Eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder are more than just struggles with food—they are complex mental health conditions influenced by a mix of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors. Each person’s journey is unique, and recovery requires addressing not only the physical aspects but also the emotional and spiritual wounds.
Mindfulness and yoga are helpful tools to use in eating disorder recovery, helping people work through their disorder and remove themselves from a cycle of harmful behavior.
Mindfulness and Meditation: Anchoring in the Present
Mindfulness is about being fully present in each moment without judgment. It’s a skill that can significantly benefit those dealing with eating disorders by helping them understand their triggers and behaviors around food.
Developing Awareness
By practicing mindfulness, you can start to recognize patterns in your thoughts and actions. You may notice that stress or negative self-talk often leads to disordered eating behaviors. This awareness is the first step toward change.
Emotional Regulation
Meditation provides a serene space for inner reflection and calm. Techniques like guided imagery and loving-kindness meditation can help you develop a compassionate relationship with yourself, promoting emotional resilience and reducing stress.
Breaking the Cycle
Mindfulness teaches you to observe cravings and urges without acting on them immediately. By sitting with discomfort and exploring its causes, you can begin to break the cycle of compulsive behaviors and make better choices.
Kundalini Yoga: Tapping into Inner Strength
Kundalini yoga combines dynamic movements, breathwork, and meditation to awaken your inner energy and foster a sense of vitality and spiritual connection.
Breathwork and Pranayama
Kundalini yoga emphasizes breath control, which can help regulate your nervous system and reduce anxiety. Techniques like alternate nostril breathing and breath of fire promote balance and energy flow, helping you feel grounded and centered.
Kriyas and Mantras
Specific kriyas (sets of exercises) and mantras help channel your energy towards healing. These practices enhance self-awareness, promote emotional balance, and strengthen the mind-body connection.
Building Resilience
The physical and mental challenges of Kundalini yoga teach perseverance and inner strength. Learning to endure discomfort and emerge stronger is a valuable lesson that applies to your recovery journey.
Shifting Mindset: From Struggle to Empowerment
One of the core principles taught at Laura Listens is transforming your mindset—from seeing eating disorders as a struggle to viewing them as opportunities for growth and healing.
Reframing Challenges
Instead of seeing setbacks as failures, view them as opportunities for learning and growth. This shift in perspective can reduce feelings of shame and guilt, which are common in eating disorder recovery.
Fostering Self-Compassion
Cultivating a positive mindset involves treating yourself with kindness and understanding. Practices like self-compassion meditation and affirmations can help you develop a nurturing relationship with yourself.
Empowering Narratives
By reclaiming your narrative, you can move from a victim mindset to one of empowerment. Recognize your strengths, set realistic goals, and celebrate small victories along the way.
Yoga and Its Therapeutic Role
Yoga, in its various forms, offers numerous therapeutic benefits for individuals with eating disorders. Beyond physical exercise, yoga encourages self-acceptance, body awareness, and emotional regulation.
Gentle Asanas
Gentle yoga poses promote relaxation and body awareness. Poses like Child’s Pose, Cat-Cow, and Savasana (Corpse Pose) help you connect with your body in a compassionate and non-judgmental way.
Breathwork
Pranayama techniques regulate the breath and calm the mind. Deep belly breathing and Ujjayi breath can help you manage anxiety and stress, providing a sense of inner peace.
Emotional Release
Yoga provides a safe space for emotional release. As you move through poses and connect with your breath, you may experience a release of pent-up emotions, which is an essential part of the healing process.
Integrating Practices into Treatment
Both yoga and mindfulness practices can be integrated into individual therapy and group classes.
Group Classes
Group classes offer a sense of community and support. They provide a space to share experiences, learn from each other, and practice mindfulness and yoga together, fostering a sense of belonging.
Individualized Therapy
One-on-one therapy sessions focus on addressing the underlying emotional and psychological issues contributing to your eating disorder. Techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are commonly used alongside holistic practices.
Impact and Healing
The impact of mindfulness, meditation, Kundalini yoga, and a positive mindset in eating disorder recovery extends beyond symptom management.
Self-Awareness
Mindfulness and meditation help you better understand your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This self-awareness is crucial in identifying and addressing triggers and undesired patterns.
Resilience
Holistic practices build emotional and mental resilience. By learning to cope with stress and discomfort in healthy ways, you can navigate the challenges of recovery more effectively.
Connection
These practices foster a deeper connection with yourself and others. Through yoga and mindfulness, you can reconnect with your body, emotions, and the world around you, promoting a sense of wholeness and belonging.
Sustainable Recovery
Integrating holistic practices into your treatment supports sustainable recovery. By addressing the emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of eating disorders, you can develop a balanced and fulfilling relationship with food and your body.
Written by Laura Jaramillo, LCPC
Laura Jaramillo, LCPC, is a compassionate therapist specializing in eating disorders, anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder, and trauma. At her practice, Laura Listens, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, she integrates traditional psychotherapy with mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. Laura’s holistic approach nurtures mind, body, and spirit, empowering clients to heal and cultivate resilience in a supportive, heart-centered environment.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer a discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Published July 12, 2024.
