Fat Joy with Sophia Apostol Sophia Apostol

Jessie Diaz-Hererra (she/her) is here to help us “Free the Jiggle,” which is one of the signature dance offerings from her company, Power Plus Wellness located in New York City. Jessie shares the moment she learned to feel shame about her body, and how that moment actually led to the co-founding of her movement business that now offers classes like aerial yoga, ballet, and aqua stretch & sound baths- all specifically for plus-size bodies.

Jessie Diaz-Herrera is a dancer, certified group fitness instructor, and body positivity advocate who has dedicated her career to exploring and celebrating all bodies in dance. She believes that everyone should feel empowered to move and express themselves through dance, regardless of their shape or size. Through her workshops, Jessie uses body-positive affirmations, uplifting songs, and easy follow-along dance moves to create an inclusive and body-confident environment. Jessie is also the co-founder of Power Plus Wellness, a Latina-owned business curating private movement classes and events for plus-size bodies to jiggle freely, unlearn diet culture, and joyfully co-regulate in a safe community.

Please connect with Jessie through her website, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

This episode’s poem is called “Lion” by Tina Chang.

Connect with Fat Joy on the website, Instagram, subscribe to the Fat Joy newsletter, and watch full video episodes on YouTube.

Want to share some fattie love? Please rate this podcast and give it a joyful review.

Our thanks to Chris Jones and AR Media for keeping this podcast looking and sounding joyful.

A bonus minisode where each guest answers 10 surprising questions with unexpected results. Hilarity ensues.

Dr. Theresa Melito-Conners (she/her) brings her Ph.D-level expertise to a conversation about the ten domains of self care. No, not bubble baths and spa days (although we can love those too), but rather deeper levels of how we show up fully and authentically as humans and what might get in our way.

Theresa Melito-Conners, Ph.D. (Dr. MC) is the founder of Dr. MC’s Self-Care Cabaret, a suite of theatre-inspired, self-care and professional development services for helping professionals. The Self-Care Cabaret encompasses workshops, a podcast, and educational curricula all focused on accessible and realistic strategies that equip and empower.

Please connect with Theresa through her website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This episode’s poem is called “The Coming of Light” by Mark Strand.

Connect with Fat Joy on the website, Instagram, subscribe to the Fat Joy newsletter, and watch full video episodes on YouTube.

Want to share some fattie love? Please rate this podcast and give it a joyful review.

Our thanks to Chris Jones and AR Media for keeping this podcast looking and sounding joyful.

A bonus minisode where each guest answers 10 surprising questions with unexpected results. Hilarity ensues.

Artist Lindsey Guile (she/her) draws charcoal images of nude, fat people…on canvases that are eight-feet tall. Her fat bodies literally take up space and tower over viewers. Lindsey shares what motivated her to embrace fat liberation (spoiler: gallbladder disease and an eating disorder) and use her artistic talents to challenge the hierarchy of art.

Lindsey Guile is a body and fat-liberation artist exploring concepts of self-image through the lens of contemporary feminist theory. Lindsey’s practice embraces an intermedia approach that utilizes drawing, printmaking, and ceramics in her explorations into how body image affects self- worth. Her work has been exhibited at The Arnot Museum, The Dorsky Museum, The Birke Art Gallery, The Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery, Untitled Space Gallery, Women’s Work Gallery, The Williamsburg art & Historical Center, and more. She was an Artist in Residence at the Blue Mountain Center in the summer of 2021.

Lindsey is an Assistant Professor of Visual Art at Dutchess Community College. She is also the Director of the Mildred I. Washington Art Gallery on campus. She has an MFA from SUNY New Paltz and a BFA and MA degrees from SUNY Oswego. Lindsey currently lives in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Please connect with Lindsey through her website and Instagram.

This episode’s poem is called “Keeping Still” by Pablo Neruda.

Connect with Fat Joy on the website, Instagram, subscribe to the Fat Joy newsletter, and watch full video episodes on YouTube.

Want to share some fattie love? Please rate this podcast and give it a joyful review.

Our thanks to Chris Jones and AR Media for keeping this podcast looking and sounding joyful

A bonus minisode where each guest answers 10 surprising questions with unexpected results. Hilarity ensues.