Yoga teacher, soon to be social worker, daughter, cousin, friend & sweet potato fries lover. I fear I’ll never be fully recovered from my eating disorder. I want to make my parents proud & no matter how many times or how many different ways they tell me they’re proud I still struggle with believing it. At 16, I found myself going down a path of disordered eating. I was over exercising & not eating enough. I was tracking calories & burning more than I was taking in. This continued on for about 2 years. I was not only losing weight but also friends & family. I'd run a brush through my hair & pieces would come out. I was cold all the time & my fingers & toes would turn blue. Clothes no longer fit. I felt weak, tired & depressed. At first I thought the best way to deal with it was to escape it. So I went to a college in the heart of Los Angeles. On move-in day everything came crashing down at once. I felt a wave of panic take over & I broke down. I told my parents that I couldn't do this. I knew I needed help. I was hospitalized for my eating disorder - that was my worst day. The experience was devastating. I rarely share my story because I don't want it to define me. I am not a case study or an example from a text book. I am a human being. I'd tell a 12 year old me to slow down. When I was younger I'd plan my life years in advance. It prevented me from living in the moment & letting things just happen. I now think happiness comes from physical, mental & emotional nourishment. Beauty is found in a kind heart, truthful word & compassionate demeanor. I wish women did less body shaming & more body loving. In 10 years I hope to be working as a social worker with children & families. I have lots of thoughts floating through my head of the future like living in California, starting a private practice & writing a book. I hope to continue teaching adult & childrens yoga. But right now I'm excited about graduating in May with my BA in Social Work. I am resilient, confident, compassionate & determined and I love my heart. Everything I do comes from my heart. I am Sara and I am so proud of the resilience & confidence I've gained through my eating disorder.