The Power of Practice: Finding Balance Beyond the Mat
Guest contributor Natalie Gallant, MS, LCMHC, NCC, shares about how yoga benefits her mental health on and off the mat.
The Struggle to Feel Deserving
On a dark January evening, I found a yellow sticky note that I’d completely forgotten about in my coat pocket. On the front were three words: yoga, write, read. I needed this reminder to slow down and make space for these nourishing activities. Now I just had to believe I was deserving of taking the time to do them. Here I share some of the steps I took to build trust within myself that I was, in fact, deserving to make and take space for those people, places, and things that are important to me.
The "Success" of Recovery Is Not Measured in "Happiness"
Learning the yogic definition of contentment was an important turning point in my recovery because I could let go of the pressure to be happy all the time, or even to always like my body. Here I share how a most unexpected role model showed me I was free from measuring the success of my recovery by the depth of my happiness.
A Yoga Journey Towards Recovery and Health
Guest contributor Haley Schiek shares how yoga philosophy and the physical practice influenced her journey towards recovery and health. Haley not only talks about the positive ways yoga has helped her but is also honest about the negative aspects, too, and the challenges it caused in her recovery. Haley's story will leave you feeling less alone and inspire hope for recovery and health.
Relearning How to Participate in Life After an Eating Disorder
I recently came across a story from the early days of my recovery after a relapse that occurred later in my life, when my children were little. Revisiting this emotional scene reinforced a message I often share with my yoga therapy clients: recovery is relearning how to participate in life, and this includes sharing meals with the people who matter to us. I invite you to read how my children taught me to participate in life and have fun with food again.
Mapping the Body: A Story of Scoliosis, Body Image, and Yoga
Guest contributor Sarah Webb shares how living with scoliosis affected her body image, causing her to feel trapped in a broken body. Sarah describes the pain she endured as well as the hope that she felt after attending her first yoga class. For Sarah, yoga was the beginning of true healing, offering a path to feeling empowered and whole in her body.
Tug of War: Wanting to be Well and Sick at the Same Time
I can remember feeling trapped in a tug-of-war between the eating disorder and recovery. While it may have "looked" like I was "doing" recovery, I was not all in---until one day my dietitian called me out on it and it was time for me to learn how to truly face my fears. If you feel trapped in this tug-of-war, I invite you to read this post and know you aren't alone, and that recovery is possible.
5 Reasons Adaptive Chair Yoga Is For Everyone
There are many barriers that keep people from trying yoga. Some relate to health, physical challenges, and body image challenges. If you are new to yoga or looking to explore ways experience the practice, guest contributor Mary Higgs shares how Adaptive Chair Yoga not only breaks down barriers to yoga by making it more accessible, but it also focuses on the mind-body connection by encouraging practitioners to trust and listen to their bodies.
“You Look Healthy:” Why These Words Can Be So Hard to Hear
For so many of us in recovery, being “healthy” creates quite a conundrum. Although we commit to health and desire the benefits that come from being healthy, it can be painfully difficult to hear the words: “You look healthy.” Here I open up about the trouble I had with this word, and how I eventually learned to expand my definition of healthy from one rooted in eating disorder thinking to one that aligns with recovery values.