I had a conversation with a new student recently. She wanted to work with me because she had a very uncomfortable situation the first time she tried a yoga class, and she was hesitant to return without learning some curvy options for practice.

What Happens Sometimes

Much of the time I think people believe all the stories I hear are blatantly horrifying. Students being directly told they’re too big to do something, dirty looks and snickers, bad adjustments that leave people hurt.

And I do hear those stories.

And they always hit my righteous indignation button.

What Happens More

 But what is even more insidious is the well-meaning teachers who shame students because they haven’t thought through the meaning of their words.

Case in point is the story my student shared with me. She attended a small class (less than 10 people), and since the teacher didn’t suggest any curvy modifications, this person did her best to improvise. As she did, the teacher called her out and had everyone look and gather to see the great modification she came up with.

Then during a balance pose, the teacher encouraged this student to experiment with the wall, which she did. The teacher then faux-whispered that she “shouldn’t be embarrassed” to use the wall. Everyone in class heard.

Breaking It Down

At first blush, I could see why this story doesn’t sound that bad — perhaps even good. After all, the teacher praised this student! And she encouraged her!

But here’s where things break down:

1. She directed a shining spotlight on this student during her first class — and she didn’t do that for anyone else. Instead of acknowledging the many great options people may have been using in class more generally, she highlighted this person’s practice, putting her on display. This setting apart, however well-intentioned, can make people feel like a spectacle. As though there is something so uniquely odd about them that everyone has to stop and take a look.

2. She assumed that she knew what this person was feeling — embarrassment. And what this person told me is that she hadn’t been feeling embarrassed at all — that is, until she realized that someone thought she should be. But after that she didn’t feel embarrassed, she felt ashamed. And if we know anything about shame, it’s that it’s one feeling that can send us down a rabbit hole of negativity and body loathing faster than any other.

Redo

If I could have called a redo, here’s what I would have suggested:

1. Encourage all students to modify. If you’re going to call out great options that people are using, spread the love and have everyone stop and look at several different modifications during class (preferably not the new person’s at all, much less first).

2. Instead of assuming what a student feels (which is never a good idea, regardless of their shape/size), encourage her a different way. Keep the focus on the asana: “Look at that standing leg — go you!”

3. If you don’t know what to say, don’t say anything at all. Yes, I’m pretty sure my mom taught me a variation of this when I was 5, but it still applies. If you’re not used to having curvy students in your classes, you might feel nervous/excited and really want to do the right thing. I think that’s awesome. But if you haven’t spent some time ahead of time thinking about what that is, treat your student like any other. Keep your focus on teaching asana safely, offering modifications if any come to mind, then go research/reflect as needed afterwards so you’ll be ready to rock it next time.

Opportunity

I truly believe this teacher was doing her best to be thoughtful and kind. But because very few (read: basically no) teachers are trained in what to do with bigger bodies, it can be difficult to handle with grace.

That’s why I’m on a mission to get teachers certified — to make their classes Curvy Friendly and/or to bring Curvy Yoga to their town. Hope you’ll join me in sharing this transformative practice!

p.s. Why 73? I’ve just heard so many that I could hardly start with 1. Been on the receiving end of a fail? Let me know and I’ll break it down. A teacher and got a question? Same thing — be in touch, and I’ll offer some suggestions. 

Photo Credit

I recently traveled to my mom’s house. It was my dad’s birthday, and since it was our first without him, we wanted to spend it together.

To tell you the truth, I was not looking forward to this trip. At all.

For weeks, I was building up in my mind how terrible it would be. How everyone would be knee-deep in misery and I wouldn’t know how to handle it.

Opposite Emotions

My best friend was the first to point out one of my charming unconscious patterns: that when people have a strong emotional reaction, I tend to have the opposite reaction in order to diffuse the situation.

In other words, if someone is extremely angry, I’ll try to find the best in the situation. If they’re sad, I won’t find a tear within a 10 mile radius.

When she first told me this, I thought it was ridiculous. “I don’t do that,” I scoffed in my mind.

