I remember my dietitian once telling me that there is more to life than rules about what you are and aren’t allowed to eat, that there are preferences if you give yourself permission to accept them. What the heck are food preferences, I thought. I only knew the world of strict, punishing food rules, thanks to the eating disorder. Here I share how I came to loosen my grip on food rules and began to explore what I actually, truly, deep down enjoy and dislike to eat—and in so doing, opened an unexpected pathway to self-acceptance.

Years ago, when dropping my daughters off at daycare, I encountered a most unexpected trigger that set off a spiral of old thoughts and food rules in my mind. Here I get honest about that moment of struggle and the aftermath of feeling ashamed and then finding a way to release the “old” stuff that came up for me at the school. I hope this blog is reminder that healing isn’t linear, and it’s OK if you are ebbing and flowing on your journey.

Guest contributor Natalie Gallant, MS, LCMHC, NCC, shares about how yoga benefits her mental health on and off the mat.

I experienced grief off and on during my recovery, especially in the beginning when I started to consistently make choices that aligned with recovery and not the eating disorder. I invite you to read about a pivotal moment in my journey, when I learned what it actually means to grieve the eating disorder, and why this emotion is a natural and important part of healing.

Guest contributor Haley Schiek shares how yoga philosophy and the physical practice influenced her journey towards recovery and health. Haley not only talks about the positive ways yoga has helped her but is also honest about the negative aspects, too, and the challenges it caused in her recovery. Haley's story will leave you feeling less alone and inspire hope for recovery and health.

I recently came across a story from the early days of my recovery after a relapse that occurred later in my life, when my children were little. Revisiting this emotional scene reinforced a message I often share with my yoga therapy clients: recovery is relearning how to participate in life, and this includes sharing meals with the people who matter to us. I invite you to read how my children taught me to participate in life and have fun with food again.

Guest contributor Sarah Webb shares how living with scoliosis affected her body image, causing her to feel trapped in a broken body. Sarah describes the pain she endured as well as the hope that she felt after attending her first yoga class. For Sarah, yoga was the beginning of true healing, offering a path to feeling empowered and whole in her body.

For so many of us in recovery, being “healthy” creates quite a conundrum. Although we commit to health and desire the benefits that come from being healthy, it can be painfully difficult to hear the words: “You look healthy.” Here I open up about the trouble I had with this word, and how I eventually learned to expand my definition of healthy from one rooted in eating disorder thinking to one that aligns with recovery values.

Meet guest contributor Evie Rose, who shares about making the brave, hard choice to leave university to seek help for an eating disorder and addiction. Evie describes how she’s integrated yoga into her recovery journey, and the many ways the practice has helped her feel again and move her body with intention and compassion. If you could use a little hope today that recovery is possible, give Evie’s post a read.