrounding social media, and how to encourage positive body image in children.
Body Positivity, Body Confidence and Kids Body Image MeetUp
On 13th June in Edinburgh we invited Emma Rattigan, Head Teacher of the Montessori Arts School in Edinburgh to speak at our first Edinburgh meetup.
She gave a fascinating insight into the school's ethos and how they approach a gender neutral, equal, supportive, non-judgemental child lead form of learning at the school. Topics of 'guilt' and 'shame' and 'praise' were discussed as well as concerns and anecdotes shared by those in attendance which included uncles and aunts, parents, charity representatives, and artists.
W.E. Women
The three creators of W(est) E(nd) Women asked if I would be able to hold a talk at their event held in Glasgow on June 24th, 2017.
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I arranged a relaxed informal talk for the event and asked Rosalind Main from the I am More Than Campaign to host it alongside me. The talk was an intimate and interactive discussion about body positivity, the difference between body positivity and body confidence, societal pressures and male body positivity, amongst other things.
It was great to be part of the creative programme of workshops, talks and pop ups as part of West End Festival.
MEETUP: Growing Up Online: How to Keep our Kids Safe and Happy
• Social Media encourages us and our children to constantly compare ourselves and our bodies to friends and celebrities
• Self worth is directly related to the number of likes on our last selfie
• What happens when you and your kids are only exposed to the filtered, cropped, photoshopped lives of your peers?
• How do we make sure our kids are staying safe online from things like cyberbullying, grooming, data capture etc?
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We held two meetups, one in Edinburgh (15th Aug 2017) and one in Glasgow (1st Aug 2017) and discussed a whole range of issues pertaining to the physical and mental health of young people online. Our guest speaker at each event was Rob Gelb. He is the managing partner of Kindaba. The Kindaba team are interested in creating a safe, secure online space where families can interact without the possibility of public interaction.
Glug Edinburgh : MINDFULNESS & MENTAL HEALTH: A QUIET REVOLUTION
This event, organised by Glug Edinburgh in Sept 2017, was focussed on changing lives, helping and assisting others and being of service. The 2 evening event invited speakers from a range of different backgrounds including coaches, agency heads, charities and Universities. They talked around mental health, strength, resilience and mindset shifts.
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I spoke on the Thursday night of the event about the impact that negative body image can have within a corporate workplace.
iMPROVING THE HEALTH & WELLBEING OF YOUNG PEOPLE
This event, organised by The Scottish Learning Group and held in Nov 2017, discussed the current standards and hopeful future of Health and Wellbeing within Scotland's Education system.
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Pannelists included; Danni from The Chachi Power Project, Fiona Young from the Young Scot 'Pregnancy and Parenthood in Young People' project and Zoe Clarke of The Health Opportunities Team. Rebecca from The Scottish Learning Group put together this excellent Storify to help capture everything that was brought up during the session. Contact Rebecca at The Scottish Learning Group for more details.
we love retreat: november 2017
The Chachi Power Project held it's very first Body Love Retreat in November 2017 right in the heart of the most beautiful part of Scotland, The Cairngorms. Rachel Claire Bowley of Rachal Claire Yoga and I, along with 7 other women, were delighted to take over two adjoining lodges at the exquisite Dell of Abernethy for 3 nights in a very cold and snowy November weekend.
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The retreat consisted of 4 creative workshops including a life drawing session with our specially invited life model, 3 yoga sessions, daily meditation, afternoons of long walks through the woods and around nearby lochs and the most delicious food you won't even find in Scotland's top restaurants. There was also a lot of words, wisdom, a few tears and plenty of bonding. Nine magical woman came together to learn, stretch, grow and create. We are so grateful for each of these souls bringing something special and creating a wonderful magical energy.
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You can see more images from this magical weekend here and you can find out more information about any upcoming retreats here.
Prana: Body Positivity in Clinical Practice
The Edinburgh University Medical Ethics and Humanities Society (EUMEHS) asked the Chachi Power Project to be part of this excellent interactive workshop in Edinburgh in Dec 2017. I facilitated a panel discussion about body shaming and acceptance within the medical industry as part of this special evening which combined 3 of my favourite things: yoga, food and body positive chat!
