Yoga in Eating Disorder Recovery

When I was 18 and just starting college, I was navigating a rocky period of partial recovery from an eating disorder. I was overwhelmed with anxiety and frequent panic attacks that made daily life feel nearly impossible. Out of sheer desperation, I took my mother’s advice and signed up for a yoga class at my school. Skeptical at first, I didn’t expect much—but attending that first class turned out to be a pivotal step toward true healing.

Yoga, which originated in ancient India thousands of years ago, is rooted in the Sanskrit word yuj, meaning “to yoke” or “to unite.” Its central purpose is to bring the body, mind, and spirit into alignment, and to foster a deeper connection with oneself and the surrounding world. In addition to promoting this sense of harmony, modern research confirms that yoga offers measurable health benefits—including reduced anxiety, stress, back pain, and depression, along with improved sleep, blood pressure, focus, and coordination.

When most people think of yoga, they envision physical poses like downward dog. While the physical aspect is important, it’s only one component. Yoga also includes breathwork, meditation, ethical principles, self-reflection, and acts of service. For many, the benefits of yoga extend well beyond the mat, becoming a supportive framework for reconnecting with oneself and cultivating meaningful relationships.

Over time, my yoga mat became a sanctuary—a space where I could quiet my mind, listen to my body with kindness, connect to my breath, release what no longer served me, and experience emotions without fear or judgment. If you're curious about how yoga can support recovery from eating disorders, read on to explore its benefits, different styles, potential risks, and guidance for safe integration.

How Yoga Supports Eating Disorder Recovery

As both a yoga practitioner and teacher, a registered dietitian, and someone who has recovered from an eating disorder, I’ve seen firsthand how yoga can support recovery—when practiced intentionally and alongside professional medical and mental health care. Research backs this up: a 2018 study showed that women with eating disorders who began practicing yoga experienced significant reductions in eating disorder symptoms both immediately after and six months later.

Here are several key ways yoga can aid recovery:

Rebuilding Mind-Body Connection (Embodiment)

Eating disorders often create a disconnect between mind and body. Yoga can help restore that connection by encouraging embodied awareness—the ability to tune into the body’s sensations, needs, and signals. This is especially important in recovery, as many disordered thoughts and behaviors override physical cues in favor of rigid food or exercise rules.

Therapeutic yoga practices, especially those combined with breathwork, guide practitioners back toward their bodies rather than away from them. This shift—from avoidance to awareness—marks a profound step in the healing journey.

Strengthening Interoception

Disconnection from internal bodily cues—known as impaired interoception—is common in eating disorders. Yoga, particularly through mindful movement and breath awareness, helps rebuild the ability to recognize signals like hunger, fullness, fatigue, or emotional discomfort. Many people also report that yoga helps them reconnect with personal preferences and desires, both around food and beyond.

Emotional Regulation and Coping

Even years into recovery, yoga remains a key tool for helping me process emotions. Yoga offers a quiet space to notice feelings without judgment, and to care for them with compassion. Many practices—including breathwork and mindfulness—can also be used outside of class, such as during mealtimes or stressful situations, to support nervous system regulation and emotional balance.

Improving Body Image

Body image struggles are a significant part of many eating disorders. Studies suggest that yoga helps people shift their focus from how their body looks to how it feels and functions. It can promote appreciation for the body’s strength and capability, and increase self-compassion. Over time, practicing yoga can help soften rigid or harmful beliefs about one’s body and foster a more accepting relationship with it.

Building Community and Spiritual Connection

Practicing yoga in group settings can offer a sense of belonging and community—something that eating disorders often erode. In addition, yoga can provide spiritual connection and a sense of purpose, helping individuals align more closely with their values and find perspective during challenging moments.

Embracing Non-Violence

One of yoga’s guiding ethical principles, ahimsa (non-violence), can be particularly powerful in recovery. This principle encourages treating oneself and others with compassion and care. Many people in recovery find that studying and practicing non-violence helps them recognize the harm their eating disorder has caused—and supports them in making choices rooted in healing rather than punishment.

