Daily Rituals That Have Helped Me Heal Decades of Eating Disorders
By Lisa Faremouth Weber M.A. E-RYT500, Guest Contributor
I was 55 years old when I finally recovered from decades of disordered eating. I assure you that overcoming an eating disorder and gaining power, strength, and personal sovereignty is possible. For me, the path to heal involved consistently loving myself through self-care rituals.
Our radiance and luminous connection to our true self needs beautiful rituals for accessing our bliss and joy and healing from our trauma. In yoga, Drishti is a Sanskrit word meaning gaze or focus. In each yoga posture, there is an associated focal point. Where our eyes go, our energy flows. Another way to understand this word is to apply it beyond our mat and into our daily lives. Are we focusing on our problems, or are we focusing on solutions? I want to empower you to step onto your power path by embracing the value of personal rituals and your daily routine, known in Ayurveda as your Dinacharya.
Focusing on solutions empowers us and raises our frequency and vibration. Being in your power and sovereignty gives you fuel to make good choices consistently. Just like the book Atomic Habits by James Clear states, the consistent effort made over time creates powerful life-changing results.
It made a difference for me when I took the time to consistently plan each meal, go grocery shopping, and prepare food—like chopping vegetables and cooking. Having a fun or beautiful tote bag or lunch bag to carry my meals, along with my water or tea bottle, was/is also essential. It’s crucial to take one day and one meal at a time, filled with self-love and self-care. Remember, this means loving yourself first rather than self-abandoning and putting everyone else’s needs first. It requires time and consistent effort to change the samskaras or patterns in the brain, detoxify the cells of addictive cravings, and alter behavior patterns.
Personal rituals are the bridge to bliss. Joy is the key. Life is supposed to be fun. Enjoying food and drink is part of life. In the yogic Kosha model, the first Kosha is Annamaya Kosha. In Sanskrit, the word annamaya means “consists of food.” What we eat is essential to our well-being. I endured years of personal struggle, body shame, and low self-esteem because of my disordered eating. Suffering was a daily experience. My hunger cues didn’t work, and I had no idea what intuitively I wanted to eat when it was mealtime because I spent too much time in my head thinking about what I should eat to keep my weight down.
Bulimia first presented itself to me as a sophomore in college when I was living in my sorority and wanting so much to be fit and thin, yet at the time, I had no idea that my childhood experience caused me deep trauma, nor did I realize that I am a highly sensitive person. I knew nothing about yoga, Ayurveda, or my personal Dosha. As a Pitta/Kapha Dosha, I need to eat regularly. My natural tendency is to wake up early; that is when my brain works the best, so it was the best time for me to study. Most of my college peers would stay up late or all night to study, so this lifestyle created stress for me, and my coping method was food. I discovered that I am a highly sensitive person and couldn’t drink alcohol. Trying to be like the other collegians didn’t work for me.
As an artist, healer, and shamanic yoga therapist, I was first introduced to rituals through Alexandra Stoddard’s book, Living a Beautiful Life: 500 Ways to Add Elegance, Order, Beauty, and Joy to Every Day of Your Life. Each chapter encourages readers to create magic from the mundane, adding color and detail to everyday activities or mindfully selecting even the simplest actions, like choosing the cup you love to hold and admire while enjoying your coffee or tea.
Here are my current daily rituals, all of which empower and uplift me in the process of caring for myself:
My day begins with drinking a big glass of room-temperature water and freshly squeezed lemon, which I prepare the night before so that the water is room temperature, which allows the stomach and spleen organs to absorb the water, access nutrients, and not use too much life force energy to warm the liquid. I create a beautiful sacred space, light a candle, and begin my morning journaling process using a journal that is beautiful to look at and hold. I also have an adorable flower pen to write with, or I use my diamond-tipped pen to remind me of the Diamond Sutra in Buddhism, which symbolizes the power of the diamond to cut through the darkness or unconsciousness and allow our soul to shine. Once my teeth are brushed and I have taken a sponge bath, I dress for my morning walking meditation. I usually listen to my favorite astrology report by Pam Gregory, Heather Ensworth, or Kaypacha. Sitting down to eat a meal, I create a beautiful setting using a seasonal placemat, candle, and flowers. I take a moment to breathe, bless my food, and say a gratitude prayer. Breakfast is between 7 AM and 9 AM, followed by a mid-morning snack. Lunch is between 11 AM and 2 PM, followed by an afternoon snack. Dinner is between 5 PM and 7 PM. My bedtime ritual begins with a cup of tea and an Epsom salt bath with essential oil or Dosha oil, like sesame oil with lemongrass. My ritual ends by choosing a cotton nightgown or pajama to sleep in, then snuggling into my linen sheets and reading my latest book, listening to an educational or informative recording, or sometimes just nurturing my spirit with Pinterest.
In Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, special attention is given to the daily schedule known as Dinacharya. Dinacharya includes dietary and lifestyle practices to be followed daily for a healthy and disease-free life. This may encompass bedtime, awakening, exercise, mealtime, massage, regular baths, and other self-care practices. It is a collection of natural lifestyle habits in accordance with the circadian rhythm and one’s Dosha predominance. Paying special attention to your daily schedule or Dinacharya can positively influence physical, mental, and spiritual health and overall well-being, all of which we need to heal and sustain our recoveries. Daily rituals, in combination with other therapeutic modalities, help us gain power, strength, and personal sovereignty in the lives we wish to create.
Lisa Faremouth Weber graduated from Loyola Marymount University's Master of Yoga Studies Program and Advanced Yoga Therapy. She is the owner of Heaven Meets Earth Yoga, which she founded over 20 years ago. She is the producer of the 30-minute documentary film The Future of Yoga: Your Pathway to Happiness, which is available on Omstars online yoga channel or at her Vimeo channel. She appears in Kino MacGregor’s book Get Your Yoga On. Join Lisa at The Sedona Yoga Festival in May 2025. If you’re curious about how mentoring can help, or if you need assistance in creating rituals for your daily routine, establishing a somatic yoga practice for well-being, or seeking support in any way, email Lisa at lisayoga@comcast.net.