In 2001, I was going though one of the most stressful times in my life. I was in the middle of a messy and traumatizing divorce, while navigating parenting two very young children.
I was in such a heightened state of stress and trauma, that feeding myself became nearly impossible.
Due to my bodies high adrenaline output (adrenaline shuts down appetite—cortisol elevates appetite), I lost over twenty pounds in the unhealthiest of ways.
Gratefully, I had recently been introduced to the deep and robust practice of Ashtanga yoga, with the world renowned Boulder local, Richard Freeman.
With any free moment I had, I would ride my bike downtown to the Yoga Workshop to practice.
Each time I stepped onto my mat, I noticed a bit more self and life acceptance emerge. With each breath, I could soften a little bit more and experience a little more inner peace.
Bit by bit, my yoga practice became a healing life-line for me.
And, as my trauma response started to resolve, so did my eating.
While I do not practice traditional Ashtanga these days, yoga continues to be an integral part of my life of more than twenty years.
Little did I know, over those next two decades, yoga would also become so integral to my business, as an important part of helping many of my clients heal.
When I met Carolyn Costin (today's podcast guest), I was so happy to find out that her experience of yoga was very similar to mine.
Not only was Caroline's yoga experience integral in healing her own struggle with anorexia as a young woman, but yogic practices became one of the most fundamental elements within her revolutionary forty year career of helping women heal their relationship to food and body.
Carolyn opened the first alternative healing in-patient treatment center (Monte Nido) for women who struggled with eating disorders in the USA (and likely in the world!) over forty years ago. Here she pioneered what was considered a very revolutionary healing path, including some of my favorite healing modalities –– such as nature, meditation, and yoga –– helping women feel more integrated in themselves, repairing their disordered food tendencies, to then go on to live happy, healthy, and whole lives.
If your relationship to food has been under stress, especially with the state of the world being in such chaos, this episode is for you. Having Carolyn on the show is a complete honor for me. She is is a world renowned, highly sought-after clinician, teacher, author, and international speaker.
LISTEN AND HEAR:
How these ancient (and regenerative) practices can impact our relationship to self
How we can take our own personal traits (even the challenging ones), and channel them into our greatest gifts
How and why yoga's mind-body connection can facilitate deep holistic healing
How we can become more integrated and healthy in our relationship to food and our bodies
Meet Carolyn Costin:
Carolyn Costin is a world renowned, highly sought-after eating disorder clinician, author, and international speaker.
Recovered from anorexia in her twenties, as a young therapist Carolyn recognized her calling after successfully treating her first eating disorder client.
Carolyn was first to publicly take the position that people with eating disorders can become fully recovered. She is a pioneer in the field, promoting the value of appropriately training and utilizing recovered individuals as an adjunct to overall support and care
After 15 years in private practice and running hospital programs, Carolyn was determined to improve the eating disorder relapse rate and recognized a gap in the eating disorder field. She opened Monte Nido, the first residential facility, located in a home setting, surrounded by nature, where standard treatment was combined with meditation and yoga. For the first time clients with eating disorders were provided a setting where they could make the necessary behavior changes to ensure full recovery upon discharge, e.g., the ability to shop for, prepare and cook food.
Carolyn’s contributions to the field are extensive. She has written six books, the most popular being, 8 Keys to Recovery From an Eating Disorder. Carolyn’s service in every major eating disorder organization, three decades of training professionals worldwide, free study groups and the outstanding success of Monte Nido all spurred Carolyn to international acclaim.
In 2016, after Monte Nido had grown to 14 programs across the country, Carolyn sold the company, subsequently left and created The Carolyn Costin Institute, CCI, which would again fill a gap in the eating disorder field The Institute is the first of its kind, with the mission of training, supervising and certifying eating disorder coaches.
Additionally, CCI offers continuing education for clinicians, educational support for families of those with eating disorders, and trains eating disorder mentors through organizations offering peer support.
Carolyn continues to offer consultations to clients and clinicians, speaks at national and international conferences, and appears as a guest on numerous podcasts and interviews.
Carolyn is an active, passionate, inspiring force in the eating disorder field.
To learn more:
Visit Carolyncostin.com
Email: Carolyn@carolyncostin.com
Books:
8 Keys Workbook
8 Keys to Recovery From an Eating Disorder
The Eating Disorder Sourcebook: (2006)
100 Questions and Answers About Eating Disorders
Websites and Links:
Recovered Eating Disorder Professionals Facebook Group
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.costin
Carolyn Costin Institute Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolynCostinInstitute/
Twitter: @Carolyn_Costin (https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Costin)
Most of all, this episode introduces a roadmap inward to lovingly return to the intelligent design of your body and to reveal your beautiful true nature.
Together, let’s continue to discover our wholeness.
All love,
