Meet Courtney Hinkle
Y4ED Community Member, Courtney Hinkle
Courtney Hinkle has found the Yoga For Eating Disorders Community to be a safe place where she can be and speak honestly about her living with an eating disorder. We invite you to read her story and join our Facebook group if you seek community on your journey.
“We all have a story. Mine involves having lived on both sides of the eating disorder nightmare. I lived many years as a loving outsider feeling helpless to such a powerful and destructive disorder, to then one day finding myself on the same side battling my very own. I could never have imagined I would have ended up with my own ED after being devastated and feeling so helpless for so many years watching my best friend, my older sister, battle her own.
Over the years, my sister’s eating disorder remained relentless, and then, unfortunately, on top of her ED, a severe case of alcoholism developed. Battling a dual diagnosis as she did sadly became too much for her body to handle, and she ended up losing her battle at only age 40 on May 13, 2019. She fought incredibly hard for so long to the very end, though, and I know she’s free, finally.
All she ever wanted was for me to be okay, and now that she’s gone, the best gift I can give her and myself is to find health and healing through my own recovery. I’ve been battling my ED entirely on my own for all these years, but I am finally in a place where I am allowing myself to open up to a community that I trust and know truly understands what it is like living with an ED.
I have always felt the practices and principles of yoga need to be a part of my life. I believe they will play such a crucial part in the success of my recovery. Until now, I’ve always been so hesitant to allow that level of mind-body connection and stillness into my life. Allowing it has always felt incredibly terrifying to me, and I know I have a long way to go. However, I am excited and confident about the life-altering transformation yoga, and this community will bring to my life.
The Y4ED community is helping to make my dreams a reality. Every day, I wake up looking forward to seeing the encouraging Facebook posts the administrators and community members contribute. I have such a strong drive in me to want what I know so many of you have. I am still very much in the early days and stages of my recovery, and I have a long way to go, but I know this new chapter of my life will be a good one. I know for sure I can’t do this on my own anymore. We definitely are not meant to do this alone.
I am beyond grateful for finding the Y4ED community and for everything everyone does to support one another. It is so wonderful to be a part of something so positive and powerful. This community has provided me with nothing but support and encouragement from day one. I have already learned so much, and I’ve made some very big steps in the right direction. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me. Thank you all for the outpouring of love and support you have given me and show to one another. There is absolutely hope and healing on the other side of this. It’s just going to take hard work and determination to get there. I finally know and feel in the depths of my soul that recovery, full recovery, is possible!"