Eating Disorders And The Use Of Yoga In Prevention And Treatment

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Article Title: Eating Disorders And The Use Of Yoga In

Prevention And Treatment

Author: Roy Thomsitt

Word Count: 582

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It was not so long ago that eating disorders, such as bolimia

and anorexia, were thought to be purely the result of mental

conditions. More recently, though, some physical factors have

been attributed to these conditions. It is now thought that

eating disorders can be triggered by a multitude of factors, in

combination, including those of a psychological, behavioural,

social, or biological nature.

How Can Yoga Help With Eating Disorders

As with many conditions, eating orders can better be dealt with

through a calm and focused mind. Depression and low self esteem

are problems often associated with eating disorders, and Yoga

can help with both.

It has been proven that Yoga can reduce depression, restoring a

state of balance and well being in the individual. Also, there

are different yoga practices which encourage heightened levels

of self esteem, and promote a positive view of your own body.

These are crucial factors with eating disorders, and it has

been shown that the application of yoga can significantly

increase recuperation and healing. Through the elimination of

self judgment, yoga establishes a strong connection between

mind and body. This, of course, is the natural state of

wellness. By re-establishing this strong connection, mind and

body will work in harmony to repair the damage.

Regular yoga practice will increase the overall fitness level

of the human body, improving the immune system and giving it a

good chance of fighting illnesses. This is helpful with

Anorexia, for example, because the sufferer's body will

experience lower energy levels, and the condition reduces bone

density.

In dealing with eating disorders, the yogic system identifies

them as a problem related to the first chakra. There are

different yoga poses that can be used to balance it: eg. staff,

crab, full wind, and pigeon. By using grounding postures (eg

mountain, goddess, standing squat and prayer squat) strength

and courage can be increased. What these postures do is to

re-establish the strong mind-body connections, and through that

connection help overcome many physical obstacles. For anorexia

sufferers, most of the yoga back bending poses help reduce

depression, while forward bends can calm the spirit and reduce

anorexia's effects.

Because the mental state has an important role in eating

disorders, meditation can be used successfully to reduce

negative and harmful thoughts and feelings. An active, well

targeted, meditation practice should prove to be very

effective. The yoga poses work best when external factors are

shut out, and concentration is allowed to focus on your inner

self. Giving special attention to breathing, and also to inner

sensations, will transport you to a state of greater awareness

and calmness. This new state will allow you to go on further to

explore new concepts, and hopefully pursue new goals that may

have been impossible before.

As with many medical conditions, being aware of the bulimia or

anorexia problem, and showing a constant and strong desire to

defeat it, is a great method to reduce their effect. It is

likely that an early adoption of yoga practices would make the

patient more aware of the problem, thus making a positive

contribution to an early cure. However, these yoga techniques

are more usually used in the recuperative stages of the

illness. That is a pity because, as with all illnesses in which

it can be beneficial, yoga works best in the prevention stage,

when the negative effects are still low and easier to over

come.

About The Author: Roy Thomsitt is the owner and part author of

http://www.routes-to-self-improvement.com

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