Yoga for Larger Bodies

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Read this article today from Kripalu, what do you think

Sizing Up: Yoga for Larger Bodies by Bess Hochstein

It?s an all-too-familiar scenario: Someone I meet for the first time is surprised to learn that I have a serious Ashtanga Yoga practice, simply because I don?t look like a svelte ?yoga babe.? I?ve got curves, and I do yoga, and I?m fine with that, but even after decades of classes at shalas across the country, I can?t stop myself from scanning the room to see if there are others on the mat who don?t have that ?yoga butt??others, like me, who don?t conform to the stereotypical image of a yoga practitioner, the one we see again and again in the media.
While yoga is good for everybody, these images send the message that yoga is not for every body. But a growing number of teachers are bent on encouraging people who don?t look like string beans or bend like pretzels to get onto the mat and into a whole new mindset.

#2

@ Walter:
Where would you like to begin the discussion on the article?

#3

Don’t really know if I want to make a statement as to where to begin. I will say I think it is a good thing, at least from an altruistic point of view.

#4

For me it is an article about how Yoga Teachers are supposed to be. It isn’t “novel” per se. Just a reminder that we, as yoga teachers, are supposed to be steering students clear of their ego, directing them to focus on what is inside rather than outside of themselves, and accepting anyone who is sincere in their interest of study.

#5

I agree, however I am not sure the majority of the Yoga publications out there would agree based on the models on their cover. I am also not sure how many in Yoga feel about a larger person in class.

#6

“I am also not sure how many in Yoga feel about a larger person in class.”

I could care less with the shape or color or whatever of a practitioner in yoga. Try not looking around and only focus on yourself.

It’s ballsy to step onto a yoga mat, whomever you are. I give credit to anyone who embarks on the practice.

#7

Yoga publications are not in the business of yoga. They are in the business of selling publications. Ergo what they do is in the interest of the latter.

The issue isn’t really how those “in” yoga feel about “larger bodies in class”. The issue is about the lack of yoga in yoga. When Yoga is reduced only to asana, when the student is not appropriately taught the significance and practice of yama, niyama, and kleshas, when the ego is not only allowed to run amok but is actually being aggrandized then what remains could only be considered a shard of Yoga. In those quarters one could easily find the unfriendly.

In any true yoga setting, with dedicated, committed students/teachers there is absolutely no issue at all of bigger person, smaller person, supple person, stiff person … there are only persons doing the work. The rest is not relevant.

#8

Just a side note in reference to asana practice; I?m always in ah when a large body enters the class and begins flowing effortlessly with control, balance, grace and flexibility edge beyond so called norm. Then again I?ve witnessed a variety of body types moving quite the opposite and yet even these can?t stop describing the self-satisfaction they obtain from the practice, so it seems what we witness and judge on the outside has little to do with the inside.

#9

It is late in my area of the planet, its been s long day, and I am tired so I will not get to into this but this is very interesting to read the responses here.

And speaking as one who I think has been on several sides of this fence, thinner, larger, flexible, inflexible and for a time asana only I am finding this quite interesting and just a little enlightening and I will admit this has not gone the way I suspected it would and I am rather happy about that

Good night

#10

I am a bit more awake now.

I felt he article was interesting and I am rather happy there are those who focus on larger students.

When I first “officially" started yoga I was much younger and thinner and when the teacher walked in he was nothing I expected to see. He was about my height (6’1”) but he was about 240lbs. I was not upset and it was a great class but he was not at all what I had come to believe what a Yoga teacher should look like nor was he as inflexible as my first impression lead me to believe. It was a good additional lesson to have in my first class and I am glad he was my teacher. Ironically my weight as I sit here typing is 240, however I was at one point 275 – change the diet drastically to lose weight and started wearing braces so I could start exercising again.

Over the years I have trained with a few people. Most not officially teachers but the last person I trained with was exactly, years before I believed was the stereotypical Yoga teacher, but then it was likely more genetics that yoga, she was southern Chinese and rather small framed. But she was very good and doing more than just about all others I had done Yoga with, she did more than ansana.

Now on the other side of the fence and working on Yoga mostly on my own these days (My schedule simply does not match any yoga teacher I would train with, although I am working to change that for the teacher I posted about in the previous thread I started here) However the majority of the classes I have seen I could have handles 20 years ago but today there is no way I could physically handle the class due to the injuries that have helped me gain weight and the weight I have gained.

I was wondering how people felt about larger persons in a yoga class and I expected this to be more negative than it has turned out. But then that is my insecurities speaking and my projecting that on to others these days

#11

Reactivism is everywhere in Yoga. Just sticking to body types there is great range from a she’s too big to be, he’s not flexible enough.

Leslie Kaminoff’s gets my nod for his. Breath-Centered Yoga which include a refreshing range of Yoga teacher models and adjusts his program for each need.

A muscular male with flexibility concerns.
A Flexible female working on strength.
A woman representing an older generation that didn’t look that old to me?
and Megan Garcia a plus sized yogini, author of Mega Yoga a unique and inspiring program designed specifically for larger women whose needs have not been met by mainstream yoga instructors.

I disagree that images of fit and lithe practitioners send a message that Yoga isn’t for everybody. Yoga is for every body.

There are millions of large bodies doing yoga and all mind and bodies doing Yoga might do well to consider IA’s message. Get out of our egos and into the Yoga of yoga. Get off other peoples mat and on to your own.
Focus on your practice. If you catch sight of someone in a class and they catch sight of you. Don’t try to read their mind through their expression, they may well be working on something that isn’t you.