Meet Maz
Hi! I thought I’d take the opportunity to introduce myself and tell you a bit about why I decided to create Mindful Recovery Support.
I am a 48-year-old woman who has battled with anorexia on and off for over 30 years. I am glad say I’m now in a healthy headspace and well down the road towards full recovery, because yes; even after all this time, I still believe that full recovery is possible. I am also a psychotherapeutic counsellor, mindfulness coach and yoga teacher and I know the training I have undertaken to qualify in each of these areas has played a huge role in my ability to recover.
Over the years I tried all sorts of therapeutic approaches, both with the NHS and privately but for me what it meant to recover really only “clicked” when I started exploring yoga – not traditional yoga to begin with, my introduction to the practice came through reading and delving into yoga philosophy which seemed to resonate with me and explain why I was still engaging in my eating disorder behaviours in a way that I wasn’t able to with Western Psychological theories.
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 me 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 also included 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. “Self-care” is such an over coined phrase, in my opinion because caring for ourselves should be something that comes naturally, a way of life really. 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 options 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 have a great eating disorder group I connect with weekly, I know I was lucky to find it and a lot of the support groups seem to be US based, which is why I thought I’d create something for those of us here in the UK – that said, everyone is welcome! The weekly online support group will be starting in July, and you can register your interest here. I am also acutely aware of the lack of in-person support groups in Buckinghamshire which is why I am also going to be hosting a monthly meet-up in Chesham, Bucks. The location is close to the tube station and there is a local free car park, so if you’d be interested in finding out more about that or want to get in touch about anything else, please use the form below.
I look forward to getting to know some of you better and hope you can find something helpful in my offerings.
