Surrender

In yoga for eating disorders, we help our patients practice balancing effort with ease— sthira and sukha. Many yoga poses feel awkward and challenging - a metaphor for uncomfortable situations your clients experience in their lives. By using effort (sthira) but balancing this effort with ease (sukha), your client can gradually move into a yoga posture without tension, similar to the way they can approach their recovery. 

Ease may also be equated to “surrender.” As your clients begin to let go of their attachments, they begin to surrender into their healing work. Mindfulness yoga can help your clients trust their bodies and trust the process. As they balance effort with ease, they can surrender into and trust the healing process. They begin to stay with the discomfort without fighting or pushing it away. They surrender their control over food, relationships, or anything else they may be clinging to. As your clients begin to find the balance between effort and ease, they can begin to untangle themselves from the stronghold of their addiction.