And then about 10 seconds later, I realized how right she was.

Hate it when that happens.

Lead Up

Now that the stage is set, you can imagine how I was expecting to feel in what I thought would be the land of despair: shut-down.

As in, completely.

I could hardly access any feelings about it while I was still home because I was already powering down. But I did try.

48 Hours

The last couple days of preparing for a trip are always hectic for me — getting the dogs ready, packing, beginning to wallow (okay, not every time, but definitely this time), etc.

Somewhere in the midst of this flurry, a thought hit me:

What if I expected a different outcome?

Huh? I wasn’t sure if I heard that thought correctly, so I paused and revisited it. And yep: the same thing came up again.

What if I expected a different outcome?

300 Reasons Why Not and 1 Reason Why

My mind immediately came up with a million reasons why this wasn’t possible: other people’s reactions aren’t within my control, this actually IS a terrible situation, how could I expect something better, I know these people and can predict their reactions, etc.

After an exhausting few minutes of reinforcing my negative fate, I realized I didn’t have anything to lose.

If I expected a more positive outcome and didn’t receive it, oh well. I’d just get the same thing I’d thought I would originally, which I’d been bracing myself for for weeks.

But if I got the more positive outcome? Well, that felt worth the risk.

The Outcome

As I headed up to my mom’s, I stayed focused in my mind on a loving, warm, open, bittersweet experience ahead of me.

What shocked me is what came next: I got it.

With my new attitude, belief and feeling (this is an important one. I practiced allowing myself to feel what I mentioned above — just for a few minutes each morning), everything was different. My family was doing better than I expected. I was doing a LOT better than I expected.

Sure, there was sadness — but it was primarily of the bittersweet quality. Being together gave us each a warm container to support and be supported.

And when others’ emotions showed up, I didn’t completely shut down. I softened and allowed them in — as well as my own. Was I a pro at it? Of course not.

But did I receive an incredible lesson in the power of our thoughts?

Oh, heck yeah.

Photo Credit

Yay for May — especially this month’s Curvy Seven with the delightful Lisa Papez! Enjoy her inspirational story! To read more Curvy Sevens, please click here. 

1. What’s your yoga origin story?

I discovered Yoga when I was desparately seeking some way to move my body that didn’t also hurt my body. I’d been diagnosed with Plantar Fascitis and between that and sensitive joints, had been advised to avoid all impact activity. I was on a diet at the time, and needed some form of body movment or exercise that didn’t require me to be bouncing all over the place. What I was seeking, initially, was gentle caloric burn. What I found, instead, was a complete and total transformation of my Self, my relationship with my body, and my spirituality. Yoga brought me to myself. Yoga showed me that I am strong, capable, beautiful, and worthy – just as I am. It became a great passion and it is that passion that gave me the courage to become a fat yoga teacher!

2. What pose do you love? And loathe?

I get gut feelings. A lot. When I meet someone, I can tell within 30 seconds of meeting them if I should trust them or not. I easily sense how people are feeling, especially when I’m close to them. And sometimes I get the idea that I should check in with someone with whom I haven’t spoken in awhile — and when I do, the timing always turns out to be right when they needed to talk.

Maybe everyone experiences this? I don’t know. I’m not everyone; I’m just me. But what I do know is that I also get another type of gut feeling — one that tells me what is right for me and what isn’t.

(Wo)man in the Mirror

I’ll just let you guess which of these is easier for me to hear and follow. (Cue Jeopardy theme music.)

Oh, what’s that? You didn’t need the music because you’d already decided the answer by the time you finished reading the sentence above?

Okey doke, smarty pants. You were right.

I’m pretty quick to think, and believe, that I might need to take what someone is saying to me with a really big grain of salt. But I’m not as quick to ask myself what I should do about a situation, hear an answer and then act on it.

Survey Says

Lately, I’ve been practicing asking myself what my intuition says about any given situation.

Let me give you an example. I was recently given the opportunity to collaborate on a project. My gut response was an immediate no.

