A young woman has come to me for one-to-one yoga class who describes herself as a “recovering anorexic.” She is still extremely thin and dislikes general classes because she feels self-conscious. We are focusing on two related themes: “growing to love curves” and “opening the heart” - so lots of gentle backbends. I’m also getting her to do plenty of really solid, grounded asanas to encourage her to feel more stable. We also peel and chop vegetables together, silently and mindfully, at the end of our practice! I know it sounds strange, but I hope it will help her to interact mindfully with food, really focusing on the beauty of what is provided for us to eat. All is going well, she is an intelligent and dedicated student and I appreciate everything that she is teaching me. However, I’m the first to admit that I have no experience with people with eating disorders, so any advice from you would be most welcome. Stay well and have fun. K. from Ireland
Sounds to me like you are doing a great job with her. I love the idea of silently cutting vegetables after class with the feelings of humility. This is exactly how I learned to prepare meals while living in Muktananda’s ashrams. Sometimes chanting tapes were played in the background to direct our attention to the omnipresence of Grace.
In working with eating disorders professional help is required first and foremost so one should be in consultation with the point person who is handling her medical and/or psychological care. Secondly your role can be as friend and confidant as this is crucial for them to have an outlet to release tension via sharing feelings. Individual sessions are definitely the way to proceed. She needs to find a concerned friend first before any deep work on the issues can feel safe enough to move into. Trust and safety first later on lifestyle changes. A sense of community is beneficial later on when she is ready. The prime practices for this are vata balancing, those which increase prana, heighten sensitivity, and promote a sense of relaxation. For this breath awareness of the exhalation is intended to be as constant as possible yet gentle not forced. It is more about how to teach than what to teach. Your attitude is most correct.