We will explore the history of psychiatry and eating disorders, examining how they came to be understood as mental illnesses over centuries. We’ll discuss how eating disorders are shaped by time, culture, and socially acceptable ways of expressing suffering and how they have been understood differently across history. The session also introduces Ayurvedic perspectives on eating disorders and considers how they may be understood through the lens of yoga therapy.

We will explore why eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder. You will learn about common cardiovascular problems in students with chronic eating disorders, the risk of suicide and self-harm in this population, and best practices for offering yoga therapy to students who may be at risk.

We will explore the question, “What is recovery?” as well as different models of recovery and how these frameworks align with yoga therapy. We’ll delve into the challenges researchers face in assessing recovery rates, unpack the flawed notion that most people with eating disorders never recover, and highlight emerging efforts by researchers with lived experience to redefine recovery in qualitative and inclusive terms.

In this session, you will learn about specific yoga therapy practices that can support individuals at different stages of recovery. Learn how to tailor a yoga therapy practice to meet the needs of different students, as well as best practices for conducting assessments in students with eating disorders who may be engaging in behaviors that put their health at risk.

You will explore how yoga therapy can integrate effectively into eating disorder treatment across different levels of care. We will discuss the key features of eating disorder treatment, including commonly used psychological therapies, and examine how yoga therapy can complement these approaches within a comprehensive treatment plan. You will also learn strategies for working cohesively as part of a clinical treatment team to support individuals in recovery.