Healing the Body and Mind
through Practice
Moving into a place of wholeness, a state in which we reconnect and rediscover all parts of ourselves with compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance, is the outcome of deep healing work. Coming into that state of wholeness requires that we recognize and integrate all aspects of self—the mind, body, and spirit. For those growing up with the mind/body split as a key aspect of Western culture, this can pose challenges and contradict many of the cultural mantras we’ve taken for granted, such as “mind over matter” or “no pain, no gain.” The former implies that the body is subject to our sheer will or mental desires and should submit. The latter reminds us that we should listen to the wants of the mind and silence the wisdom of the body.
Tiina Veer stumbled upon yoga as a mechanism to heal an injured body and discovered a physical practice that proved to be therapeutic. And while this is a gift in itself, there were deeper layers to this practice that bestowed gifts that are often overlooked. In fact, the physical practice has become the dominant focus in the North American “yoga scene” as well as the representation of yoga in most media imagery. It’s no surprise, given the cultural obsession with the external form. But, if we look closer, as Veer did, yoga practice touches the heart and mind as well, providing new insights, perspectives, and emotional states of being. For Veer, this has resulted in unapologetic acceptance and contentment in a body that society often dismisses and condemns.
While feminism offered a form of empowerment, too often Dr. Beth Berila still felt the familiar pangs of guilt and judgment deep within her body. Her yoga practice offered newfound clarity and the ability to discern the messages and feelings that bubbled to the surface, allowing her to move into a deeper sense of authenticity coupled with compassion rather than judgment.
Kimber Simpkins invites us to discover and trust the expert within. Taught that a woman’s thinness equated to her value, Simpkins spent much of her life dieting and absorbing the message that she could not be trusted around food. Thanks to continued yoga practice, Simpkins learned to trust the wisdom of her body and find a place of balance.
Addictions often go hand-in-hand. For Elena Brower, an addiction to control that manifested in both food restriction and drug addiction stemmed from deep wounds. Her story reminds us that each of our healing journeys have their own rhythm and timing—that they are far from linear or uniform in nature. In Brower’s case, with time and patience, continued practice and the support and encouragement from a conscious community made all the difference.
For Dana Byerlee, yoga practice provided the foundation of a full-blown soul cleansing and rebirth. In an awe-inspiring and heartfelt narrative, she details her battle with breast cancer and the countless ways her yoga practice supported her ability to reevaluate, reconnect, and rejuvenate herself through the process.
Whereas yoga allowed Byerlee to battle cancer, yoga practice helped Jodi Strock battle an entirely different set of demons. A deepened disconnection to her body after she survived being raped in college led Strock to battle an eating disorder. Yoga was the mechanism to eventually allow her to reconnect with her body as well as develop compassion for her whole self, one composed of both shadow and light. As she explains, yoga continues to provide the space for healing, thereby allowing her to share her gifts with others.