Athletes frequently encounter intense physical and mental challenges that may lead to restrictive eating habits, compulsive workouts and dissatisfaction with their bodies. This is a topic not talked about enough. Many thanks to guest contributor Beth Rush for raising awareness and discussing why yoga can be helpful for athletes who struggle with eating disorders and body image.

Learn how body awareness practices quiet self-criticism, strengthen emotional balance, and rebuild trust through mindful daily routines.

I love being a yoga therapist. It's an absolute privilege to hold space for individuals and share the practices, philosophies, and tools of yoga to support them in the shifts and changes they wish to make in their lives. Many thanks to Sofia Health for inviting me to share about the benefits of yoga therapy for eating disorder recovery in this interview.

I am deeply honored to contribute to this new, groundbreaking book on the topic of grief and chronic illness.

In our struggle to feel, be, and do “enough,” we often measure our self-worth by external sources like social media, to-do lists, or the scale. I get it — that was part of my eating disorder journey too, which I open up about in this blog. I also share what helped me to claim my “enoughness.” If you are exhausted from the constant effort to do and be “enough,” this blog offers some concrete ideas to help you release dependence on external factors that sabotage your self-worth.

Meet guest contributor Stacy J. Bryant, who shares how, through her gift of writing, realized she was struggling with disordered eating. Read how she is meeting herself where she is each day through yoga and therapy to heal the shame that lived beneath the eating disorder behaviors and thoughts for so long. Stacy’s writing is beautiful, and you will be moved!

Thanks to the dedication and support of all of our readers and guest contributors, the Yoga for Eating Disorders Blog has been ranked #5 out of the top 20 blogs about eating disorders by FeedSpot!

Written by Maria Ortiz, LMHC, a former Division 1 gymnast, this blog focuses on gymnastics and eating disorders, but athletes of many appearance-driven sports will relate to what is shared. Maria hopes the information she provides will be helpful for athletes as well as for coaches, parents, and mental health professionals alike to gain insight into how a sport may breed an eating disorder.

As we all know, coping with shame is a deep, ongoing process, especially when it is tied to eating, body image, or past experiences. Guest contributor Jenn J. (she/they) shares why breaking the shame cycle often involves self-compassion, connection, and gentle unlearning, and offers several approaches that have helped them in their own healing journey.