May 28 at 12pm EST

Every single one of my students and almost all fat folks I have talked to are having severe cases of reoccurring back pain, including myself!

And if we search out medical help we keep getting told it is because we are fat and to lose weight...great ummm....no…and how is that going to help our pain RIGHT NOW?!

Our fatness is not the problem. We have been surviving in a pandemic over the past two years. We have been denied access to weight neutral and fat celebratory health and wellness care our whole lives. The problem is that we do not have access to the information and care that we need.

I have been working with my students on how to use various forms of gentle movement to mitigate pain and examining how we are moving through our activities of daily life to see if there are adjustments we can make. Back pain does not start or end in the back. Our entire body is connected through (fancy term coming) the kinetic chain. This means it all works together. Sometimes our feet can be the root of back pain…or our neck and shoulders. The answers are endless.

It has been awesome! I am seeing a reduction in the severity of pain and when you have the tools to move in a way that YOUR body is meant to then you get to access healing movement in those moments and not let it get worse. Knowledge is power, and fat folks have been denied the knowledge of how to care for our bodies in a safe and gentle way.

So I am going to roll this out to the public in a class series format. This first clinic is going to focus on how to get our backs to release a bit. What movement we can do to get some relief and tracing that relief to the next spot. Where you feel pain is never the root of the cause, unless of course you have a knife sticking out of said spot…then you have other concerns. As you work to release the site of the pain you are peeling back layers of an onion and you will find that other places of discomfort start to appear. While this doesn’t sound like the most fun thing, it is a powerful feeling. Knowing that you are able to connect to how your body moves and where you can find your relief, with the knowledge that at some point you will find the root.

I am not going to make a schedule for this series. Summer is busy for everyone and I like a co-operative method of working together.

First session is 5/28 at 12pm EST in an online format. And we will go from there!

https://www.positiveforcemovement.org/takeaclass

Payment is set to our standard class rate of $20, but you can select pay later if cost is prohibitive. I don’t want cost to keep anyone from getting the care they need. If you would still like to pay something and $20 is inaccessible, we also have Venmo @Lore-McSpadden. This comes with zero pressure and you don’t have to ask or explain how and when and if you pay.

I will also record this class and send it to all folks registered in case you can’t make it live. When I record I only set it to record me so no one will be shown but me on the recording.

**This class will focus on large to infini fat folks FIRST. If you are a small fat or medium fat please know that your experiences will not be centered for this clinic, but you will be able to get a lot out of it. I will show options for floor movements, chair movements, standing movements, and bed movements.

Let's talk about weeds

Class 3: plantain, amaranth, and mullein

“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

"There's no such thing as a free lunch." ― Anonymous Liar

Did you know that many of the plants that folks often call weeds have incredible benefits, gifts, and (to use Emerson's word) virtues? If you follow Lore's social media, you probably do... but the details may elude you!

Come learn about these abundant sources of food and healing every Thursday in May; classes will start at 6:30pm EST and will be from 60-90 minutes in length (depending on how many questions and ideas y'all have!).

This four-class offering can be taken as a series, or you can sign up only for the weeks you are most interested in. There is a discount for enrolling in all four, but these are standalone classes: if your schedule or budget only allows for some classes but not others, no worries!

Each class will be an intro to three of the edible and medicinal plants that are going to be showing up soon (or are already making appearances!), particularly within the US and Canada in Zones 3-7:

• Class 1: violets, dandelion, and garlic mustard

• Class 2: lamb's quarters, daylily, and stinging nettles

• Class 3: plantain, amaranth, and mullein

• Class 4: yarrow, yellow dock, and burdock

For each plant, we will cover identification, common lookalikes, what the gifts and benefits of each plant are, which parts of the plants are edible and/or medicinal, and basics regarding how the plants can be prepared for eating and/or medicinal use.

(Stay tuned for a more intensive plant-based medicine making class, as well as for classes on plant magic!)

