Emma Poole: Being Present, Body Pressures in Dance, & Getting Balanced

Every Body’s Story

Emma tells us about her childhood and the particular moment when she started feeling expectations around her body. These pressures to look a certain way, “like a dancer”, stuck with her through university as she went on to study dance. Emma talks about having a negative relationship with food, the struggles of looking in a mirror all day, and becoming slightly obsessed with what her body looked like. She describes the intense stress and anxiety that came with wanting to change her body. Emma later found a passion for aerial dance and delved into the art form. However, at one point she found herself overtraining and feeling guilty when she wasn’t training. We chat about body comments, social media, being present, and not feeling good enough.

Emma has made amazing strides with her body image and now lives a much more balanced, sustainable life. She is working on listening to her body, eating and moving intuitively, and not judging foods as good or bad. Emma tells us how she hopes to help others with their mental health struggles - aiming to have less judgement, less pressure, and more balance.

Find Emma on Instagram @tangledinair. Follow the podcast on Instagram @everybodyspodcast and go to buymeacoffee.com/everybodysstory to donate. Make sure to rate, review, and share!