I know I have mentioned it before, but it’s worth repeating.
I find yoga to be an incredible tool for eating disorder recovery.
Now let’s of course acknowledge the fact that, depending on your “drug” of choice when it comes to an eating disorder, exercise (of any kind) might be something you need to lay off of for a while when you first start recovery – or if you see yourself begin to fall back into an addictive pattern of exercise.
That being said, I find yoga to be great at providing balance (duh) and an opportunity to just get out of your head for a while. This comes up at EDA meetings a lot – how sometimes we just need to get out of our own heads long enough to get some perspective or break the negative thought pattern. And yoga is the perfect way to achieve this because I can assure you, if you are in a good class with a great teacher, you aren’t going to be able to think about anything but exactly what you are doing at that moment. Everyone needs practice staying present – yoga will give you lots of practice.
It also gives the opportunity to be gentle with yourself. I have been doing hot yoga the past few months – when I can make it. Sometimes I can do every pose without needing an extra break or to splash cold water on myself. And sometimes I cannot, and that’s okay – at the end of the day, I still took some time to myself and made an attempt at centering myself and I was present in that yoga room instead of trapped inside my own head and nasty self-talk.
If you are local, I HIGHLY recommend Pure Yoga and Fitness off of 580 in Clearwater.
If you are not, check out some of your local studios – and also check out some of Tara Stiles videos or books.
Before each yoga class I say to my body and mind, “infinite love and gratitude.” Something I learned from my over-the-phone chiropractor in Hawaii – but that’s a story for another day.
