Given that 30 million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, it’s highly likely that if you’re a yoga teacher, you’ll come across students who are affected. Learn some general knowledge about the physical and mental complications of eating disorders.

Too many myths circulate about eating disorders, which affect over 70 million people worldwide. Here I discuss two myths that need busting, so that those who are affected can feel safe to come forward and receive the care they very much need and deserve.

Long-term recovery isn’t built on perfect days. It’s built on returning to daily mindfulness habits again and again. Check out these daily mindfulness habits that support long-term recovery stability.

Learn a few practical, hands-on calming techniques to balance overwhelm and urges.

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.

While standing at the Ferris Wheel, watching my family enjoy the ride, I am overcome with memories of how painfully difficult family vacations were when I was deep in the eating disorder. But the moment is also filled with a sense of freedom, as I acknowledge what progress feels like years later. For anyone dreading vacations and social events, I hope this blog feels helpful and supportive.

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

How do we keep moving toward accepting ourselves on hard days, when the pull of the eating disorder is strong, and the need to numb is overwhelming? This is a question I had to answer for myself and learned two keys: permission to have my emotions and small acts of self-kindness. Both have had a positive impact on my recovery, and I hope you find a gem here that resonates with you.

I’ll never forget the moment my daughter needed me while I was in the middle of a body image meltdown. While comforting her, I realized the divide between these ways of being—chaotically body checking and comforting my child—was incongruent, too off the mark of who I wanted to be for my daughters—and for myself. That is the moment when I started to reconcile who I was in the mirror and who I already was for the people I love. Give a read to learn how peace with the mirror is possible.