Yoga Therapy vs. Standard Yoga Classes

Yoga therapy is different from typical group yoga classes. It involves one-on-one sessions tailored to a person’s individual needs—often with the goal of addressing specific symptoms or health conditions. A yoga therapist uses tools such as breathing practices, meditation, movement, and yoga philosophy to support physical and emotional healing.

For those recovering from eating disorders, yoga therapy can complement traditional mental health treatment by addressing the physical and emotional experiences stored in the body. These sessions might explore where fear or anxiety resides physically, or build self-compassion practices that can be used daily. Some therapists or dietitians who are also trained in yoga may integrate these tools directly into their sessions.

By contrast, standard yoga classes—whether in studios or online—typically focus on physical postures and follow set styles. These may include:

• Yin Yoga – deep stretching and long-held floor poses

• Restorative Yoga – slow-paced, supported poses focused on relaxation

• Hatha Yoga – gentle, breath-centered movement

• Vinyasa Yoga – flowing sequences linked to breath

• Power Yoga – fast-paced, strength-based poses

• Gentle Yoga – slow, mindful movements accessible to most bodies

Risks of Yoga in Recovery

Although yoga can support healing, it must be approached mindfully. Here are some potential concerns:

Diet Culture in Yoga Spaces

Unfortunately, diet culture is deeply embedded in many modern yoga environments. Comments about food, body size, or burning calories are not uncommon in classes—and can be deeply triggering for someone in recovery. Some studios promote restrictive behaviors (like detoxes or cleanses), and their marketing may idealize thinness. These factors not only contradict yoga’s true intentions but can also be actively harmful in recovery.

Exercise Becoming a Symptom

Because eating disorders often involve compulsive exercise, yoga can sometimes become another way to overexercise or justify disordered behaviors—especially when high-intensity styles are marketed as fitness tools. Even yoga’s non-physical practices can be misused if filtered through an eating disorder mindset. For instance, the concept of purity might be twisted into food restriction.

This is why it’s essential to regularly assess the intention behind a yoga practice. Is it supporting recovery—or reinforcing old patterns?

Physical Health Considerations

As with any physical activity, practicing yoga requires medical clearance. Those who are medically unstable should not engage in physical yoga until cleared by their treatment team. More intense forms, like hot yoga or power yoga, can pose particular risks during early recovery.

When and How to Start Yoga in Recovery

Different aspects of yoga can be introduced at different stages of recovery. Even early on, non-physical elements—like meditation, breathwork, and self-reflection—can be helpful. Gentle or restorative poses, such as lying with legs up the wall, are another accessible entry point.

The key is to stay connected to your body’s needs and work closely with your healthcare providers to find a safe and supportive path. Some research suggests that gentle yoga can be incorporated even in inpatient care settings, but physical practice should always be guided by professional input.

Tips for Practicing Yoga Safely in Recovery

If you’re ready to explore yoga as part of your recovery journey, keep the following in mind:

• Seek trauma-informed teachers. These instructors create safe, choice-based environments and avoid language or postures that may be triggering.

• Find holistic classes. Look for studios or teachers who incorporate breathwork, meditation, and philosophy—not just physical postures.

• Stay mindful of diet culture. Seek out inclusive, body-neutral teachers and spaces. Consider asking your treatment team for referrals or searching for teachers who specialize in accessible or size-inclusive yoga.

• Research carefully. Ask studios about their values and teaching approach. Some red flags include heavy use of mirrors, talk of weight loss, or lack of class modifications.

• Start gently. Begin with slower-paced, beginner, or restorative classes—even if you’ve practiced before. As recovery progresses, you can explore other styles under the guidance of your care team.

Yoga, when practiced with care, respect, and intention, can be a deeply healing companion in eating disorder recovery. Whether it starts with a single breath, a moment of stillness, or a simple pose, the practice can guide you toward a deeper connection with your body, emotions, and values—one step, or one mat, at a time.

If you need help healing your relationship to food and body, please reach out to us via the contact page. 

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