EUMEHS partnered with Lululemon, Edinburgh Community Outreach Yoga, Move Your Potential, Eat, Breath, Thrive Edinburgh and Cat Pausé for this event to encourage us all to focus on our physical, mental and emotional health as winter sets in. Our discussion shone a light on bias within the medical profession, positive treatment for people of all weights and sizes and stigmatisation and fatphobia within our culture. Delighted that £500 was raised from ticket sales to help Edinburgh Community Yoga's Outreach Programme.
sew your body some love!
The chachi power project X sew confident
We loved this special collaboration with the wonderful Sew Confident Sewing Studio based in Finnieston, Glasgow. The techniques were pretty simple and you didn't need to be a sew-er to come to this class.
We have had enough of negative body image and we recognise the importance of showing our minds and bodies the love they deserve. This special little session was designed to provide an opportunity to practice some self care, learn how to perfect some simple hand sewing techniques and give you the opportunity to create your very own: Sew Your Body Some Love Doll! We wanted to get people together, de-stress, chat, giggle and create something, with your own hands, which can spread a positive message into the rest of your life.
2018
Looking Ahead: Keeping our kids safe online
On 18th Jan 2018 I was invited to The Montessori Arts School in Edinburgh to hold a discussion with Rob and Lizzie from Kindaba and the parents of the pupils, to help make sure your kids stay safe online.
Parents, whether digitally literate themselves or not, will experience the internet very differently from the way their children will. Children born from the year 2000 onwards are raised within a society which is completely immersed in digital applications; they know no other type of culture.
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Even if, as a parent, you choose to limit access to screens and online interactions, the online world will eventually become a daily part of your child’s life. As well as the positivity of connectedness, communication, education and exploration of the digital world, there also come concerns that parents, guardians and teachers should be aware of.
Please read this blog to learn more of what is discussed at these events.
sexpression conference, st. andrews: Body confidence workshops
The Sexpression Scottish Conference was a student led event, part of the Nationwide Sexpression:UK Initiative. The theme for 2018 was "Reclaiming Our Sexuality."
Society has a tendency to appropriate people’s power, or autonomy, surrounding their sexuality. It sometimes creates rumours that lead to pervasive and harmful stereotypes, and sometimes it tries to remove people’s sexualities altogether.
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Danni from the Chachi Power Project ran a powerful workshop as part of the conference to regain the connection we have lost, to our bodies and explore thoughts around sex and body confidence.
#ChachiCollective Meetup: The Pressure on Post Partum Bodies
Just at the time when you should be basking in the miracle of what your body has created and rejoicing at the great mystical nature of this earth, your mind is reeling from the dramatic changes which your body has undergone over the past months and feeling the pressure of getting back to 'normal'.
A wonderful group of women got together in Edinburgh on 15th Feb 2017 to discuss the 4 main stages involved with becoming a mum and the different pressures which come with each one of those stages: pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, child birth, post birth.
Fiona Young from Young Scot helped us learn more about what new mother's can experience if they fall pregnant at a young age and local poet and writer, Stella Birrell was there to perform one of her beautifully written poems which helped us recognise beauty where we don't always see it.
Beautiful Image by @th3littlestavenger
AUDACIOUS WOMEN FESTIVAL: LOVE YOUR BODY WORKSHOP
Our culture doesn't want us to like ourselves, telling us constantly that we are never quite good enough. So what can we do to feel satisfied, happy and powerful in our bodies and how can we change the current societal state of affairs?
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On the 24th February 2018 The Audacious Women Festival tasked Danni from The Chachi Power Project to present a workshop to help tackle the issues surrounding women's body image. There were a number of audacious women, all working within the field of body image in attendance including Fiona Keith: Eating Disorder Recoveree and Mindset and Wellbeing Champion at Royal Bank of Scotland, Jay Lafferty: stand-up comedian, producer, writer and creative consultant and Louise from the @iam_more_than campaign.
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Along with the help of the attendee's we created a powerful, positive and helpful workshop tackling media, culture, messaging, clothing sizes and focussed on how we can look after ourselves individually and as a society.
