54
om body om bodyIn the first of a new series on body positivity, – one male, one female – why it’s time to break up the old yoga stereotypesJane Lambert asks two instructors^Y
oga is for everybody, andevery body. Slowly but sure (^) ly,
it’s a message that is gettinout there: the act of getting g
everything that yoga has to important, rather than whonto the mat and experieat you look like. offer is what’s ncing
But what does this mean in realitAre you someone who goes to a yoga y?
class and struggles to find anwho looks like you? Maybe you’re bigger other person
than the average yogup a little more space on yPerhaps you’re 20 ora student, taking 30 years older than our mat.
everyone else in your class, orsets you apart. your gender
Instagram will present a sea of slmostly young women in a compOne look at a popular yoga hashlicated pose im, white, tag on
against a stunning backdrop. reality, if your regular practice is But, back to a bit more
church-hall-on-a-Tuesday-momany different body types do you rning, how see?
community of people such as populAmerican teachers Dana FalseWith the increasing fame in the yoga tti and ar
Jessamyn Stanley, the profile yoga is ever growing. There’s no reason why of plus-size
someone who carries mhave a regular yoga practicore weight shouldn’t e, and benefit
in all the same ways thdoes. Flexibility isn’t intrinsicbody weight, and besidesat a slimmer person , yoga isn’t all ally linked to
about flexibility, whatever Insttry to make you believe. agram might
M a r c ’s s t o r yThe amazing thing about yoga isbenefits are available to anyone who is that its
willing to try – and those benlimited to being able to perfect a handstand efits aren’t
or move effortlessly into crowYoga teacher Marc Settembrino, pose. from
Louisiana in the US, took up ythe loss of his father and “I was depressed, anxious, and grieving. grandfathers. oga following
I was irritable and I waSomething had to chansn’t sleeping well. ge, so I decided to
give yoga a try.“I made my way into the yoga studio,
intimidated at first becaulike the typical yogi.my first class I discovered no on But when I arrived for se I didn’t look e in the^
room (other than the teacher) loothe stereotype. ked like
began my practice. I often got because poses that seeme“I struggled a lot with my body when I d easy for frustrated
everyone else seemed impossstarted googling ‘yoga for fat peible for me. I ople’ and
searching social media to find othyogis. I soon found teachers like Laura er ‘fat’
Burns, Dianne Bondi, Amber KDana Falsetti. They taught mmodify poses and to make peace with e how to arens and
my body through yoga. So,social media was a huge h in that sense, elp for me in
my practice.”embark on a yoga teacher trSettembrino eventually deciaining course, ded to
despite once again feel“As a bigger person, I did struggle quite ing intimidated.
a bit during the teacher did everyone else. We each had our training. But, so own
challenges and it was importansee that. Again, the people in my trawere loving and supportive. Ovet for me to rall it was a ining
positive experience.”
The Body Positivi+y Column
Breaking the mould
55
om body
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Greater diversityJonelle Lewis, star of onfront covers, is of the firm opinion te of last year’s OM hat our
bodies – big or small – are should think about when practicthe last thing we ing yoga.
“Body shapes in yoga should at all. There is no more desirable ordesirable body shape. We do not be a thing the practice less
of yoga to become embodied anWe use our body as a tool, as a vessel in d awaken.
the process of embodimIf we are concerned about aestent and awakening. hetic when
we are doing our spiritualmissing the point. The by-prothe practice may translat work we are e into physical ducts of doing
attributes and health benefitheart of this practice is the awakening.s. However, the
exceptional for doing yoteacher because of m“When people try to treat my body shape it is ga and being a e as
doing me and the practimplication is that the practice isn’t ice a disservice. The really
for me. The healing and transforqualities of this practice are for evermative y body
- not only white skinny femalbodies. We have to ask ourselves e privileged who
created this dynamic and whoserve? I believe this is deeply dsends the message that yoga is only for does it ivisive and
certain people. It is down to magazlike OM, other yoga media platforms, yoga ines
studios, and so on, to changeand narrative.“Since I’ve been teaching I’v the imagery e seen
more of everyone coming diversity needs to be represented in the to classes. This
teaching staff in studios and in the media.”
