In this month’s blog series, Niya Bajaj explores how the experiences of stigma and silence around mental health concerns, including eating disorders, impact how people seek help and how yoga therapy can support inclusive recovery.

In her latest blog post, Niya Bajaj explores how the experiences of individuals who do not fit in the “skinny, white, affluent, girl” (SWAG) stereotype impacts if and how they seek help for eating disorders. Educating on the yoga practice of Satya, Niya identifies how yoga therapy can support inclusive recovery and guide individuals to reconnect with aspects of their identity and cultural practices to support their recovery.

In our latest blog series on yoga therapy and inclusive eating disorder recovery, Niya Bajaj investigates how gender identity impacts eating disorder recovery, and explains why yoga therapy —specifically the practice of pratyahara—can help support a more inclusive eating disorder recovery for transgender, non-binary and agender individuals.

The culture we are raised in provides the lens that determines what is beautiful and influences our body image. Guest contributor Niya Bajaj explores how the philosophical principles of yoga, or the niyamas, are guides for both addressing biases and definitions of beauty and healing body dissatisfaction. She offers practical suggestions for how to apply the niyamas to address eating disorders in a truly inclusive way, beyond the limitations of personal and cultural biases.