Yoga Therapy for Eating Disorders

Hello friends. My name is Courtney Morra and I have been teaching yoga in the Greater Lansing Area since 2008. I am asking for help.





As people close to me may know, my practice began in 2005 and continued as a deeply instrumental part of my healing process as I dealt (continue to deal) with trauma, an eating disorder and depression. I decided years ago that I wanted to use my practice to help people with similar issues. Yoga, for me, has never been and will never be about the "perfect" posture. Yoga, for me, means union. We are all in this together.

I have been accepted into Inner Door Center 's training program. This would prepare me to help facilitate the healing process for people with issues related to food--including anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating, etc.--as well as co-occurring obstacles such as addiction, depression and trauma.

I know without a doubt that yoga saved me from a dangerous place both physically and emotionally.

Currently, I teach free classes in East Lansing where I collect food donations for EVE and volunteer my time and talents whenever I can. My home studio is Hilltop, where I did my 200-, 300- and 500-hour teacher trainings and where I have been teaching since 2009.

I also work for LansingYoga to help spread the word about the good things happening in the Lansing yoga community. I am certified in Yoga 12 Step Recovery. I taught yoga to children at Lansing's Dream Camp and NorthWest Initiative. I recently received a grant to share yoga with underprivileged kids and teenagers at Just B Yoga. And last year I taught two fundraising classes for The Firecracker Foundation.

This is my yoga practice.

My intention is to work with the Free Being Yoga Network in order to bring yoga and other modalities to under-served populations. Some insurance companies do not consider food-related disorders to be diseases, so people who are struggling do not always get the support they need to recover. I was lucky.

I am asking my community, where I serve on a daily basis, to help me fund this intention. The amount I am asking will help me pay for the training and travel costs. And I pledge that whatever dollar amount I raise here, I will give that dollar amount back in the form of free yoga and treatment in Lansing and East Lansing, Michigan.

Thank you all for your time, energy and support.

Courtney