My life long history of disordered eating, clinical eating disorders, compulsive exercising and general poor mental health changed when I found yoga. it gave me the space to sit with my emotional discomfort and little by little I gradually unraveled my internal pains and found ways out of my mental chaos. As this happened, my relationship with running changed. It had mainly been a tool of self-punishment and escape from myself. With yoga, running became the path with which I could forge new behaviours and healthier strategies. Running now became an opportunity for me to run WITH myself, not away from myself. Yoga showed me my fears and insecuritites, running then became a safe structure for me to confront and move beyond those fears. The outcome is a stable, resiliant me.

The Glencoe marathon on 1st October is a massive challenge for me. I have done longer, arguably harder events in the past. But I have never done them with a healthy mind. I have never entered them without the primary intention of punishing myself for all that I hated about myself. This event has been about pushing through my edges and finding discomfort without brutality, about thinking I couldn't yet still taking the next step and discovering I could. Just two weeks ago I couldnt imagine how I could finish this event without resorting back to old habits. Today, I know I can. Yoga has taught me that. Yoga and running are the backbone to my mental stability so it seems only fitting that I use this event as an opportunity to give back and raise funds for Edinburgh Community Yoga Outreach (ECYO).

ECYO is a not for profit social enterprise company which takes yoga to areas of the community where it is needed most - developing affordable community classes in low income areas, and working with local organisations who support vulnerable groups, including homeless people, adults in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, women affected by trauma, in-patient psychiatric services and people with long term health conditions.

My relationship with ECYO started in 2012 when I attended Laura's community class when things were stressful for me. I turned to Laura's class again a year later at a particularly unstable time for my mental health. Just being there gave me invaluable breathing space. I was lucky, I could afford to pay for this much needed resource. Many others can't.

Laura and Lorraine are two of the nicest, most giving people that I have the pleasure of knowing. They see the good in everyone and help them to see that in themself too. They continue to offer me support as I take new paths with my own teaching and eating disorder awareness campaigning. Please please help me to help them by giving even a small amount to my crowdfunding effort. It all helps.

CT ❤️ Xx