But then this little gem came out of my mouth: “Yes! This sounds amazing! And wow; what an honor. Thanks for asking!”

Gag me with a spoon. (Yes, I know how much saying that dates me. Just roll with it.)

Now, you might be asking yourself –  “what the wha? Her gut said no but her mouth said yes! What’s up with her?!”

Oh, that wasn’t you asking that? Weird.

It must’ve been me.

Either way, it’s certainly a question worth asking — and one I’ve been investigating.

Here’s what I’ve noticed happening for me:

1. My gut has an instant response

2. I am too busy people pleasing, anxiously worrying if I’m going to ruin my career if I say no (or yes, depending on what the case may be) or multi-tasking to listen.

3. My default is to avoid feeling awkward or uncomfortable — even with myself (which is, I realize, actually awkward in and of itself)

4. I agree to things I don’t want to  do, aren’t a good fit for me, don’t have time for, won’t make me feel good, etc.

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

So after all this unfolds, I find myself in a bit of a quandry. At some point (granted, not necessarily soon), I’m going to realize that I’m in a situation that is not a good fit for me. In the past, this has sometimes taken years for me to realize. Lately (at least with what I’m aware of), the timeline has been shortened to months, weeks or days (or even, in some blessed instances, hours).

Here’s how: I lie down. As in, on the ground.

Gettin’ Down

For some reason, I find it easiest to communicate with my intuition when I’m lying down. Maybe it’s because I’m stretched out, so things can flow more easily. Or maybe it’s because I’m pretty unlikely to be on my computer when I’m lying on the ground (although it’s not impossible. Thank you, iPhone!).

I happen to think it’s because I’m grounded. I’m pretty sure there’s a reason why ground is in that word and why I feel it best when I’m on it.

So that’s what I’ve been doing: I lie down on the ground, and I ask myself what I should do about a given situation. In the case of the collaboration above, my gut responded again with a no. The interesting thing about my gut is that it’s a no-nonsense kind of gut. There are no drawn-out reasons, invented scenarios or tendencies towards drama. It’s just a no — plain and simple.

From there, my mind is free to spin out all the reasons why. And oh, it will. It certainly will.

That’s not to say the reasons aren’t helpful. They are. There’s something to be said for clarity. But at the end of the day, it’s the feeling that’s most important.

Gut Brain

I recently read an article called “A Gut Check for Many Ailments.” In this article, the author quotes a doctor who says that “the brain receives much more information from the gut than it sends down.”

That’s right, the gut has its own nervous system. And it’s at least as complex as the central nervous system, or what’s connected with our brain.

Totally blows my mind(/gut).

It turn out that our experiences, feelings, etc. are encoded in our very cells, including our gut in a major way. So that feeling you’re getting? It’s not just metaphorical.

Really makes me want to pause for a beat when I hear it speaking — or to allow for it to.  Now, if only I knew any skills for slowing down and being present…

Oh, wait…

Photo Credit

When I started practicing yoga, I did it at home.

There wasn’t a class on every corner like there is today.

But the main reason I did it is that even the idea of going to a class made me feel ridiculous. And when I think I might feel ridiculous, I don’t like my trial run of it to be in front of either people.

I wish I could be braver — and maybe I am a bit these days. But when I’m being really honest with myself, I know that I vastly prefer to have at least the slightest comfort/knowledge of something before doing it with/in front of others.

Surprising Results

As I continued practicing at home, I started slowly gathering information about how I felt (physically and emotionally). This was absolutely critical for me, a gal who never got that kind of bodily info from sports or the like because, well, sports + I are not a good match.

(Although I was, somehow, on my high school golf team. But that’s a story for another day.)

Because I was still in that space of uncertainty about proceeding to a group class, I really got to take my time. I felt free to experiment because I was unafraid of making a fool of myself. I tried things I never would have if I’d thought someone else would see me.

In other words, I had the amazing experience of building up the confidence that I could do yoga. That, yeah, this body can do yoga — no prob.

