How to Have the Total Beautiful Body with Sarah Holloway.

We are beyond grateful to have had the pleasure of talking to Sarah Holloway, our favourite funtrepreneur! We asked her about all things self-love, body positivity, daily rituals and more... enjoy beautiful! Find more goodness from Sarah on her inspiring blog Spoonful of Sarah 

Do you have a morning ritual to get your Beautiful Body?

Yes! I used to just roll out of bed and straight into work, but have since realised that’s probably not the best way to start the day.

So now I make sure the first thing I do ISN’T to look at my phone or check my emails. I recently completed my Vedic Meditation course, which has been life changing so the first thing I do after a quick drink of water is a 20-minute morning meditation to enter the day more gently and mindfully.

I then spend a few minutes visualizing how I want the day to unravel and acknowledging what I’m grateful for.

I know it sounds indulgent but most days then start with a breakfast adventure somewhere and start my day with a big plate of eggs, avocado, mushrooms and whatever other delicious sides are on offer.

I could probably make it at home for myself, but my breakfast ritual gets me up and out and sets my day up perfectly!

What mantra you live by?

Everything happens for a reason. Both good and bad. And often the reason doesn’t become clear for quite some time, so patience is everything.

Complete this sentence: I feel the most beautiful…

When I’m healthy, well rested and have spent time in nature.

What do you love about yourself? Why do you think this is a hard question for some of us to answer, when we can think of 101 things we love about our girlfriends?

I love how much I love life. I find so much joy in each day and in the smallest things and I like to think that’s infectious. I also don’t mind my hair too much – it’s pretty agreeable and very low maintenance, so we have a pretty good relationship haha.

Did you overcome any struggles to get where you are today with body positivity?

Definitely! I think every woman does! I’ve had a rollercoaster journey with my body over the past few years and while it’s not the typical story of over-restriction, unhappiness, and weight loss then realization, recovery and fulfilment, it involved a lot of the same themes.

A few years ago, I got quite sick during a volunteer field expedition in Africa and lost over 10kg as a result. The first few kilos were like the silver lining of food poisoning (lols) but then after that I really struggled to function at all, to fit into my clothes and to maintain my energy through the day.

Everyone thought that HAVING to put on weight was a nice problem to have but it was actually awful. Imagine not being able to get out of bed because your body is simply too frail!

My whole digestive system was messed up and so it was harder than you’d expect to sustainably and healthily restore my weight. And while I didn’t face the same lack of will as is associated with some disorders, I definitely faced the same body dysmorphia along the way.

After a while, my thin frame normalized and I couldn’t even see anymore how crazily unwell I looked.

Since that thinner me became my base line, I had some serious body dysmorphia going on when I started to weight back on again and struggled a lot with irrational thoughts of thinking I was “getting chubby” and losing tone. Because I didn’t fit into the clothes I’d bought during that time (even though they were temporary only and for a frame FAR too small),

I associated that with negative weight gain and became quite resistant to eating what I needed to in order to get back to where I was before. And it has taken quite a while to get back to a normal, regulated view of my healthy weight and form.

We’re just so prone to self criticism as it is, that small things can really affect your confidence and it’s so important to surround yourself with reasonable, supportive and loving friends.

If you could give one piece of advice to your 18-year-old self, it would be….

The most beautiful parts of you are the parts that aren’t like anyone else, so embrace them.

Where is your happy place?

Anywhere my family and closest friends are. We travel a lot and while Melbourne will always be home, I am far more attached to the people I love than any particular place. When we are together, I’m at home and truly happy.

What is one thing you do for yourself every day?

My twice daily meditations and my dedicated dose of trashy TV.

Are there any books/podcasts/blogs you would recommend to everyone?

Yes, so many! But interestingly I’ve really scaled back on this lately. I got to the point where I couldn’t allow myself an “unproductive hour” so even in “rest time” I’d be reading a self development book or “learning” from a podcast.

So I had to impose a ban for a while, to make sure I’d give my brain some down time.

• But there are a few that I really love –
• Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg,
• Thrive and Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington,
• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin,
• Melissa Ambrosini’s podcast,
• the Rich Roll podcast, 
• the Fit Foodie Blog

here are so many on my list! For something unrelated to self-development and for pure world interest – the Serial podcasts are SO interesting as is the S-Town sequel.

Forget waiting for New Years resolutions, what’s one thing people can do today to be more Body Beautiful?

Do more things to love that body. Get a massage, write a list of things you love about yourself, go for a walk, have a bubble bath. Treat yo-self!