|
A former anorexic, who was so ill she weighed just 58 pounds, has told how yoga helped guide her back to health.
Two weeks before her fifteenth birthday Chelsea Roff, from Venice, California, suffered a stroke as a result of her severe malnutrition and she was hospitalized for 16 months as doctors fought to keep her alive.
But today, aged 23, she is 'happy', 'healthy' and fully recovered from her eating disorder - a turnaround that she puts down to her 'love affair' with yoga.
Scroll down for video
Bouncing back: Former anorexic Chelsea Roff, 23, who was so ill she weighed just 58 pounds, has told how yoga helped guide her back to health (pictured by Sarit Photography)
Miss Roff told CNN that she is no longer afraid of 'her fullness' and the gentle form of exercise has allowed her to sculpt a healthy physique that's neither 'big' or 'scrawny'.
She took her first class several months after being discharged from hospital aged 17.
She admits in an anthology titled, 21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics, and Practice, that her original motivations for trying yoga were 'almost entirely pathological' and she wanted 'a sneaky way to burn calories without arousing the suspicions of my treatment team.'
However after several sessions she started to adopt a healthier approach to eating, and her outlook on life improved.
'One of the things I'm most passionate about is being a model of real recovery'
'Before I knew it, 'I'd gained 20 [to] 30 pounds I'd done a yoga teacher training and was teaching yoga,' she said, recalling her transformation.
Miss Roff said her eating habits spiraled out of control when she was just ten years old.
Her mother also suffered from anorexia and alcoholism, which later meant she and her sister were placed into custody by the Child Protective Services.
Fully-recovered: There are no pictures of Miss Roff at her lowest weight, but this image was taken a year before she was hospitalized aged 15 (left), compared to her healthy self today (right)
'Looking back, I think my body was the only way to tell the people around me that something wasn’t OK and that I needed help,' she said.
While there are photos of Miss Roff during her childhood, there are none of her at her thinnest. Only a grainy shot of her aged around 14 exists, showing her washed-out and gaunt complexion.
When her body 'reached its breaking point' an emaciated Miss Roff was admitted to Children's Medical Center near her home in Dallas, Texas aged 15.
'I can’t tell you a particular way out of the well, but I can share with you something that was really helpful for me'
Specialists told her she might not make it another week.
'Nearly every system in my body was shutting down. All four valves in my heart were leaking. My skin was yellow from liver failure. I hadn't taken a s*** in over a month. I was dying,' she explained.
Bed sores and incontinence were other unpleasant side effects that she experienced as the result of her anorexia.
Thanks to the round-the-clock care, Miss Roff's physical and mental health started to get back on track.
'Over the next few months, as my body grew accustomed to having nourishment again, my temperament and personality began to change,' she recalled.
Happy and healthy: Today, aged 23, Miss Roff is fully recovered from her eating disorder - a turnaround that she puts down to her 'love affair' with yoga
Finding her way: Miss Roff took her first yoga class several months after she was discharged from hospital
Positive outlook: Miss Roff uses her experience to help others battling eating disorders
'I became quieter, more submissive and more trusting of the staff in charge of my care.'
After gaining nearly forty pounds she was discharged from hospital, and thanks to yoga she went on to make a full recovery.
When she is not on her yoga mat Miss Roff, speaks regularly at recovery centers and writes about her experience, in a bid to help others battling eating disorders.
'One of the things I'm most passionate about is being a model of real recovery,' she said.
While she recommends yoga to patients, she realizes that it doesn't work for everyone.
'I can’t tell you your particular way out of the well, but I can share with you something that was really, really helpful for me,' she concluded.
No comments:
Post a Comment