YOGA FOR RECOVERY The Yoga for Recovery program was established at Eating Disorders Queensland in 2019, recognising and valuing our holistic way of working with people. Since then, it has run four programs. Due to Covid-19, the decision was made to pause the program until it was able to be run again in person so during the time from July 2020 to June 2021, only two programs were run. Yoga originates in India and the practice comes from a long line of teachers, students, and practice. Yoga has been recognised as a helpful practice alongside traditional forms of therapy in eating disorder recovery. In this program, through the practice of yoga, a person can start to regain a sense of connection to their body that may have been lost due to their eating disorder. Sessions allow people to focus on turning their attention to their inner experience of the practice thus building skills of being present, interoception, emotional regulation, and moving towards body acceptance.
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The main goal for Yoga for Recovery is to give the person the opportunity to connect to and notice sensations in their body and then be able to interact with what they feel in various self-directed compassionate ways. Sessions start with a grounding practice, intention setting and a series of gentle warmups. Then explored are different forms, breathing practices, meditation, mantra, and rest/relaxation time. Sessions are informed by the philosophical principles and understanding of Yoga such as Ahimsa (non-harming) which are about supporting a shift to a more self-compassionate approach to self.
Introducing healthy movement and including it in daily life to breath and help when emotions get intense.
Eating Disorders Queensland