When the Blackbird Sings: Artist Talk and Discussion
Acclaimed photographer Jannica Honey extended her insight into her latest exhibition: When the Blackbird Sings at this event in March 2018. Her compelling work depicts naked women of all ages as well as poetic shots of flowers in water. The subjects are family, friends and acquaintances of the artist posing outdoors at twilight. Honey shot the fascinating images over the course of a year, exclusively on every full and new moon, starting at the October 2016 Supermoon.
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After Jannica shared her motivations around this body of work we held a discussion, lead by Vicky Allan, journalist for The Herald, with Honey and Danni from The Chachi Power Project, to focus on the power of women's bodies’, their spirituality and the oppression which surrounds them. We were also graced with some live music from Emme Woods Music.
When The Blackbird Sings for International Women's Day 2018
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2018, talented Swedish photographer; Jannica Honey and I created a beautiful event to celebrate and come together. After a lead-up submission process where we received 43 pieces of creative writing, we all gathered at Arusha Gallery in the centre of Edinburgh to listen to beautiful tales and wondrous poems shared by some of Scotland’s most creative writers.
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Surrounded by Honey’s beautiful work as part of her ‘When the Blackbird Sings’ Exhibition (2nd- 25th March 2018) we heard from 12 beautiful women who shared their poignant pieces of creative writing which were filled with strength and sorrow, power struggles and empowerment. We had a very special musical guest: Frances Thorburn, beer sponsorship from Brooklyn Brewery UK and food sponsorship via Tuk Tuk Indian Street Food.
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You can see more pictures from the special evening on Facebook here.
Body Confidence Live 2018
Boco Live brought together speakers, retailers, charities and other exhibitors relating to body confidence, health and self-esteem for the country's first Body Confidence Live Show on 17 March 2018 at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall. There were lots going on throughout the event with a diverse range of exhibitors and speakers including experts in life coaching, fitness, mindfulness and nutrition.
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Danni from The Chachi Power Project was there on the day pushing out a body positive message and selling some lovely body confident merchandise!
Body Positivity Workshop as part of st.andrews university students wellbeing week
As part of Wellbeing Week at St. Andrew's University in April 2018. Danni from The Chachi Power Project ran a 1 hour talk and discussion on Body Positivity. We discussed the Body Positive Movement, the causes of negative body image and ways to tackle this on an individual and societal level.
Body Image and positive mindset workshop with young parents at Young scot
In April 2018, Danni was asked by Young Scot in Edinburgh as part of their Young People's Pregnancy and Parenthood Initiative to hold a Body Image and Positive Mindset workshop for some of the young parents who Young Scot support. It was a great session which encouraged discussion and further understanding as to what young mother's go through when they have a child at a young age.
It was an excellent way to open up the conversation, recognise where body image pressures come from and how they are perpetuated whilst recognising how much an individual can take control of their own mindset. It was also important to understand more about the pressures which differ for young mothers vs. older mothers or young adults without children and the exclusion this experience can create. A really powerful session.
The Power of Positive Body Image talk, part of Detox health beauty day at archerfield walled garden
Archerfield Walled Garden joined forces with Detox Health Beauty to bring you Detox Health Beauty Day at Archerfield Walled Garden - a retreat day with an incredible host of experts from the world of detox, health and beauty. You could sample super-healthy food, fresh juices, yoga, meditation and much more. It was a great day aimed at enriching your body and soul.
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Danni from the Chachi Power Project was one of the many incredible speakers. She discussed the reasons for starting her project, The Benefits of being a part of The Body Positive Movement and lead the attendee's in a quick exercise which can re-connect you simply and effectively to your own body every day. She was also on hand with beautiful affirmation greetings cards and prints for purchase!
feel great friday with body confidence live
Fresh from the amazing Body Confidence Live Event in Glasgow in March 2018 the organisers were delighted to host: Feel Great Friday with BoCo Live on 1st June 2018.
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There was a fantastic line-up of speakers including Danni from The Chachi Power Project who talked about the Body Positive Movement and how small changes can affect your overall body confidence, your wider lifestyle and help you feel happier in the skin you live in.
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She was joined by Ellie Hopley PT, Dr. Joanna Livingstone and plus-sized actress Leah MacRae from River City.
Creative Edinburgh: talking heads
Danielle from The Chachi Power Project was asked to be one of the guest speakers at this fun and fascinating night organised by Creative Edinburgh.
