Rituals for Healing Eating Disorders Self-Love and Self-Care

As an artist, healer and shamanic yoga therapist, I was first introduced to rituals through Alexandra Stoddard’s book, Living a Beautiful Life: 500 Ways to Add Elegance, Order, Beauty, and Joy to Every Day of Your Life. Each chapter encourages readers to create magic from the mundane, infusing color and detail into everyday activities or mindfully selecting even the simplest actions, like choosing the cup you love to hold and gaze at while enjoying your coffee or tea. 

My struggle with binge eating disorder first appeared in college and lived with me until age 55, when I regained power over it. I tried everything to heal, but I never embodied a sense of personal sovereignty and joy until I committed and resolved to implement a daily schedule, or dinacharya. “Joy is the key,” says Julia Cameron in the book she wrote while living in Chicago, The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.

I begin my day with a big glass of room-temperature water and freshly squeezed lemon, followed by gratitude journaling. After brushing my teeth and taking a sponge bath, I dress for my morning walking meditation, usually listening to astrology reports by Pam Gregory, Heather Ensworth or Kaypacha. At meals, I create a beautiful setting with seasonal placemats, a candle and flowers. I take a moment to breathe, bless my food and say a gratitude prayer. Breakfast occurs between 7 and 9 a.m., followed by a mid-morning snack; lunch is between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., followed by an afternoon snack; and dinner falls between 5 and 7 p.m. My bedtime ritual begins with a cup of tea and an Epsom salt bath with essential or dosha oil, like sesame oil with lemongrass. My ritual ends with donning a cozy nightgown or pajamas and settling in with my latest book or reading material.

In Ayurveda, often referred to as the sister science of yoga, special attention is given to dinacharya, a daily routine that includes dietary and lifestyle practices for a healthy, disease-free life. This may encompass bedtime, awakening, exercise, mealtime, massage, baths and other self-care practices. It is a collection of natural lifestyle habits in accordance with the circadian rhythm and one’s dosha predominance. Paying special attention to your dinacharya can positively influence your physical, mental and spiritual health, promoting overall well-being.