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Effectiveness of Yoga in Eating Disorder Outpatient Treatment
Yoga is a practice of mindfulness, a mind body experience. For anyone who has engaged in the practice of yoga, it is a freeing experience. You only have the ability to think in present moment, and how your body moves or rests in each position. As you practice the yogi begins to accept your body for all of its strengths and let go of the negativity that surrounds body image.
Originating in India, yoga is a practice designed to create a sense of well being, improve self confidence and efficiency, increase attentiveness, and provide an optimistic outlook [1]. It consists of physical and mental discipline, and can improve the body’s sense of embodiment and interoception. Typically those struggling with an eating disorder have difficulty connecting the mind and body and lack self awareness.
How Yoga Can Aid the Recovery Process
Yoga in eating disorder outpatient treatment is a model within restorative health, and involves by calming the mind. Yoga means “union”, to “join or yoke” physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines [2]. The study of yoga teaches
- Poses
- Breathing exercises
- Focused attention
- Meditation.
The participant learns physical movements performed in a consistent way, combined with focused attention to breathing, which results in increased attention to internal/interoceptive feedback and tolerance for discomfort. The regular practice of yoga can increase the capacity to understand and manage physical and emotional states, which can aid in the recovery process from an eating disorder.
When an individual struggles with an eating disorder, it is a coping mechanism which distracts or numbs a person from their feelings, experiences, and stressors. The needs of the body are ignored and numbing of emotions and sensations are common. Unhealthy coping skills are engaged and typically can be highly dangerous.
Yoga can provide a tool to begin the emotional and physical healing process. It begins by bridging the mind and the body in a nonreactive and curious stance, even in the face of harmful thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and situations [5]. Yoga practice can create a space for the individual to respond to a trigger or situation. Yoga is about the acceptance of one’s body and care for the body, which is an essential part to the recovery process.
Positive Effects in the Body
Yoga in Eating Disorder outpatient treatment involves regulation of the nervous system. Anxiety and depression in those with eating disorders is significant, and the calming positive effect of yoga can reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Yoga has been shown to stimulate underactive parasympathetic nervous system, and the hypoactive gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system in the brain that are critical to threat perception, emotional regulation and stress reactivity [5]. Another study looking at the vagal nerve stimulation in yoga, could impact the stress response by decreasing heart rate and lowering blood pressure.
Individuals who are struggling with significant low-weight, regardless of treatment level, are not allowed to utilize yoga until medically cleared to do so. Many individuals who are of low-weight may not be able to manage even gentle yoga practice due to heart rate decrease, low blood pressure, risk of falls, etc. It is important to talk with your practitioner who is following your eating disorder care, before starting yoga exercise.
Building and Improving Body Image
Yoga in eating disorder outpatient treatment has 
various positive aspects [5] Many of these positive outcomes of yoga are increased use of coping skills to promote self soothing during high anxiety events, decreased anxiety at mealtimes, increased awareness of internal hunger and fullness cues, increased ability to challenge negative body image, body checking, and behaviors.
Yoga also increase positive body image, appreciate of what a person’s body is capable of, facing fears and challenging beliefs, decreasing isolation and increased awareness of negative self talk. All of these are parts of an eating disorder perception, self talk, and thought disturbances.
In a study, twenty teen girls aged 14-18 who were struggling with eating disorders, participated in a 12 week yoga intervention study. Participants were required to attend one yoga class of their choosing, once a week. Over the course of the study, a decrease in anxiety, depression and mood were seen, which suggested that the practice of yoga may augment multidisciplinary care [1].
The practice of yoga can aid in recovery through allowing patients to change their view around what their body can do for them, rather than how it looks. Yoga is about:
- The practice of self acceptance and self love
- Learning that yoga itself is a process
- Slow and gradual movements
- Breath
- Focus on the development of a pose, a state of being.
It is way to practice true mindfulness of being in the moment with yourself. It keeps distracting thoughts at bay and allows the person to connect to the inner self and value their body.
Research suggests that the regular practice of yoga, can improve depressed mood, immune function, reduce symptoms of stress, and lower blood pressure [2]. Further studies show that certain areas of the brain are enlarged through consistent hours of yoga practice over many years [2].
This is evidences in yogas neuroprotective effects, across age, experience, and frequency, as indicated by age-related gray matter in the left hemisphere [2]. According to Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, a researcher and certified yoga teacher, and author of “Yoga and Eating Disorders: Is There a Place for Yoga in the Prevention and Treatment of Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating Behaviors,” states that research is promising in the benefit of yoga practice, and that students in yoga classes are at equal or greater risk for having eating disorders than the greater population [2, 4].
She also states that yoga classes with well trained instructors can be a nurturing environment to learn better tools for self-care, how to pay more attention to their body, needs, and potentially less disordered eating symptoms [2].
In conclusion yoga is an integration of
- Mind
- Body
- Breath
- Spirit
- Soul
It includes specific postures, linked with breath while incorporating a focused intention of self exploration and reflection. In yoga that mind is not separate from the body, but it is a practice of wholeness. This can serve as a connection for those struggling with an eating disorder to engage in mindful awareness, self acceptance, and recovery.
About the Author: Libby Lyons, MSW, LCSW, CEDS is a specialist in the eating disorder field. Libby has been treating eating disorders for 10 years within the St. Louis area, and enjoys working with individuals of all ages.
References:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5148831/[2] http://www.edcatalogue.com/yoga-mindfulness-eating-disorder-recovery/
[3] http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ930795.pdf
[4] http://www.yogajournal.com/article/eating-disorders/truth-yoga-eating-disorders/
[5] https://www.emilyprogram.com/blog/discovering-the-role-of-yoga-in-eating-disorder-treatment
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 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.
Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on March 19, 2017.
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com
Baxter Ekern is the President of Eating Disorder Hope. He is responsible for the management and operations of Eating Disorder Hope. Baxter has been lending his services to Eating Disorder Hope for several years but came on board as the full-time president in November 2016.