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The evening was filled with fast paced lightning talks and informal networking. The event featured a range of guest speakers including Designers, Makers, illustrators, App Developers and more who all spoke on the theme of New Values.
Self Care Sunday Sessions: Body Wisdom for Self Love with Oh my yogini
Body Wisdom for Self-Love Self-Care Sunday Session was an immersive workshop experience that offered you practices and tools for awakening, deepening and connecting to the wonderful and powerful resource that is your Body.
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Danni from The Chachi Power Project was delighted to offer 8 special women the opportunity to learn from the incredible Self-love and Wellness Coach Eugenia Twomey. Eugenia has nearly 20 years experience in the Embodied Arts (Creativity, Yoga, Bodywork, Education) and is passionate about empowering women with practices and tools for self-agency in their daily lives. Excitingly, this was the first time time this unique workshop had been offered in Scotland.
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There was nothing crazy, fancy or complex, just simple accessible methods for relaxation and calm to help you support yourself everyday, at home or anytime, anyplace.
Self Care Sunday Session: fierce flowers with rachael scott of hedgerow
For the 2nd #SelfCareSundaySession, Danni from the Chachi Power Project was delighted to collaborate with the amazing floristry designer, Rachael Scott of @Hedgerow. Together they delivered a chance to escape reality for a day and get back to nature.
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All participants of the workshop created their very own head garland. Each was a beautiful, individual, strong piece inspired by one of the most iconic women in history, Frida Kahlo. Then after a delicious lunch provided by Lynn of The Arienas Collective, we used our nimble fingers to create a gorgeous bespoke affirmation infused, florally decorated, embroidery hoop.
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Hedgerow was set up by Rachael Scott in 2013 from her kitchen table. It is now an established event floristry business focussing primarily on naturalistic, lush floral arrangements using British grown foliage and flowers. Rachael regularly runs floral workshops throughout the UK.
simply connect morning meetup for female entrepreneurs
Simply Connect is an opportunity for female entrepreneurs and businesswomen to get together and make connections in a relaxed and non sales-y atmosphere. On Wednesday 5th September Danielle was one of two inspirational speakers addressing the group and it turned out to be a major injection of positivity!
Danni Gordon spoke about her Body Positivity, Body Confidence and Body Image Project: The Chachi Power Project. She discussed how we need to and can revolutionise how we think, feel and act towards our own bodies.
Looking after your body is absolutely key for entrepreneurs so we asked Danni to remind us why it's so important for ourselves and for our businesses that we put self-care and self love higher up on the agenda.
Self Care Sunday Session: Botanical Beauty with lucy from Lucky Cloud Skincare
Danni from The Chachi Power Project invited Lucy from Lucky Cloud Skincare to take us all away from our real lives for a delightful few hours to immerse us in her magical world of botanicals and beauty.
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Lucky Cloud Skincare is a luxurious botanical skincare brand with a range of beautiful products for people with dry, damaged and sensitive skin. Vegan friendly and made by hand in Edinburgh, in small batches, Lucy uses quality raw ingredients to create moisture rich, nourishing and soothing products.
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As part of this workshop we made 3 different products over the course of the day including a Relaxing Bath Soak and Clay Face Mask and body moisturiser
Body image workshop with wevolution
WEvolution is a community building organisation which aims to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds and promote a way of creating Self Reliant Groups (SRG's) focussed on trust, self-governance and collective endeavour towards entrepreneurship.
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SRGs are small groups of 5 to 10 women who develop strong bonds of trust and friendship, save small amounts of money together, learn skills and support each other to create income-generating opportunities for themselves.
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WEvolution asked Danni from The Chachi Power Project to run a workshop for the Paisley group in Sept 2018, focussed on body image and the Body Positive Movement to help develop confidence in who we actually are. It was a great workshop where we discussed capitalism, social media, negative self talk and bodies!
an introduction to intuitive eating with
tali's yoga + the chachi power project
‘Intuitive Eating will not only change your relationship with food; it may change your life.’
- Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, authors of 'Intuitive Eating'
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With the toxic messaging that we receive everyday about what we should be eating, how to eat, how much to eat and when, it's very easy to feel like the control isn’t in our hands anymore.
