I'm Jared Levenson, Eating Recovery Counselor and Coach

The year is 2013, and I'm starting my 200 hour yoga training after living for 13 months as a Zen Buddhist Monk without electricity in the mountains.

But after years of teaching yoga, I realize something profoundly sad. 

People who take yoga classes, most of them, are not interested in really practicing "yoga".

See, back when I lived as a Monk, I really practiced yoga. I'm not talking about the 'time' I spent meditating on a cushion or sitting in silence.

I'm talking about the sincerity of the search for truth.

As a monk, I intensely and genuinely longed to find my truth. The Truth.

I dug deep within myself. 

And ... to keep a long story short, I touched my core, living Truth, and it transformed my life.

This is yoga to me. It has nothing to do with time, poses, or knowledge. It's about how deeply do you want to touch the core truth of your life.

And sadly, the type of people who take yoga classes, most of them are not really interested in digging through painful emotional waters, or really looking at their thoughts which make them uncomfortable.

No judgment. 

I just didn't feel that I was connecting with people who really wanted to dig deep. Like really bring light and healing into darkness, pain and shame.

Lo and behold, I start graduate school for counseling, and I start learning about eating disorders.

Hey! I struggled with bingeing too, back in the day. Didn't mindfulness and "real yoga" work for me?

What if I try to help people learn "real yoga" so they can get over their eating struggles too? Maybe I can make a living that way!

What I found delighted me, touched my heart, made me cry, and so much more ...

I decided to jump into this field. I became a Recovery Counselor at an Eating Disorder Treatment Center and have never looked back.

I began blogging about the common struggles I saw like the Binge-Restrict Cycle, and how "real yoga" really helped to relieve those struggles.

Hundreds of clients later, I am still here.

I work with food struggles because I'm interested in really healing the core "Self".

I've found that people who struggle with food, my past self included, become so desperate that they develop this insane willingness to Go Within.

This is what I LOVE, LOVE, and Love.

Going within.

It's a tough journey. Not for the faint of heart.

Most people are not willing to do look at themselves honestly, truthfully, and face these uncomfortable truths.

Yet I've found no better group of people than the food addicts, compulsive overeaters, binge eaters and lonely lot of emotional eaters who struggle secretly!

Yes. If you are struggling with food, then I believe food is your gateway.

Food is just the tip of the iceberg.

And your willingness to look at what's really driving the food issues, to really look inward, is why I love working with food struggles.

Because you inspire me to continue my own journey.

To continue refining my habits, understanding my psychology, and embracing my Lived Truth.

I don't care whether you believe in Intuitive Eating or Food Addiction.

Whatever food journey you're on, Eating Enlightenment is about bringing awareness to your habits, triggers, inner voices - so that you understand your Personal Truth.

If you want to avoid food groups like sugar, flour, etc ... That's fine. We're NOT here to tell you what to believe in.

If you want to embrace all food groups like sugar, flour, etc ... that's fine. We're NOT here to tell you what to do believe in.

We believe in practicing "real yoga". 

It's not about poses, the length of time you spend meditating, or if you can clear your mind.

Nobody can clear their mind!

It's about your willingness to discover WHO you are.

In this process of discovery, you'll discover what makes you overeat, what leads to deprivation, why you feel the need to restrict and can't stop, and so much more.

Whatever food plan or food belief system you follow, more awareness can help.