Yoga Communities and Eating Disorders: Creating Safe Space for Positive Embodiment

Abstract

With adequate education and guidance, yoga communities, as part of the therapeutic landscape in the 21st century, can play a significant role promoting positive embodiment for those with, and at-risk for, eating disorders (EDs). To do this, yoga teachers need to know how to create a body-positive community and be able to recognize and respond to those at risk and struggling with EDs in their communities. In order to address yoga teaching methods associated with EDs and ED risk, broader conceptual approaches and specific practices associated with positive embodiment are offered. These include the broader conceptual approaches of: intentional inclusion and acceptance, experiential emphasis, supporting positive embodiment and inquiry. Studio pragmatics are also detailed as related to the body, breath, emotions, and community. Assessment, referral, and community engagement are also addressed.

Yoga and body image: How do young adults practicing yoga describe its impact on their body image?

“…Intervention implications include building upon the ways in which yoga has a positive impact on body image while being aware of how the practice might negatively impact some practitioners. Strategies likely to enhance the potential for yoga to improve practitioners’ body image, based on findings from the current study and recommendations from others (Cook-Cottone & Douglass, 2017; Neumark-Sztainer, 2014; Pickett & Cunningham, 2017), include providing a welcoming atmosphere to address feelings of intimidation, a practice space and instructor language that minimizes students’ tendencies to make comparisons with other students, and a setting and overall philosophy to attract a diverse student population in terms of body shapes and sizes, physical abilities, ethnicity, gender, and age. Yoga instructors have an important role to play in enhancing the positive impact of yoga on body image, and reducing its negative impact, through language that encourages students to meet their bodies where they are at, focuses on the functionality of the postures rather than what they look like, encourages looking inward rather than looking at others in the class, promotes a sense of gratitude for one’s body and all it does, and helps students be aware of their progress over time.…”

“…While these types of discussions are certainly important for beginning students, they are also important for more experienced students, given the predominant culture that is rampant with harmful body-image messages. Indeed, the role of the yoga instructor is paramount to ensuring that yoga practice is helpful, and not harmful, in terms of body image (Cook-Cottone & Douglass, 2017). The developmental theory of embodiment states that social power and relational factors can influence one’s experience of embodiment (Piran & Teall, 2012); providing a setting in which all yoga practitioners feel safe and all bodies feel welcome can help ensure that the yoga studio can be a healing space for all.…”

“…Steps need to be taken within yoga studios and other settings in which yoga is practiced to further enhance the positive impact of yoga on body image and to make the practice more accessible to those in larger bodies through intentional actions to attract and meet the needs of students from diverse backgrounds and in diverse body shapes and sizes (Cook-Cottone & Douglass, 2017; Pickett & Cunningham, 2017). Some suggested guidelines for yoga studios and instructors, based primarily on participant responses, are included in Table 2.…”

“…Some suggested guidelines for yoga studios and instructors, based primarily on participant responses, are included in Table 2. It is promising that more attention is being directed toward the potential for yoga to have a positive impact on body image and that there are greater resources available for yoga practitioners, yoga instructors, yoga studios, and mental health professionals (Cook-Cottone & Douglass, 2017; Costin & Kelly, 2016; Guest-Jelley, 2017; Klein, 2018; Klein & Guest-Jelley, 2014).…”

“…The practice of yoga addresses, and is aimed at integrating, the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of one’s being. The underlying tenets of yoga suggest that the practice may have benefits in terms of body image (Boudette, 2006; Cook-Cottone & Douglass, 2017; Daubenmier, 2005; Dittmann & Freedman, 2009; Douglass, 2009; Mahlo & Tiggemann, 2016; Mehling et al, 2011; Neumark-Sztainer, 2014). For example, the practice of yoga encourages greater awareness of one’s body in conjunction with a sense of selfcompassion and self-acceptance.…”