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Diet culture, weight conversations and body shapes fill our eyes and ears every day and some people equate everything they consume with a points value or what has to be done in the gym to make that next bite justified. All the pleasure has been stripped out of one of the most pleasurable experiences us humans have: eating. But can we trust ourselves without the diet or 'lifestyle choice' dictating to us?
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Throughout 2018 The Chachi Power Project helped people explore what Intuitive Eating really is with the help of Tali from Tali’s Yoga, who is a graduate from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and an advocate for Intuitive Eating.
In these delicious evening events we discussed emotional eating, body cues, mindful eating, how to have an unrestrictive approach to food alongside making a commitment to do the right thing for your body. In essence Intuitive Eating is about rebuilding the trust between your mind, emotions and your body.
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We do all of this while walking the talk: eating a scrumptious communal dinner! We get together to chat, laugh, eat, drink and be merry- whilst also learning how to take back control of our own bodies and the food that goes into them.
An Lanntair: Let's talk- a series of talks on mental health
An Lanntair is The Outer Hebrides premier arts and creativity venue situated in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
As part of the Year of Young People 2018, An Lanntair hosted a range of talks in October focussing on mental health and other social issues which affect their community.
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An Lanntair asked Danni from The Chachi Power Project to visit the island to speak about Body Positivity and discuss the way we are taught to see our own bodies and how we can alter this sometimes toxic view.
Let’s change the conversation. #IgniteChange
We Love Retreat 2018
Danni from The Chachi Power Project hosted 9 wonderful women at the unique and exquisite hideaway: The Dell of Abernethy in the heart of the breathtaking Cairngorms. We came together for a retreat into body love, connection and fierce feminine energy.
Janet McInnes a Forrest Yoga teacher based in Edinburgh lead the meditation and yoga sessions while Danni lead a number of creative workshops over the course of the weekend. All activities were based around intention setting, perspective shifting and learning how to reconnect and fall in love with your own body.
The retreat was fully catered by our private chef and owner of The Dell, Polly. Each day there was time to explore the wooded landscape, read, journal, nap or build friendships in the stunning Dell Lodge. Each evening was filled with storytelling round the fire-pit and star gazing before falling into bed for some no-tech radio silence quiet time.
2019
chachi chats: menopause
As a Body Confidence Ambassador I'm interested to learn about the complexities experienced by people trying to live with, or even embrace, changes in their bodies so I held two Edinburgh events (Feb and April) and one Glasgow event (May) focussed on Menopause and Peri-Menopause symptoms and holistic treatment for those symptoms. Each time we got a wonderfully diverse group of people together to chat about a topic which tends to be ignored by wider society.
It's a huge body and mind change which 50% of the population will experience and there is hardly any knowledge, support or understanding available. We heard from Angie Garton from Body Evolution Formula, a Health Coach with a speciality in hormonal imbalance. They were excellent evening's where we enjoyed delicious and nutritious hormone balancing dinners made friends and learnt about supplements, mental health, support and symptoms.
Wild swim for international women's day 2019
Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan from Wild Swimming Photography and I collaborated to create an amazing event which brought together nearly 70 women for a 7am sunrise outdoor swimming dip at Wardie Bay in Edinburgh on the morning of International Women's Day 2019.
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The event was created so that we could all celebrate our own bodies, show the world how beautiful and adventurous the women of Edinburgh are, and promote a message of solidarity and Body Positivity. We were even joined by Arctic Explorer Hazel Robertson, Ice Swimmer Gilly McArthur and Swim Champ and Cyclist Lindsay Cole.
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The event was featured on: Edinburgh Live, The Sunday Post, The Edinburgh Evening News as well as the printed editions of: The Scotsman, The Herald and The Edinburgh Evening News.
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All photos are credited to: Anna Deacon Photography
Self Care Sunday Session: Creating Sacred Space Within Our Physical Bodies with The Chachi power project and Sarah-Alexandra Teodorescu
"Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.”
- Joseph Campbell
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Our bodies are our homes. They are our vehicles of experience. How we view, connect with and treat our physical self is a never ending, evolving relationship. How we nurture the relationship to our physical self dictates our mental and emotional states as well as impacting all our other relationships.
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This 5-hour workshop in April 2019 lead the 12 participants through the many aspects and personal stories of how we relate to our bodies. Using yogic movement, meditation including Yoga Nidra, creative writing and a little storytelling we re-connected to our bodies, thoughts and emotions.
