Hello, I’m Maz. I thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce myself and tell you a little about why I created Mindful Recovery Support.
I'm a 48-year-old woman who has lived with anorexia on and off for more than 30 years. Today, I'm grateful to say that I'm in a healthy place and well on my way towards full recovery. And, in case you're wondering, after all this time I still believe that full recovery is possible.
Alongside my lived experience, I am also a psychotherapeutic counsellor, mindfulness coach and yoga teacher. The training I have undertaken in each of these areas has played a significant role in my recovery, alongside the support of some fantastic therapists and a caring recovery community.
Over the years, I've explored a wide range of therapeutic approaches through both the NHS and private practice. However, recovery only truly began to make sense to me when I started exploring yoga. Not the physical practice at first, but the philosophy behind it.
As I delved deeper into yogic teachings, I found ideas and perspectives that helped me understand why I continued to engage in eating disorder behaviours in a way that Western psychological theories had never quite been able to explain. For the first time, I began to see my struggles through a different lens, and that understanding became an important part of my recovery journey.
As I delved deeper into yogic teachings, I found ideas and perspectives that helped me understand why I continued to engage in eating disorder behaviours in a way that Western psychological theories had never quite been able to explain. For the first time, I began to see my struggles through a different lens, and that understanding became an important part of my recovery journey.
The first time I stepped onto a yoga mat to practice Asana; the physical moving limb of yoga, I felt completely at peace. I felt a calmness and sense of safety that I hadn’t experienced anywhere else in my life. I was 40 years old and even now I still say that was when my true recovery began.
Yoga has completely changed my relationship with my body. The constant judging of myself has stopped and instead I have an appreciation for what my body does for me and what it allows me to do – even after years of mistreating it.
I allow myself to show compassion for myself in the same way I would anyone else I care about and to do so without thinking that is wrong; I deserve that self-compassion.
I can calm my mind when it starts racing with unhelpful thoughts by co-ordinating my breath with gentle movement.
Perhaps most importantly, that I am enough exactly as I am. I don’t need to change my body or worry about what anyone else thinks about me so long as I can accept and be at peace with myself.
If you are interested in learning more about yoga, please check out the yoga page which includes some recorded, trauma informed practices that are suitable for all levels of students.
Alongside anorexia, I have experienced anxiety, depression and C-PTSD which is why mindfulness has become such an important part of my life.
All the resources I have made available throughout this website are practices that I have used (and for the most part, continue to use) that I have found useful during my recovery experience. When it comes to mindfulness, some things work for some people and not for others, so having choices seems like a sensible option. I’ve also found a practice that works for me one day might not work the next and having options has certainly helped me build a consistent practice.
For anyone who knows me they will fully understand why when I say, “I live my Yoga”, I truly do. It has become a Part of me that has stepped in to take over the gap left by the anorexia and I couldn’t be happier.
Although I continue to benefit from a wonderful recovery community through the Yoga for Eating Disorders support group, I know how fortunate I was to find it. Many support groups are based in the United States, and I became increasingly aware of how limited the options can be for people here in the UK.
That realisation and a conversation with my therapist became the inspiration for Mindful Recovery Support.
My hope is to create a welcoming community where people can find connection, understanding and encouragement on their recovery journey. A place where hope, compassion and recovery come together.
Today, when I'm not working on Mindful Recovery Support or having sessions with my clients, you'll usually find me on a yoga mat, spending time in nature, reading, learning, or losing myself in the music of a West End show – all simple pleasures that recovery has made possible.
Recovery hasn't just changed my relationship with food and my body; it has given me the opportunity to build a life that feels meaningful, connected and authentic. It is allowing me to live a life where I am thriving rather than just surviving, but you’ll find out more about that in my new blog “My Recovered Life” which will be coming soon.
Wherever you are on your recovery journey, know that you don't have to walk it alone. Recovery is possible, and there is always hope. Sometimes all we need is someone to walk alongside us, and I'd be honoured to be part of that journey.
