Building mind-body trust.
When you’ve experienced an eating disorder for an extended period of time, the body and mind no longer trust each other. The body is mistrustful of the mind for ignoring its cues. The mind is mistrustful of the body for being unable to be completely controlled. So how do we rebuild a sense of trust between the mind and the body?
Learning the language of the body
The body is always talking to you. Hungry? Your body will tell you, through irritability, belly pains, and tummy rumbles. Scared? Your body will tell you, through sweaty palms, increased breathing rate, and dilated pupils. Angry? Sad? Sick? Your body will tell you in all different ways, using the only language it knows how - the physical one. When we try to reason with the body using the language of the mind, we can only get so far. There’s only so long we can ignore what the body is trying to tell us.
What happens when the mind ignores the body?
When the mind ignores the body, the body gets louder. There’s a much-used quote in the movement world: “if you listen to your body when it whispers, you’ll never have to hear it scream”. So while your resilience and mental strength can overcome those whispers for a while, eventually, your body will start to scream. With an eating disorder, this can be in the form of fatigue, hair loss, menstrual cessation, and more.
How do I rebuild that mind-body trust?
By listening to the body, and giving it what it needs. It’ll be tricky at first, because you’ve spent so long ignoring what the body has to say. The body might not respond straight away either, as it doesn’t trust the mind just yet. But over time, when we give the body what it needs, the screams go back down to a whisper. Hungry? Eat. Full? Stop eating. Tired? Rest. Energetic? Move.
That’s easier said than done…
You’re right. If it were so easy, eating disorders wouldn’t exist. That’s why the practice of yoga is so important, so that rather than listening to cues regarding really triggering or overwhelming parts of your life, you can listen to cues in a yoga practice. Uncomfortable? Shift your body. Tight? Stretch it out. Scattered? Hone your focus. Yoga therapy can help people build that mind-body trust through a mind-body practice - a holistic practice that uses both the physical and the mental to help you heal.