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Each of the 12 participants left feeling more peaceful and passionately connected to their own bodies, with relaxed yet strong minds and a beautiful, gentle bond to the other's who participated.
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Sarah-Alexandra Teodorescu is an American writer, storyteller and yoga instructor. She has found her heart’s home in Scotland. She lives to incite connection within herself and others on the mat, and on the written page. You will find her photographing, off on adventures in nature, drawn in by history, fascinated by learning, and wrapped up in and in awe of the human spirit.
#HealthySocialMedia: Building Positive Body Image on Social Media
This interactive event took place on 30th April 2019 at The Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow and was co-organised between the University and the Mental Health Foundation. It brought together people from various professional and personal backgrounds to discuss challenges and create solutions for encouraging a #HealthySocialMedia as it relates to body image.
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The format included several short talks by various experts on the topics of social media, body image, body positivity, mental health, etc.
Danni from The Chachi Power Project discussed the potential impact on your life if you had good body image and there was plenty of time for discussion, brainstorming, and meeting people.
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The findings and suggestions from this event will be collated to create ideas for a #HealthySocialMedia presence for young people, which will help them keep a balanced outlook on life and a positive body image.
detox health beauty festival at archerfield walled garden
Detox Health Beauty Festival took place at Archerfield Walled Garden on the 11th May 2019.
It was a feel-good festival which enriched minds, bodies and souls with a day of inspirational talks, yoga, fitness classes, guided meditation, craft workshops and relaxing treatments in the beautiful bell tents.
Danni from The Chachi Power Project was a guest speaker for the 2nd year running in The Barefoot Tent chatting about body image and Body Positivity.
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If you'd like Danni to speak at your event then get in touch vie email.
an introduction to intuitive eating with
gillian McCollum + chachi power project
‘Intuitive Eating will not only change your relationship with food; it may change your life.’
- Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, authors of 'Intuitive Eating'
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With the toxic messaging that we receive everyday about what we should be eating, how to eat, how much to eat and when, it's very easy to feel like the control isn’t in our hands anymore.
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Diet culture, weight conversations and body shapes fill our eyes and ears every day and some people equate everything they consume with a points value or what has to be done in the gym to make that next bite justified. All the pleasure has been stripped out of one of the most pleasurable experiences us humans have: eating. But can we trust ourselves without the diet or 'lifestyle choice' dictating to us?
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After a number of sold out events in 2018, Danni of The Chachi Power Project along with Gillian McCollum, an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, got together to put on two special dinners in Edinburgh (29th April, Aurora) and Glasgow (4th June, The Bungo).
We discussed emotional eating, body cues, mindful eating, how to have an unrestrictive approach to food alongside making a commitment to do the right thing for your body. In essence Intuitive Eating is about rebuilding the trust between your mind, emotions and your body. And we did all this while walking the talk: eating a scrumptious communal dinner!
Tribe Porty Group Ideation
Running a business can be tough as hell. You may get the opportunity to hang with other humans if you go to networking events or work out of a co-working space but when do you get the chance to have focussed, imaginative and specific help with an issue you’ve been struggling with, from a bunch of creative, local and useful people?
You might be struggling with something in particular or you could simply want to knock around an idea with people who are up for listening and focussed on helping you make a breakthrough.
That’s where the Tribe Porty Group Ideation come in! These evenings are an opportunity to bring your problem to the table and have 8 other people solve it for you! Share a problem and it’s halved but share it with 8 people and it really isn’t a problem anymore, is it?
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This event was hosted by Danni Gordon who runs The Chachi Power Project. She has 14 years experience of facilitating events and working within the creative industries. She brings charisma, fun ideas and a little black book of useful contacts wherever she goes.
The Empower Project: Making the internet a safer place for young people
The Empower Project is an intersectional, feminist, membership organisation supporting communities to lead change and end violence against women and girls in Scotland. The organisation exists to amplify the voices of young people and equip them with an understanding of what gender based violence is, along with teaching them skills to deal with and prevent its societal manifestations.
The Empower Project has been hosting events for young people to talk about what tech abuse means. They've taken this learning to support organisations, providing training to direct workers on issues that young people are facing around the online world.
