Dear Mukunda Stiles! I need some advise from you. A hospital approached me about teaching yoga to a group of teenagers with eating disorders; they are out-pateints, coming in for regular treatments. Esther Myers trained me in Toronto. I am really interested and eager to learn and help. I appreciate every bit of advice. I hope you will be coming to Toronto soon!
I would recommend you treat these girls with plenty of friendship and joy. That is what they need most once you have established a friendship and trust then they may be more open to allowing the yoga and you to get more intimate and share what they really are feeling. There is no technique for this, just opening yourself and letting go of your own issues that are triggered by working with yourself at this age whatever they may be. Consider that you are a student in this group, what would help you to feel more accepted, loved, and appreciated for your uniqueness? Share from that place using yoga as the way. Breathing awareness, not pranayama, is of great benefit. Show them how to change their breathing patterns a variety of ways, nothing how different patterns resemble changes that accompany changes in emotions. For instance, even in/out breathing with long exhales creates tenderness and openness. Shallow inhales and irregular exhales accompany feelings of sadness and grief. For details you can see “Specific respiratory patterns distinguish among human basic emotions” by Susana Bloch, et. al. published in International Journal of Psychophysiology 11 (1991) 141-154. Learning to identify your feelings and feel them is invaluable training. Blessings in sharing your yoga. namaste Mukunda