I’m convinced that this critical home practice time built a platform for me to venture into classes I might not otherwise have tried. This gave me the opportunity to really soak up everything I learned as I began taking classes, workshops and, eventually, teacher training because I already knew how my body felt on the mat and what I wanted from my practice.

Wait: There’s More!

In addition to all this, I even got some more benefits (hard to believe, I know!).

• Feeling Good: There’s not much better than this, right? My home practice helped me develop the skills to use visualization to reduce the intensity and duration of my migraines. It also helped me feel g-o-o-d at the end of the day, stretching and moving away any tension I was holding (and it was always a lot — still is some days!).
• Improved Health: I already mentioned the migraines (and that alone was priceless for me because I had, almost literally, tried everything else possible). But I also saw improvements in my digestion, which has been an on-again/off-again issue for me my whole life. I think slowing down and all those twists helped with that.
• Reduced Stress: Think my health issues had anything to do with stress? I didn’t. That is, until I learned how to calm the heck down through yoga and saw them slowly melt away — and/or not throw me completely into a rabbit hole of misery, despair and woe-is-me.
• Inner Listening: Yoga asks us to get still and see what comes up. This is so not my favorite task, especially when I’m spinning out into some internal drama. But home practice made it possible for me to engage because it held space for me, myself and I.

How to Get Started

If you’re reading this and thinking some variation of “Dang, I really need a home yoga practice.” Or, like me, “Yep; it’s time for me to re-start my home yoga practice,” I hope you’ll give it a whirl. It is a truly powerful experience.

And if you’d like some guidance rooted in radical self-kindness, I’d love for you to join me and the lovely Marianne Elliott for 30 Days of Curvy Yoga. We created this course as the love letter we wish we’d received when we first started practicing — tips and encouragement for creating a practice that works for the actual you. Not the fantasy you that wakes us at 5:00am for 2 hours of yoga and meditation before beginning a blissful, stress-free day. But the you who has 7 minutes today and 23 minutes tomorrow for yoga, and hey — you’re taking it.

It’s also for the you who wants some pose options that were created specifically for folks with curves. The video that accompanies the course is intended to show you several different options for some go-to poses. Once you practice through a few times, you can begin mixing and matching based on your needs — which is, after all, what yoga is all about.

To learn more about the course, please click here. Registration ends this Saturday (May 12) and (in good news for you instant gratification folks like me) we’re starting on Monday (May 14).

If you’ve got any questions, please get in touch. We’d love for you to be part of this! It promises to be a wonderful time of exploration and transformation as you create your own tailor-made practice.

Well, my body has spoken — again. And, unfortunately, it had to use a megaphone instead of a whisper.

Since I began working from home about nine months ago, I’ve been spending a considerable amount of time on the computer. That’s not particularly new; I spent a lot of time on the computer at my old job, too. But I do think it’s possible I’ve been on it for longer chunks of time than in the past.

Several months ago, I started resting my arm on my desk in a weird way, creating some pain around my elbow. I could usually shake it off after a few minutes — or at least by getting up from the computer and walking around and then coming back.

Funny Feeling you Just Can’t Shake

That is, until a couple weeks ago. I sat down at my computer in the morning like I usually do. Once I’d been there about 30 minutes, my arm started tingling/burning (it kinda feels like when you hit your funny bone, except it doesn’t go away). The tingling continued up and down my arm, and no amount of moving it around or stretching made any difference.

The longer I sat at my computer, the worse it got.

So I had to go do something else.

Every time I came back to the computer, it started again. So I took the whole day off.

And then I ended up taking most of the weekend off because it would only give me about one-hour spurts.

Now What

As this persisted, I realized my body was giving me a pretty clear message — less time on the computer!

Of course, since it’s me, it took my body taking my arm completely out of commission for me to get this message.

I wish I could say this was the first time.

Listening

It’s hilarious to me that I’m all about listening to my body — except when it means my actual body.  I do love the concept philosophically, but apparently it’s just a bit harder for me to get in real life.

