Hello Warriors! Are you ready to namaste your way through November? This can be one of the hardest times of year for recovery as the holiday season kicks off with Thanksgiving. Ugh…I still have memories of family gatherings when I was riddled with anxiety, guilt, and shame about my eating and my body. I would work so hard to “stay in control” but every time it would end in chaos. Looking back now I realize it wasn’t control that I needed, it was compassion. I learned my hunger for control was driven by fear, fear of what I felt, of who I was, of the world around me. All I knew to do was disconnect from it all through the eating disorder. With help, I learned how to sit with, to be with my thoughts and feelings. This is what compassion means “to be with what is” which takes courage. Our pose this month helps do just that. Read on and watch the video to practice with me.
Pose Of The Month: Courageous Heart Mudra (Sanskrit “abhaya hridaya”)
Quote: “With courage, you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity.” -Mark Twain
Affirmation: “I release fear and trust my body and soul.”
Benefits: calms anxiety, settles the mind, brings more awareness to the heart to heal emotional pain and cultivate courage and compassion.
Contraindications: none unless your hands/wrists are injured or unable to comfortably hold the pose. Listen to your body always.
P.S. I had to cultivate some BIG courage last month when I was asked to be a keynote speaker for our Cleveland NEDA Walk. Check out my speech and listen to my comparisons about yoga and eating disorders.
Bravely,
Julie