They hosted an event at the Scottish Parliament in November 2019, led by young people, to design an action plan on how to make the internet a safer place for all.
The Empower Project asked Danni Gordon of the Chachi Power Project to talk about how living an 'online life' can impact your own body image, as well as facilitate this November session to help the young people in attendance recognise the sheer breadth of ways they can look after themselves online.
2020
'5 things' at freeagent
Danni from The Chachi Power Project was asked to speak at this excellent book celebration event at FreeAgent in Edinburgh in Jan 2020 about one of her favourite books.
She chose Virgie Tovar's: 'You Have The Right To Remain Fat' and discussed '5 Things' she learned from the book which she thought could be of value to the audience.
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Those top 5 lessons were:
1. Widen the lens on your Issue: label, research then reject unhelpful ideologies
2. Asking the most direct question isn't always the best way to get the truth
3. How loud should your voice really be in the Body Positive Movement
4. Do not accommodate bigotry, fight it.
5. You have the right to remain fat
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Girlguiding Scotland Critical Friends Dinner
Danni from The Chachi Power Project was invited to an intimate dinner by Girlguiding Scotland in January 2020 with 15 other powerful women based in Scotland.
The purpose of the dinner was for the representatives from Girlguiding Scotland to understand how to raise the profile and really maximise the impact the organisation has on the communities around Scotland.
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Girlguiding Scotland is Scotland’s leading charity for girls and young women, helping 50,000 young members grow in confidence, reach for the stars, have fun and be a powerful force for good. Girls take what they do in guiding with them as they grow up. They develop the skills and confidence that they need to reach their potential - as students, colleagues, parents, friends and citizens - and become the young women that they want to be.
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It was a great opportunity to hear how Girlguiding has progressed over the years, hearing the impact it has had, and continues to have, and provide ideas and contacts to help them continue building on what they have created.
Edinburgh wellbeing festival: Taking the Plunge
Photographer Anna Deacon and journalist Vicky Allan have both found outdoor swimming a transformative experience, and in the last year have travelled around Scotland meeting people from all walks of life who have experienced the physical and mental health benefits of taking to the water.
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In their book - Taking the Plunge, they incorporate these stories with the knowledge, experience and latest science from psychologists, physiologists and other experts to show how open water swimming and cold-water immersion can help with chronic pain, grief, loss, depression, stress and anxiety, while introducing people to a supportive, energising and truly inclusive wild swimming community.
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At the Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival in Feb 2020, Anna & Vicky were joined on stage by Body Positive Advocate and wild swimmer Danni Gordon, creator of the Chachi Power Project, to share their wild swimming stories and discuss how outdoor swimming can transform your body confidence and help you re-evaluate the relationship you have to your body. You can read more about what came up during the event discussion here.
YWCA: Status of Young Women in Scotland REPORT LAUNCH 2019
The fourth edition of the YWCA's Status of Young Women in Scotland report, which presents a diverse snapshot of the issues affecting Scotland’s young women today is launched in May 2020. This year's report focusses on body image, the body positivity movement and what needs to change.
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Over 400 young women across Scotland took part in the study, which was conducted by Edinburgh-based social research agency, The Lines Between Ltd.
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While the event was originally planned to be held at the Glasgow Women’s Library, unfortunately current circumstances means this is no longer able to go ahead so the event moved online!
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We celebrated the publication of the report on Thursday 7th May 2020 with a digital panel session which is now available to watch here! The brilliant panellists included: members of the YWCA Scotland – The Young Women’s Movement team members and Danni Gordon, Kaitlin Hutchison, Vanessa Kanbi, Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi and Rosalind Main.
FOOD AND BODY FREEDOM WORKSHOP SERIES with gillian mccollum, Danni gordon and sarah alexandra teodorescu
This 4 part workshop focussed on EMPOWERMENT and EMBODIMENT and was specifically designed for women with a strained relationship with food and their body. Through a variety of practices, we released body shame and fears around food and learned skills to help support us on our journey towards body acceptance and intuitive eating.
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THE WORKSHOP OVER 4 WEEKEND ONLINE SESSIONS INCLUDED:
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An intuitive eating lunch
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Practical skill-building
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Embodiment practices
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Creative expression through the written word
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Gentle movement
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Visualisation