The first time this symptom cropped up, I did listen — sort of. I changed my desk chair and how I sat at my desk. And then my husband and I even swapped offices so I had a better desk.

These were all fine changes that did help somewhat — but they didn’t get to what my body was actually trying to tell me.

So left with no other option, it turned to its equivalent of sky writing: completely shutting down any option other than listening.

1200th Reminder

So for the 1200th time (this year, if not this month, I’m sure), I’m learning to listen again. Listen more. Listen deeper. Listen sooner.

Also: listen for new things. I’m more in tune with the signs when a migraine is cropping up. Or when a cold is coming on. But that’s because I’m trained for them now (through lots of trial and error). But the subtle listening for something new? That’s a bit different — but feels like a good step in the journey.

Ah-ha

I suppose the progress to note is that once I got the message shouted into my ear with a microphone, I did change my actions. I got back on my mat and into my meditation practice. It’s amazing what I can do with all this “new-found” free time!

I’d say I’m on the computer several less hours/day now. I’m feeling better than I was a couple weeks ago, but I can tell that things are still tenuous. The awesome part, which is of course inevitably how it always is, is that I’m getting the same amount of work done — no problem. If anything, I’m quicker than before because I’m highly focused with my computer time. No time for much mussing around when that tingling feeling sets in!

I have to thank my body for being a persistent friend and ally to its sometimes hard-headed inhabitant. Bit by bit, my listening and self-care is refined. I could choose to view this arm thing as a failure, but instead I’m seeing it as I believe it is truly intended — a reminder of how this work never ceases to evolve if you stay with it.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Want a little help listening to your body? Join me and Marianne Elliott for 30 Days of Curvy Yoga! When you sign up, you’ll also get Marianne’s course, 30 Days of Courage, for FREE! Registration ends Sat, May 12. 

Photo Credit

I recently heard someone say that we should trust change.

You’re probably feeling as outraged as I was — “trust change?!”

You have GOT to be kidding me.

Change + Me

I am not great with change — at least in some areas. For example, while I love changing my haircut, I do not love ordering new menu items at restaurants. Also, I enjoy taking on new tasks at work, but I do not enjoy (at least at first) social situations — especially where I do not know anyone ahead of time.

So when I heard the idea that we should trust change, not only did I not like it, I didn’t quite get it.

How can we trust when we don’t know what’s going to happen?

And then it hit me: that’s kind of the point.

We’re not trusting the result — we’re trusting the actual process of change.

That’s a whole ‘nother (scarier?) ballgame.

Why Trust Change

As I continued to listen to this person, I realized that trusting change really means trusting myself. It means knowing that I’ve been through SO many changes in my life, and I’ve (so far) survived them all.

Some were really hard. And some I went through quite begrudgingly (to put it kindly).

But no matter my attitude, I did get through it.

What Change Feels Like

Sometimes it feels like every change is something we’ve never encountered before. And perhaps it is in some ways — that’s probably at least one of the reasons that it’s called change in the first place.

This constantly feeling like you’re in a new situation is what can make change challenging. We want things to just settle and be the same sometimes.

But what if instead of seeing change as the new, we saw it as the constant?

Because, truly, it is.

Change as Our Constant Companion

Trusting that we can weather change might open up new insights into ourselves. It might increase our resilience. And it might make us less hard on ourselves.

For example, imagine the pain I would have saved myself if, when I was letting go of dieting and shifting into intuitive eating, I’d recognized it as a change. I know change: I know that it has stops/starts, ups/downs, but that eventually I make it through.

If that had been my perspective, my inevitable (yes, inevitable) “failures” wouldn’t have been signs of what a weak, terrible person I am. Instead, they would have been signs that I’m going through a change; they would have been expected, perhas even welcomed as steps along the way.

Because ultimately trusting change is another version of trusting ourselves. And that’s a change that would do us all some good.

