Meeting My True Self on the Yoga Mat

By Veronique van Dam, guest contributor

I first discovered yoga during my eating disorder. I’ll just give it a try, I said slightly laughing with a friend. As long as I was moving, I believed I felt better becasue I wasn’t caught up in my thoughts. Despite not knowing what I thought about the class—if I liked it or not—I kept coming back. During that time, I had no awareness of what yoga was doing for me. I was moving, so I was fine.

What I learned without realizing it, was about rest, and that it was possible to slow down, especially when I was tired. Going to yoga taught me how to move my body in a gentle way instead of an exhausting one. My mind was able to think more clearly and let some things go.

My real recovery started when I was asked to replace my yoga teacher. I was really surprised because my mat was always at the back of the room. And now I had to go in front of the class. That was really scary, but I am so glad I did because I realized my passion to teach!

And from that moment on, my eating disorder began to take up less and less space in my life. I believed I was good at something and I really liked something. Although I was a shy child (maybe it is my nature), on my yoga mat I was able to express all my emotions. Be myself. Be vulnerable in front of people.

I am very thankfull that I took the chance to teach yoga and with that came the chance to take care of myself.

Yoga taught me to feel what is happening in my body and to discover what is going on in my mind. And more importantly, I learned to listen to my body and to be at peace with small things and the moment now. Yoga brings me back to what is really important.

By doing and learning yoga for many more years after, I am still getting better at feeling and caring for myself. I think that is a process that continues our whole life. I am very glad that I can guide people through this process and help others meet their true selves on the yoga mat, like I did.

I am Veronique, a yoga teacher at Velans Yoga in the Netherlands. During my work as a child psychologist, I noticed that more and more mental pressure and stress has arisen in both children and adults. We live too much from our heads. Fortunately, I now also know which factors can prevent someone from becoming exhausted or what can help them recover. I specialize in the role of yoga in mental health care, especially for those with eating problems. In my yoga classes, there is a place for everyone and a yoga posture for everyone. You have all the space to experience your thoughts and feelings, and to learn what happens in your body, to learn to listen to your feelings, and to learn that you can influence this yourself. Follow me on Instagram @veroniquevandam.