Take Your Worst and Make It Your Best!

This article was adapted from: http://www.notonadiet.com/10-tips-for-a-healthy-body-image/

You know those days when you wake up and you just don’t like what you see in the mirror?  You can’t seem to find the right outfit, your hair just isn’t working for you, and you’re just bound and determined that today is going to be a crappy day.

Some of you out there might be thinking, “That’s how I feel every single day.”  You’re thinking, “How in the world do people get the confidence that they do?”  It’s all about positive self talk, and sometimes faking it until you make it.  Sometimes just putting those positive feelings into the universe can turn a “blah” day into a “Rah!” day.

“Nothing looks good on me.”  Instead of looking at the whole big picture if that is scary for you, look at smaller pieces of the puzzle.  Focus on the parts of you that don’t get covered up – like your face, your eyes, your smile.  Think, “I can make other people happy by showing them my genuine smile.”  Or, “I love the way the color of my eyes looks with this shirt that I am wearing.”

“If I just lost a few pounds, I would be happy.”  Honor your body, no matter what shape or size it is.  Feed your body with nutritious foods – a balance of grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins, and dairy – and honor your hunger and fullness.  Treat your body the way you’d treat a friend or loved one; give it all the love that it needs, including the love of good nutrition.  Give your body a treat now and then, in the form of a massage, or a pedicure, or a delicious ice cream sundae “just because”.

“I just know that I am going to mess up tonight and eat too much.”  Don’t try to foresee the future – you’re not a fortune-teller.  Instead of imagining the worse kind of evening, imagine your best possible evening.  What do you really want to do?  Do you want to enjoy a nice pasta dinner with your spouse and watch a movie cuddled up on the couch?  Then think of that!  Do you want to take a long bubble bath with candles and read a book?  Perfect!  Deciding that you’ll do positive things instead of “knowing you’re going to mess up” can paint a whole different picture of what will happen.

“I ate way too much.  I’m going to have to work out for hours to burn off all those calories.”  The body works in magical ways.  There will be days where we overindulge, and there will be days when we don’t eat as much.  This is called “normal eating”.  Exercise is an important part of self-care, but it is not meant to “burn off calories”.  We need calories as energy to fuel our bodies!  Think of how good a workout makes you feel.  If you’re not enjoying every second of a workout, then don’t do it!  Be thankful for the food that you’ve eaten that has provided you with the energy that you need to go to work or school, to laugh with your friends, and to perform exercise that makes you happy.

For more ideas of how to turn your negative self-talk into positive remarks, be sure to visit this blog article: http://www.notonadiet.com/10-tips-for-a-healthy-body-image/ and remember that loving yourself is the greatest gift you could ever receive.

Becoming a Yoga Teacher vs. Becoming a Yoga Therapist

“Yoga has changed my life.”  A statement that many yoga enthusiasts have made, and a statement that inspires many of them to become yoga teachers.  When we love something so much, when something changes us, we often want to share it with the world.  And that is what makes us want to teach.

 “Teaching is a life-altering experience.  It’s humbling, profoundly challenging and ultimately the most rewarding experience I’ve ever known.  Becoming a teacher is a journey; it’s a journey into one’s self.  Ultimately it’s a journey to what the ancients call the Atman, the Oversoul, the Higher Self.  It’s also a journey with a beginning but one without end:  teachers are forever students.” – Nancy McCaochan, MA, E-RYT.

At the Inner Door Center®, we offer two types of training for yoga teachers – we offer Enlightenment Teacher Training, and we offer Yoga Therapy Training.  You can learn more about these programs by visiting our Facebook page (link here).

So what exactly is the difference between a yoga teacher and a yoga therapist?  Aren’t they kind of the same?

Becoming a yoga teacher and becoming a yoga therapist is not the same thing.  You must become a yoga teacher first before you can move on to yoga therapy.  When training to become a yoga teacher, you learn the history of yoga, different teaching techniques, how to use your voice to soothe and cue your students, the different asanas and the benefits that they provide to the body, meditation techniques, etc.  Your objective is to be able to take what you know about the practice of yoga and lead a group of students to through your classes.

Typically yoga teachers teach group classes at studios and gyms, although some do teach individuals privately.  Typically yoga therapists work with clients individually, but they also facilitate group therapy, as we do here at Inner Door Center® for eating disorder and substance abuse recovery.