Photo Credit

I am beyond thrilled to introduce you to the newest Curvy Yoga teachers! I’m sure you’ll enjoy getting to know them as much as I have the past few months. If you’re in their area, be sure to stop by a class sometime! To learn more about getting certified yourself, please click here. 

Shannon Dakin

Location: Indianapolis, IN (USA)

Tell us a little about your relationship with yoga — both your practice and your teaching.
Yoga helps me to base my self worth/esteem on how I feel rather than what I look like. It allows me to feel that I am perfectly imperfect.

I try to make yoga accessible for anyone and everyone. There is a modification for everyone and anything. Your yoga will be as individual as you are.

Why do you want to bring Curvy Yoga to your community? 
I was scared for a long time to walk into a class and know I might be the biggest person in the room. I know what that feels like.

I want to show that yoga is accessible. To remove any kind of intimidation or hesitation from someone (anyone!) entering a yoga class. 

What can folks expect when they take a class from you? 
A safe place to explore how you’re feeling right then and right there. Yoga is in the feeling and the letting go of the ideal of “the perfect pose.”

Yoga isn’t in the perfect pose; it’s in the crappy one you struggle with. The one you are really feeling. Music, humor, sharing and play are all parts as well.

What has been your favorite part of the certification process? 
How it has brought to light my own self talk and how I have begun to notice a distinct change in how I speak to myself. Not everyday is a great day, but the bad days are fewer by far, and that is great. I’m more mindful of my own inner dialogue.

How can people get in touch with you? 
They can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. They can also email me at shannondakin(at)gmail(dot)com.

Erin McVittie

Location: Mullingar, County Westmeath (Ireland)

Tell us a little about your relationship with yoga — both your practice and your teaching.
As a yoga teacher, I should say that I can’t survive a day without practicing yoga an hour and a half each day to achieve my sense of enlightenment.  As a human person, I have to admit I do the best I can.  Yoga has taught me to listen to my body and inner self, and sometimes my inner self does not feel like doing downward dog or tree pose.  But, I am working on consistency and try to introduce that into my lesson plans to share what I have learned.

Why do you want to bring Curvy Yoga to your community? 
I have never bought into stereotypes, and (sadly) it seems the yoga community is chock full of them.  Practicing yoga has so many benefits on so many levels, that every body should be able to reap those benefits.  I find a lot of people (including myself at times) are disillusioned by the images that go along with yoga in books and magazines, so I would like to help break that mold.

What can folks expect when they take a class from you? 
People can expect that I will work your body, but I will also crack little jokes and try to get you to smile.  Not only does smiling help distract you from difficult postures, it helps you realize that yoga is important, but not as serious as it’s made out to be.  I also try to let my students know that my class is one of the few places where no expectations are placed on them.  If one of my students wants to lay in savasana for an hour and a half, so be it.

What has been your favorite part of the certification process? 
Chatting with ANNA!   I have really enjoyed learning different sequences and modifications (options).  I did not realize how stuck in a pattern I was, and the certification process has really helped me change things up a bit.  It has helped me step out of the box and embrace my creativity a bit more.  I have loved this process.

How can people get in touch with you? 
They can find me at the studio where I teach (and their Facebook page) and on my Facebook page.

Many thanks to these wonderful teachers for being so open to the journey. I look forward to seeing all the incredible teaching they continue to do! If you’re interested in learning more about how you can bring Curvy Yoga to your community, please click here. 

What do you think of when you think of a red flag?

I’m willing to bet that some kind of warning sign comes to mind — but what’s the context? For me, when I think of red flags, I think of a warning that danger is just around the corner. Something ominous this way comes.

So that’s why I never thought of them in my own life — especially in relationship to my body image. That is, until recently.

Scale-Free Me

As I experiment with more scale-free time, I’ve started noticing something: sometimes (although surprisingly less often than I would have guessed) I really want to weigh myself. I mean, really really want to.

But since I’ve made a promise to myself not to do that for at least six months to give myself some breathing room, I’m checking in with it instead. Why do I want to weigh myself in those particular moments, especially since they’re rarely when I’m even near a scale?

