This yogi posted a powerful message on her Instagram about her battle with an eating disorder
From February 26th to March 4th it’s National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) uses this time to raise awareness and educate people all over the country what eating disorders are, how many people are suffering from them, and how to lend a helping hand. Fitness instructor and yoga enthusiast Shauna Harrison posted a picture on Instagram to remind everyone that we’re smack dab in the middle of NEDAwareness week. She opened up about her own struggle with an eating disorder, sharing an emotional recollection of what her road to recovery has been like.
“I used to have an eating disorder. I used to pick apart my every little everything,” Shauna writes. “I used to care more about what other people thought about my body than about how I felt living in it.” She said she used to measure her self-worth with how much she weighed at the time.
Shauna isn’t trying to paint a perfect picture of herself. She instead speaks honestly about how she’s never going to be “100% clear of these issues” — but that’s not the goal. What’s more important is understanding your body and using awareness of your inner self to lead the way.
“I am consciously making peace with what used to cause me great anxiety,” she writes. “I actively try to thwart negative self-talk AND thwart or avoid negative body talk around me.” Shauna insists that putting yourself down isn’t going to get you anywhere. You have to be your biggest fan and love yourself more than anyone else will.
"Every day I try to self love a little harder. This is me. This is love," Shauna writes.
After she completed her PhD in Public Health, Shauna landed a sponsorship with Under Armour and now she teaches fitness classes all around the Bay area. In addition to doing yoga and working out on the regular, Shauna is a big fan of dance, particularly hip-hop.
Shauna is an inspiration to women everywhere, especially those who know what it’s like to battle an eating disorder. We’ll listen to her any day of the week. Oh, and it looks like she’d be super fun to workout with!