Yoga therapy focuses on one specific area and how yoga can help with that area.  For example, at Inner Door Center® our Reconnect with Food® Yoga Therapy program focuses on using yoga to help clients with eating disorders and other co-occurring psychological conditions (anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse and related addictions).  The requirement to enroll in our yoga therapy training is that you have at least a 200 RYT certification and are a licensed professional working in the field of eating disorders.  We do admit peer coaches to our program, but various stipulations apply.

When training to become a yoga therapist, it is important that you are focused inward and are able to heal yourself first.  We cannot help anyone or heal anyone unless we have experienced these ourselves.  That’s not to say that you must have struggled with an eating disorder in order to provide yoga therapy to those who suffer from an eating disorder; it just means that you must learn how to heal yourself, whatever needs to be healed, before you can help heal others.  Once you are able to use yoga therapy to help yourself, to make a personal transformation, they you will be able to share this experience with others to help them make their personal transformation.

We hope that this article has helped to clear up the difference between a yoga therapist and a yoga teacher, and how the training differs for each one.  If you want to learn more about the different training courses offered at Inner Door Center®, please visit our Facebook page or the Inner Door Center® website.

Reflection Question: Holidays

It’s that time of year – time for the holidays.  And with holidays usually comes thoughts of food and celebration.

How do you personally relate food to the holidays?  Is it a celebratory time and food comes along with it?  Or is it stressful having to deal with the extra goodies and snacks that are so abundant this time of year?

Please feel free to reflect on this in the comments – you may remain anonymous if you wish.  Our staff may comment back and forth with feedback.

Inner Door Center® Staff Feature: Megan Smith, RD

Meet Megan Smith, RD!

Job Title at Inner Door Center®:  Registered dietitian and social media coordinator.

What is the difference between a “Registered Dietitian (RD)” and a “Nutritionist”?: A registered dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who has met academic and professional requirements including:

• Earned a bachelor’s degree with course work approved by ADA’s Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education. Coursework typically includes food and nutrition sciences, foodservice systems management, business, economics, computer science, sociology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and chemistry.
• Completed an accredited, supervised practice program at a health-care facility, community agency or foodservice corporation.
• Passed a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
• Completes continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration.

Some RDs may call themselves “nutritionists,” but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. The definition and requirements for the term “nutritionist” vary. Some states have licensure laws that define the range of practice for someone using the designation “nutritionist,” but in other states, virtually anyone can call him- or herself a “nutritionist” regardless of education or training. (Source:  American Dietetic Association website)

What does a work day look like for you?:  I usually see a few patients for one-on-one nutrition counseling daily.  I also teach a didactic nutrition class once per week in our Reconnect with Food® program.  When I’m here I also help out with preparing lunch, eating with clients and facilitators, and answering questions about nutrition.  When I’m not doing something nutrition related, I am working on social media such as this blog, our Facebook, Twitter, etc.

What is your favorite part of your job?:  I love connecting with patients and building a trusting relationship with them.  I love when I see my patients overcome their struggles with food and eat “normally” again.  And I love the laid back atmosphere here at the Inner Door Center®.

Your life outside of the Inner Door Center®:  Outside of working at the Inner Door Center®, I am also a musician.  I play clarinet in a community band with my fiance.  I also work at a music store a few hours a week – I’ve worked there since I was in high school and love helping young musicians choose their first instruments and further their musical education.

Tuesday’s Reflection Question: Spirituality

Are you devoted to a particular spiritual path?  If not, do you feel a need to find one?  Have you found surrogates to be devoted to?  If so, list and evaluate your relationship to them.

List all of the positives of which you are thankful.

In gratitude, we find healing.  List all that you are grateful for in your life.

Are you in touch with your soul purpose?

What is the burning fire within you? Know yourself and who you want to be. Once you discover this, you will naturally do the things that give you freedom, peace or recognition. The more you develop your own character, the more value you have to share with others.

Is your eating disorder a means to escape?

What are you escaping from, and what would you need to do to be in the present moment?

What are your attachments and your difficulties in letting go in relation to your eating disorder?

The root of our tension/anxiety is our attachment.  Can you identify the root of the attachment to your eating disorder? What benefit does this attachment serve?

What are you hungry for?

What are you hungry for?  You know it isn’t food.

Please share.