Let's talk about weeds

Class 2: lamb's quarters, daylily, and stinging nettles

“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

"There's no such thing as a free lunch." ― Anonymous Liar

Did you know that many of the plants that folks often call weeds have incredible benefits, gifts, and (to use Emerson's word) virtues? If you follow Lore's social media, you probably do... but the details may elude you!

Come learn about these abundant sources of food and healing every Thursday in May; classes will start at 6:30pm EST and will be from 60-90 minutes in length (depending on how many questions and ideas y'all have!).

This four-class offering can be taken as a series, or you can sign up only for the weeks you are most interested in. There is a discount for enrolling in all four, but these are standalone classes: if your schedule or budget only allows for some classes but not others, no worries!

Each class will be an intro to three of the edible and medicinal plants that are going to be showing up soon (or are already making appearances!), particularly within the US and Canada in Zones 3-7:

• Class 1: violets, dandelion, and garlic mustard

• Class 2: lamb's quarters, daylily, and stinging nettles

• Class 3: plantain, amaranth, and mullein

• Class 4: yarrow, yellow dock, and burdock

For each plant, we will cover identification, common lookalikes, what the gifts and benefits of each plant are, which parts of the plants are edible and/or medicinal, and basics regarding how the plants can be prepared for eating and/or medicinal use.

(Stay tuned for a more intensive plant-based medicine making class, as well as for classes on plant magic!)

Let's talk about weeds

Class 1: violets, dandelion, and garlic mustard

“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

"There's no such thing as a free lunch." ― Anonymous Liar

Did you know that many of the plants that folks often call weeds have incredible benefits, gifts, and (to use Emerson's word) virtues? If you follow Lore's social media, you probably do... but the details may elude you!

Come learn about these abundant sources of food and healing every Thursday in May; classes will start at 6:30pm EST and will be from 60-90 minutes in length (depending on how many questions and ideas y'all have!).

This four-class offering can be taken as a series, or you can sign up only for the weeks you are most interested in. There is a discount for enrolling in all four, but these are standalone classes: if your schedule or budget only allows for some classes but not others, no worries!

Each class will be an intro to three of the edible and medicinal plants that are going to be showing up soon (or are already making appearances!), particularly within the US and Canada in Zones 3-7:

• Class 1: violets, dandelion, and garlic mustard

• Class 2: lamb's quarters, daylily, and stinging nettles

• Class 3: plantain, amaranth, and mullein

• Class 4: yarrow, yellow dock, and burdock

For each plant, we will cover identification, common lookalikes, what the gifts and benefits of each plant are, which parts of the plants are edible and/or medicinal, and basics regarding how the plants can be prepared for eating and/or medicinal use.

(Stay tuned for a more intensive plant-based medicine making class, as well as for classes on plant magic!)

Who is Dalia?

Dalia Kinsey no pronouns) is a queer Black Registered Dietitian, keynote speaker, the creator of the Body Liberation for All podcast, and author of Decolonizing Wellness: A QTBIPOC-Centered Guide to Escape the Diet Trap, Heal Your Self-Image, and Achieve Body Liberation. On a mission to spread joy, reduce suffering, and eliminate health disparities in the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC community, Dalia rejects diet culture and teaches people to use nutrition as a self-care and personal empowerment tool to counter the damage of systemic oppression. Dalia works at the intersection of holistic wellness and social justice, continually creating wellness tools and resources that center the most vulnerable, individuals that hold multiple marginalized identities. Dalia’s work can be found at https://www.daliakinsey.com/

Andy Duran is a fat, Blaxican, queer/trans community organizer from Oakland CA. He is the Education Director for Good Vibrations, and the Founder of Chub Rollz. As an educator for over 20 years, this California bear cub loves providing accessible resources and support that empowers his community. When not working, Andy can usually be found singing George Michael, blushing, and skateboarding around town.

This session is being offered on a sliding scale of $30-$75.