Eating Disorders and Disconnection

Eating disorders are often coping strategies to manage difficult feelings and/or experiences. And behaviours such as starving, purging and self-criticism can trick us into thinking we are in control.  But, when someone is in the depths of an eating disorder, the connection between the mind and the body is muddled.

It can be scary to give up the ED behaviours (believe me, I know). It is especially difficult when we don’t have positive replacements for those harmful behaviours. So, what do we need to repair the mind-body connection and heal from EDs? Well, I believe self-awareness is a super important skill. And my favourite way to rebuild self-awareness is through a variety of slow, gentle movement and self-care practices .

Self-Massage for The Win!

Self massage is just one of the strategies I incorporate into my self-care and movement tool kit. My morning practice includes at least 5 minutes of self massage with therapy balls. I roll with them everyday.

The following video is a brief demo of a typical routine I use for the neck-jaw-face. I use Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls (the “Originals”). But you could also use lacrosse or tennis balls instead to get a similar effect. Practice along with me:

Facebook Live: Restorative Movement Class!

As Eating Disorders Awareness Week comes to a close, I’ll be hosting a Facebook Live class on Tuesday, February 7th. Explore restorative movement and gentle embodiment practices in the comfort of your home. Checkout the Define Me Wellness FB page for further details.

Michelle Pitman is the founder and operator of Define Me Wellness. Most recently, Michelle has launched Under the Lilac Tree: a virtual program for eating disorder recovery and support. Click here to learn more about Michelle and her work.