Meet Michelle

Y4ED Community Member, Michelle.

Meet Y4ED Featured Member, Michelle, who shares how the Y4ED community has given her a space to connect with like-minded people who practice yoga both on and off the mat as part of their recovery. Many thanks to Michelle for sharing about the role of community in her recovery and for inspiring us with her story! Read Michelle’s story:

“My name is Michelle, and I connected with the Y4ED community about a year ago through my mentor. Yoga has been a part of my life for over 10 years but during my early years of practice, it was just another fitness class where I compared myself to others and pushed myself far beyond my limits.

Over six years of ED recovery, I found myself in a larger body. Standard yoga classes did not accommodate my body and I struggled to find the courage to enter a traditional studio. I became a yoga teacher to provide a space for people like me to practice yoga – not just those in larger bodies, but anyone who felt uncomfortable attending a class.

Living in Southern California, I have struggled to find a community of like-minded people who practice yoga for spiritual growth rather than image. Finding the Y4ED community has been encouraging, affirming, and accessible. I joined the weekly connection calls and have participated in a Mentoring Group cohort, Sunday Slow Down Yoga Series, Yoga Tools for ED Series, the Mentoring Circle, and look forward to future offerings!

I continue to work with this community because the spaces are led by wonderfully trained individuals who are inclusive, ED informed, and allow me to feel safe showing up in my body as it is right now. I have learned new ways to practice yoga on and off the mat that are gentle and welcoming from the comfort and safety of my home. My teacher training taught me that yoga is not just about asana, but Y4ED has shown me in practice how to apply yoga principles and philosophy to achieve balance in my recovery.”

MANY THANKS TO MICHELLE AND ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL MEMBERS!