Yogarexia: When Yoga Becomes An Obssession
By Ashley Lane, Yoga for Eating Disorders Writer
Yoga is defined as the practice of uniting or “yoking” the body and the mind. For many, it is a practice of self-care, a connection to a safe community, and an activity that promotes strength and empowerment.
But what happens when yoga practice is used as reinforcement for body control and a distraction from processing painful emotions under the guise of devotion? What’s at stake when yoga becomes an obsession disguised as a lifestyle? It is important to be aware of the shadow side of yoga (aka ‘yogarexia’) that can potentially exacerbate the dangerous behaviors associated with eating disorders.
What initially draws many practitioners to yoga is the appealing promise of emotional and spiritual healing. However, subjective interpretations of the yogic philosophies can lead those who struggle with disordered eating and poor body image to adopt rigid, unattainable ideals. As Laura McCreddie at Yoga Magazine explains, “If you are offered something that fits nicely under the umbrella term of 'spirituality,' you have then absolved yourself of looking as if you're in it just to get the perfect bottom."
Take for instance the fourth yama, brahmacharya. Translated as “moderation” or “control of the senses,” it can easily be misinterpreted as control over eating instead of awareness of the habits that deplete us so that we can make new choices that foster balance. Likewise, the first niyama, saucha, or ‘purity,’ can fuel the idea that the body is imperfect as opposed to its pure meaning, which is the practice of disengaging from critical, toxic thoughts. There are many other examples of yogic concepts like these whose meanings can be bent to align with unhelpful and unhealthy thinking.
How can the larger yoga community protect its vulnerable students from forming an obssession with yoga?
Some warning signs yoga studio owners, teachers, and supports can look out for are people compulsively attending multiple classes a day (especially heated or fast-paced), obsessively achieving advanced poses, fixating on the intensity of one’s practice, and avoiding social gatherings to attend yoga class.
According to a study at Seattle Children’s Hospital, therapeutically-informed yoga has shown to significantly reduce eating disorder systems among adolescents and is now incorporated into more than half of inpatient eating disorder treatment centers in the United States. Robyn Caruso, the executive director at A New Journey Eating Disorder Treatment Center reports that many clients, after working so hard to disconnect from their bodies, are able to reconnect in a nurturing way. When used in a therapeutic and balanced way, yoga helps individuals in eating disorder recovery revive interoceptive awareness, which is the ability to sense things like hunger and fullness, thirst, emotions, pain, and our heartbeat.
Without interoceptive awareness, we experience our bodies as something to be controlled. Viewing one's body as an object to be controlled is detrimental to mental and physical health as Keli Laverty, BC-DMT, a leading expert in Dance/Movement Therapy and Founder of Be Rooted Wellness Counseling, explains in Episode 5 of Real Body Talk. She offers tips for how to shift your ‘body experience’ from control to empowerment. She likens the process to meeting a stranger: “You get to know them slowly, with kindness and compassion, open-mindedness. Seeing your body as a new friend...bringing that kindness to yourself...not necessarily comfortable with what you’re feeling, but comfortable exploring.”
Yoga can be an incredible tool for paving your way to a healthy relationship with your body and food. Questioning the intention behind your actions is essential to stay true to yoga’s values of accepting and celebrating your body. Finding a community of like-minded people can help you navigate challenges in a safe and supportive space. You deserve to live your yoga in a way that honors your body and its innate wisdom.
Raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Ashley is a yoga instructor and body image coach on the Pacific Southwest coast of Nicaragua. Through her recovery of orthorexia she transitioned from a rigorous asana practice to now healing, accepting, and connecting with her body through yoga philosophy. She’s rediscovering hobbies like psychology, baking, music and art, as well as pursuing new interests such as writing and surfing. She believes her healing journey can support others to overcome their own struggles with body image. Ashley writes for the Yoga for Eating Disorders blog.