A resurgence of thin-biased, toxic norms is fueling a new wave of body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and a rising global prevalence of eating disorders. Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa are among the deadliest of all mental health conditions. Western treatments for eating disorders have traditionally prioritized nutritional rehabilitation and cognitive therapies. 

Since 2005, a growing body of research supports the value of somatic approaches, like the practice of yoga, that treat the body as central to healing rather than merely a battleground. Carolyn Costin, author, clinician, and founder of the first residential treatment center to incorporate yoga into clinical care, describes yoga as a powerful tool “to concretize reconnecting mind, body, and soul.” 

A 2020 study found yoga to be promising for eating disorder prevention and treatment, suggesting that it reduced disordered eating behaviours and enhanced body image, emotional regulation, and re-embodiment. The researchers noted the importance of cultivating positive over negative embodiment, which accepts the body as it is as opposed to viewing it as defective and in need of change.  

Similarly, a 2025 study backs up the value of somatic approaches, finding that participants in a structured yoga program showed statistically significant improvements in eating disorder symptoms, body appreciation, self-care, self-compassion, and interoceptive awareness. 

The relationship between yoga and eating disorders is complex and even Costin, who pioneered and advocates strongly, acknowledges that yoga can be harmful if misapplied. For some, yoga is the beginning of body reclamation and acceptance. For others, it simply reinforces an unhealthy cycle of self-criticism and over-control. 

In 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder, Costin discusses how common traits among those with eating disorders, such as anxiety, perfectionism, and compulsivity, can undermine  restorative somatic practices. She cautions that yoga without mindful guidance can become “just another area in which to strive for perfection,” rather than a space for healing and self-acceptance. 

As the practice has surged in popularity, it has also been increasingly co-opted by diet culture and aesthetic obsessions. Instagram images of hyper-toned bodies in acrobatic poses, or class language that emphasizes calorie burning, can reinforce unhealthy, overly appearance-focused thinking. 

Yoga, like many well-intentioned practices, can be corrupted. Costin has seen “very driven and competitive people injure themselves mimicking the teacher, or excessively engaging in fasting, juice cleanses, and raw food diets.” When the practice is too fitness-oriented it can become about who’s doing the most backbends or burning the most calories.

According to eating disorder expert Anita Federici, common weight- and body-centric language in such environments can lower self-esteem, body satisfaction, and worsen eating disorder symptoms. Federici values the use of yoga for eating disorder recovery, but also worries that the wrong messaging and intentionality can exacerbate obsessions with physique, flexibility, or strength.

Unfortunately, many yoga teacher training programs offer minimal education on trauma and eating disorders. This lack of awareness can lead to unintended harms, such as language that reinforces body monitoring, criticism, or perfectionism. However, the  growing movement of trauma-informed yoga, emphasizes autonomy, choice, and emotional safety. Teachers of this approach are trained to avoid physical adjustments, eliminate triggering language, and offer options rather than commands. The solution isn’t to abandon yoga for eating disorders, but to be more mindful of its use and delivery. 

Costin offers more active practices for those physically able, alongside restful alternatives for those in more fragile states. Inclusivity is emphasized, as even clients too underweight to engage in typical yoga sessions can participate lying down with a lavender mask. Teachers also integrate body-positive affirmations and reflective practices. Journaling is a key element in Costin’s approach, “I like to get people to write things down to talk back to the disordered part. Writing retrains the brain and makes it real.”

For individuals in early recovery, slower, breath-based practices, like yin or restorative yoga, are often more appropriate than fast-paced, fitness-oriented flows. These gentler styles support nervous system regulation and embodied awareness without mimicking compulsive exercise.

Federici emphasizes a staged approach: “In the beginning, we often recommend avoiding heated rooms, mirrors, or physically intense classes. It’s about learning to be in your body, not push it.” Recovery, she says, is best served honouring yoga’s cultural roots that extends beyond over-prioritizing physical poses (asanas).

To realize yoga’s substantial healing potential, the when, how and why it is practiced matters. Yoga can be an effective adjunct to evidence-based therapies, warranting greater inclusion in treatment toolkits and settings. When practiced with humility, trauma awareness, and philosophical grounding, yoga becomes an invaluable resource to help reclaim the self, reinhabit the body, and restore hope. According to Costin, becoming “fully recovered” is a goal never beyond reach.

-Ruby Kagan, Contributing Writer

Image Credits:

Feature Image: Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels; Creative Commons

Body Image 1: Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels; Creative Commons

Body Image 2: Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels; Creative Commons