Yoga for digestive health
As yoga teachers, we embark on lots of teacher trainings - there’s always more to learn and always ways to grow as a teacher. You learn from them all but this one really resonated with me. It’s changed the way I teach, the way I practice and has helped me understand my body in a very different way.
I grew up in the 90s where women were told by society that ‘size zero’ was the aim. Where the parents of my generation were constantly on some diet or another, where it was completely normal to see people sipping diet shakes instead of eating meals, talking about calories, praising people when they lost weight. And that had an impact on the overachieving, perfectionist, insecure child and teenage version of me. For approximately 20 years of my life I’ve struggled with eating disorders and disordered eating. And through those years my poor tummy has been so unhappy; not sure when it’s getting food or not physically and responding to much anxiety and depression. I felt disconnected with my body, unsure when I was hungry or full, felt lots of disgust towards shape and uncomfortable in my own skin.
I’m not alone in this. Digestive issues in our modern world are common, and life altering for many. More and more research is emphasising the link between stress, our nervous system and our gut - how our brains can be led by what’s going on down in the belly and vice versa. Yoga can help us drop into our body, stilling the mind and bringing about embodied awareness.
Yoga for digestive health training with Charlotte Watts gave me language for some of the things I had been experiencing through yoga and meditation:
That movements through yoga can help digestion and ease painful and debilitating digestive symptoms
That connection to body through movement and accessing sensations through meditative practice can help you build a connection back to your body
That tuning in and finding stillness through yoga and meditation can soothe the body, soothe anxiety and support eating disorder recovery.
This is my experience and not medical advice - over the last 10 years, I’ve had support from GPs and therapists, I’ve been on and off anti-depressants, I’ve seen dieticians and been supported with medication for various digestive issues. But it’s clear to me that yoga and meditation has had a real benefit and continue to support me to this day.
If you’re interested in finding out more, I’ll be sharing workshops and courses in the future. Interested to hear about your experiences too - please share :)
