February 24th – March 1st is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.It is estimated that between 5 and 8 million people are affected by eating disorders in the United States every year. Of these millions of Americans, 60% that seek treatment will reach recovery with medical assistance, 20% will be in and out of treatment without definite success their entire lives, and 20% will never recover. Eating disorders hold the tragic distinction of the mental illness with the highest mortality rate.
Though historically projected as an issue that only affected young, white women, recent data shows that anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorders know no ethnicity, age or gender boundaries. Poor treatment coverage coupled with deafening media and societal messages have exponentially increased the number of children, elderly and men of all races struggling with negative body image and a poor relationship with food. Even for those who do not suffer from a diagnosed eating disorder, negative body image remains a huge problem for many Americans as seen through chronic dieting, New Year's weight loss resolutions and public degration of our hips, butts and thighs.
A regular yoga practice has infinite benefits including alleviating depression, learning to live in the present moment, dealing with anxiety & fear and increasing the connection between body & mind. Additionally, yoga, above other forms of physical activity, has been proven to actively increase body esteem. In a society where people constantly berate themselves for not attaining the popular physical ideal, yoga helps to expand the perception of the body so that over time, the amazing framework and capabilities of our bodies become something to celebrate and be thankful for, rather than something to judge based on outward appearances. The non-competitive environment of yoga can help to create space within where one can wortk to reframe automatic critical messages so that the yogic principles of self-acceptance and a deeper exploration of the mind/body relationship have space to arise.
Below are some testimonials from teachers, volunteers and students of Sol Yoga as to how yoga has affected their relationship with their bodies. For a comprehensive list of eating disorder resources, please click here.
"I've found as a yoga neophyte, I've learned to breath and that breath can relax me and open my mind and body. I've also learned to be accepting of my body - as a person who has never exercised or had a sense of my body in space, I've found that the non judgmental nature of a yoga class is helping me to release my fears and insecurities to try new movements and that it's ok to do only what I can. I love that. It gives me joy." - Mother, Spiritual Guru
"I have found after years of yoga...really after the first few months...that I don't use my body to get into a pose...it's a reversal...I use the pose to become aware of my body...the fascinating exchanges of support and the internal spaciousness that occurs with practice...with learning to breathe fully and deeply...the strength, the flexibility...but more an openness of heart and mind...I learn to feel the internal landscape ...my soul's search for love and light." - Yoga Teacher, Lover of laughter & life, Beautiful Soul
" Yoga has been so good for me to stay in touch with my body. I identify injury so much quicker and am able to take care of any trouble spots before they become much bigger problems." - Dedicated Yoga Student, Constant Smiling Face:)
"Yoga makes me feel surprised by my body, proud of how it grows to remember and move beyond limits. The philosophy of yoga frees me form comparing myself , to understand the beauty in each stage of life. As we look deeper and deeper the shell does not matter so much anymore and the sparkle in the eye tends to be what is of interest." - Queen of Green, Creative Essence
"The value of yoga to me and my body image is unparalleled to anything else I’ve ever done (running, hiking,etc.) It’s give me true perspective on my strength and the beauty in my strength and those who practice around me." - The Gal who can Go the Distance
1 comment:
For someone who has been and is still fighting an eating disorder, the awareness, acceptance and community connection that arises from a collective yoga practice creates an amazing warm safe place for self-discovery.
In a society in which image is so heavily prioritized, in which achievements in the form of money, expensive clothes or degrees are the equivalent of success, in an environment in which competitivity is promoted and praised, we grow up believing that in order to be accepted our hips have to be a certain width, our grades should be as high as possible and that we have to be better than everybody around us (at everything). The result is a total disconnection from who we really are, a fear of just being, a belief that we should constantly push ourselves in order to deserve, an absolute dependence on external approval, an inability to form bonds with our surroundings… We are left with a hole inside us that we try to fill, but the fact is we aren’t being given the tools that will really make that emptyness dissapear.
The practice and inspiring philosophy of yoga promotes acceptance, love and joy of ourselves wherever we are at any instant. It helps quiet our critical mind by telling us that we are already born perfect. Practicing yoga allows us to listen to our bodies and minds in a judgemental-free way. Yoga trains us to observe and to be aware without incurring into immediate reactions. By counteracting the achievement-driven mentality of our society with the self-acceptance in the now, yoga allows us to pause, move forward, be curious, discover, play and experience. In other words, LIVE LIFE.
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