ability to do yoga, or anxiety about trying a
new thing.
“What I always share with them is that
they are not alone. My classes are designed
specifically for people who feel this way.
And what often happens when we decide
to show up anyway, nerves and doubts and
all, and we see that we’re not alone in this,
is that those nerves and anxiousness and
doubts start to have a little less power over
our lives.”
A big thing in her classes is connection:
“So many of us in fat bodies believe we
are the only ones dealing with some of the
struggles to relate to our bodies and think
we are alone. My classes always include
discussion time, so we can integrate what
we’re learning in class to life off of our mats,
and to unpack this belief that we are the only
ones struggling.
“The other way I encourage this is through
reclaiming movement just for the pleasure
of it – just because of how good it can
feel to move your body. Many of us avoid
movement because it has been labelled
‘exercise’, and something we view as a way
to punish our body for not being the way
we think it ought to be. Movement framed
as ‘exercise’ can make us forget how much
our bodies love moving and cuts us off
from that source of joy in life. We can move
just because we like how it feels, without
worrying about how many calories we burn,
weight we lose, muscles we tone, etc.”
Emily Martin is passionate about creating
change, but that doesn’t come without
its difficulties. “Teaching and putting
myself in the public eye as a fat person is
not without its challenges. A few months
back a local news show did a segment
“Movement framed as
‘exercise’ can make us
forget how much our
bodies love moving and
cuts us of from that
source of joy in life.”
on my Yoga for Larger Bodies series, and
when the video was posted online, there
were some incredibly hurtful or belittling
comments made about fat people by
viewers. It is important to remember that
this work is more than just individual – it is
also the systemic work of changing culture
and institutions to stop the oppression of
marginalised bodies. And it isn’t just about
fat bodies, it is also about all of the other
ways that bodies are marginalised, whether
that is due to race/ethnicity, gender identity,
sexual orientation or physical abilities.”
She has a slightly different approach from
what might be considered the normal way
of teaching yoga. “My intention in teaching
yoga has always been about guiding us all
towards a different way of relating to our
bodies. It doesn’t matter to me how close
your Warrior II pose is to the textbook model
of what it is supposed to look like. What does
matter to me is how moving our bodies can
help us tune into them more. What can we
compassionately observe is happening when
we’re in our version of Warrior II? Can these
observations wake us up to what our bodies
are trying to teach us? And how can listening
to our bodies as teachers guide us to live as
the truest version of ourselves?”Find out more about Emily Martin at:
anybodyyogagr.comom body
druyoga.com/portugal
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1-7 Feb 2020
Yoga & Sadhana
21-27 Feb 2020
Yoga & Chakra Balancing
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