Self-Kindness Is the Key to My Recovery
By Lora McCandless, Guest Contributor
Yoga found me when I was at my lowest point in my eating disorder. Living alone in Toronto, with not many friends, I was able to restrict my diet without anyone noticing. I felt completely alone and unseen.
I started attending a yoga class at a local gym and was blessed to study with an intuitive and kind teacher who changed the trajectory of my life when she uttered four simple but transformative words in class one day: "Be kind to yourself."
For me, this was the first time I had ever heard anything so radical and loving. And that began my love affair with yoga.
Being kind to myself began with acknowledgment of how far was far enough when practicing yoga. What often happened most often during yoga classes, was my body would let me know when to stop in a posture, and I would continue anyway, pushing my body on to levels of discomfort. Being kind to myself initially meant listening to my body and stopping when it asked me to. Eventually and ever so slowly this kindness extended to acknowledging my body's hunger cues and allowing myself to eat.
Now, as a wife and mother, being kind to myself means waking while the house is still quiet and taking time for myself. This usually includes meditation and yoga or perhaps a run in the beautiful trail by my home. Starting my day off with a morning routine allows me to put my best foot forward and start the day in a calm and focused way, so that I can care for myself and my family from a place of love and kindness.
It’s been 15 years since that fortuitous yoga class that started my recovery from the eating disorder. Today, I am a registered yoga teacher specializing in yin and Hatha yoga and hope to be that kind and intuitive voice to others. I am so grateful for my personal yoga practice and mantras that are guiding me gently to honor my body as it is right now.
Lora is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher who has been practicing yoga for 20 years. For the past year she has specialized in teaching Hatha and Yin yoga. Lora has found growth and healing through these sacred practices and hopes to reach others with the light and love of yoga.