Clients are often
curious about what I do when I'm not working at the Center. Like most of you,
there are many things that keep me busy – sometimes I joke that I have to go pay
to relax. My favorite method of relaxation is yoga, and it's one of the main
ways I incorporate spirituality
into my life.
As part of a
recent yoga teacher training, I wrote a paper called "Better Body
Esteem," about how a yoga program I designed can address so many of the
body image issues that accompany eating disorders and food addiction.
On the cover of my
paper is a photo of my mother in a red one-piece leotard, upside down in a
headstand. It was my mother who instilled my love of yoga, and now that she is
no longer living, I dedicated the paper to her.
The teacher
training was an amazing experience. I met wonderful people I wouldn't have met
otherwise (here is a photo of me with some of my classmates), including some
that you will be seeing around the White Picket Fence Counseling Center in the
coming weeks and months, as we create new programs to bring you the benefits of
yoga.
Some people object
to the idea of yoga because they feel it conflicts with their religious
practice. Our approach will be completely non-religious, and while we believe
that spirituality is a key part of
the recovery journey, it will be up to you to decide how deep you want to
go.
With our limited
space, we're going to focus on one-on-one yoga therapy and small yoga groups –
including some classes that will be free for the community. So please stay
tuned!
For the rest of this month, I'll be presenting
more information about how yoga and yoga therapy are uniquely suited to assist
people recovering from eating disorders and food addiction.