What Gives?

My first thought of why I had this craving (because it surely did feel like one) is because I really need to get on the scale. I was sure I’d probably gained at least 25 pounds in the past few weeks, so it was clearly time to start my repentance. If that wasn’t the track playing that day, the other choice was this: that the only way I could be healthy was to get back on the scale (even though I know the opposite to be true for me).

Pretty sure I’ve heard both of those before — on repeat — for years.

So next I had to flip over to the B sides (if either of those are still terms in use today, but you probably know what I mean). If those tired stories aren’t working, what is? What else is going on here?

What Lies Beneath

What I’ve been noticing is that I usually have a desire to weigh myself when I’m feeling a bit out of control in some other, unrelated area of my life — like when I’m anxiously awaiting the outcome of something, or when I’m avoiding feeling some feelings, or when I’ve  agreed to do something I really didn’t want to do — when I’m out of alignment with what I know is right for me.

Perhaps even more interesting is what happens when I figure this out. Instead of getting on the scale, I’m doing my best to show myself some empathy. For example, if I notice that I’m avoiding feeling some feeling, I’ll say something to myself — either in my head, in writing or whatever feels like it might work at the moment. Something like: “Ah, you don’t actually want to get on the scale, do you? You’re just sad about x and wanted to avoid feeling it. That’s understandable.”

Notice I didn’t add “Poor li’l baby” or something like that on the end. It’s empathy I’m working on here — not sympathy.

Sweet Relief

When I show myself that empathy, I feel relief — and not just metaphorically. I can actually feel something let go in my physical body, a holding on I didn’t even realize I had until that moment that it gives way.

So now when I see a red flag, I’m doing my best not to feel more anxious than I already did. Instead, I’m embracing it as a chance to soon feel more ease — which is what I really want anyway.

Photo Credit

I’m delighted to introduce you to Dianne Bondy this month! To read more Curvy Seven interviews, please click here.

1. What’s your yoga origin story?

My story starts with trying to be thin. Pleasing a father who hated having a fat daughter. It was about being perfect in every way.  After doing every exercise, over training, running marathons and self-loathing, I needed to flip the script and be okay with who and where I was in life. It was about changing the stories I tell myself; it was about breaking away from my parents and standing in my power. It was my evolution. Yoga was my salvation.

2. What pose do you love? And loathe?

My absolute fave pose is Half Moon pose with a bind: Ardha Chandra Chapasana. I feel is it the quintessential yoga pose – balance, beauty and grace.

I loathe arm balances. They make me feel defeated…

3. What advice would you share with other curvy yogis?

Don’t be afraid to be who you are. You actually represent most of the population. Go to a yoga studio and stand in your power. Don’t label yourself; just be a yogi so everyone can see diversity in yoga. You will empower someone else who feels less than worthy.

4. Who’s your favorite curvy icon?

My favorite curvy icon is Oprah Winfrey.  Who knew a curvy black woman would influence the world so profoundly.

5. What’s your favorite yoga resource?

I don’t really have just one. I have been enjoying Elephant Journal, and I am a HUGE fan of Doug Keller’s work. I am really interested in the therapeutic aspects of yoga for more than just the body. I am also enjoying Christina’s Sell’s latest offering My Body is a Temple: Yoga as a Path to Wholeness.

6.  What quote inspires you?

“Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.” ~Marianne Williamson

7. Wild card: anything else you would like to share?

I have learned it is never about me!  Yoga is for everyone. Don’t let anyone show you anything different.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Dianne Bondy practices yoga because it gives her a sense of balance and belonging. Yoga helps her celebrate who she is even though she doesn’t seem to fit in to most Yoga gatherings. In addition to being Black and a size 14, she is a typical Type A personality: prone to overworking, being impatient and becoming easily annoyed.

You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and her own blog Adventures in Yoga. You can also practice with her online at Eastside Yoga Online.com. Dianne’s highest intention is to empower people to create balance, celebrate their innate goodness and reach their greatest potential on and off the mat