Give it a goOnce you have embraced that yoga is about so much more than the message
what shape you can bend your becomes obvious that the size orbody into, it shape of
your body is simply not importantthe transformation that yoga can b, because ring is so
much deeper than any physicalpeople making a resolution to taThe start of a new year will see many changes. ke up a
regular yoga practice. Butlooks in any way different to t if your body he ‘yoga body’
that you see constantly on you’d be forgiven for feelinabout turning up to a class. social media, g intimidated
to celebrate everything thRemember that yoga is an amaat your body zing way
can do. Instead of confront of a mirror and seeinstantly standing in g everything that
your body can’t do a strength and confidenceotherwise struggle to find. Give or be, yoga gives you that you might it a try, no
matter what size, sex, shape or may be. colour you
“Maybe you’re bigger than the average yoga
little more space on your student, taking up a
mat. Perhaps you’re 20 or 30 years older than
everyone else in your class, or your gender
sets you apart.”Photo: Zoe SavitzJonelle LewisN@maste
Keep in touch
Love OM magazine and want to tell
the world? Here’s your chance
Body positivity
Great that you have started to include a regular
column about body positivity. Talking about this
subject and showing images of more diverse people is the only
way to break down the barriers. Yoga is for everyone, no matter
what size, age or colour – let’s make it happen!
Mel, by email
Be the change
Just wanted to say that I loved seeing your January issue.
It’s a great start to the new year, with a more rational form of
inspiration than many other publications, showing us how to stick to any
New Year resolutions or make lasting changes. I especially liked the article
by Neil Seligman (10 New Year’s resolutions that actually might change your
life), who said: “The most powerful resolutions are about self-knowledge,
not self-improvement.” It’s a great way to effect lasting change. After all,
what’s the point of making new health or life choices if you’re not going to
stick with them? Yoga is powerful stuff.
Joe, by emailSubs up
Yay! I got a subscription to your magazine for Christmas. So
happy! I have done yoga for a few years now but it was only
during 2018 that I really started to ‘get it’ (if you know what I mean). I love
your magazine because it gives me something to do when I’m not going to
classes and makes me feel a part of a yoga community. Love it!
Kellie S, by emailYoga with Adriene
So happy to see the lovely face of Adriene Mishler on your
January front cover. I’ve been doing her free YouTube
classes for years now, so I’m really happy to see her getting the
recognition she deserves. She is my number one yoga inspiration. I went
to one of her big classes in London last year and can’t wait for more.
Great to see her in your magazine.
Julie, by emailOM Letters, Prime Impact Events & Media,
Park House, The Business Centre, Earls Colne
Business Park, Colchester CO6 2NS
[email protected]facebook.com/ommagazinetwitter.com/OMYogaMagazineYou can also find us on
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youtube.comom beginnings
34 All photos are courtesy of Yoga withAdriene34om body35OM meets...om bodyI
recently became onepeople who’ve vieweMishler’s Yoga with Adriend one of Adriene of the millions of e videos
practices, wakes up aon YouTube. In thiher dog Benji falls asleep nd wanders off while s particular video, while she
she’s in the middle ofto a high standard, practAlthough the video is an asana. obviously produced icing while watching
Yoga with Adrienin a class with your favouritteacher. She’s funny, e really does feel like you’irreverent and says e, 30-something re
she’s talking about. This conversation. ‘awesome’ a lot. But she clearly knows what is just how she is in
for a day off for her. She from her fans, doiI caught up with Adrienng interviews, taking was reading letters e on what passes
conference calls and prepathat evening. ring for an event
I began by asking herinto yoga.I grew up in the theatre. Mi how she got ne was a classic
tale of an artsy kid doinyou could think ofwas that my parents were. The one unique thing g everything artsy professional
actors and my mudepartment of a college. I’menough to have grown um worked in the theatre p in Austin, Texas, also lucky
which, even at that body conversation. I got into yoga as time, was rich in mind-a kid when I was in
highly disciplined such as rehearsal roostudios. Aged 17, I tracreative environments ms and performance ined with a professional
company in New York, learning the Suzukiapproach to actiballet and Japanese Noh theacame back to Austin ang, derived from Americannd qualified as a yoga tre. At 18, I
teacher to supportmake it as an actor. Some my whole life. I’m ha myself while I tried to , I’ve had yoga with ppy to have found
something I cafeels meaningful.n practice daily and share that
Do you still practice evI do. The way I practiceI lead. I don’t think yog daily has become how a always has to be a ery day?
75 or 90-minute sweaIt’s more about taking theand connect, whether it’s fivt your ass off situation. time to drop in e minutes or a
full class in a studio. That’s ado that every day. Ifresentful or feel like a martyr I don’t, I do get a little union. I try to (laughs).
today – letters, not emto tears by the people rActually, when I was opening my mail ails – I was moved eminding me to take
care of myself. That’s whyour mat, Adriene.’en I think ‘Get on
Do you have a goFor me, it’s a little trio. roll up onto all fours-to asana? and then it’s downward I start on my back,
dog. A downward dog a ddoctor away. I have frwho can’t imagine a life where downward iends and students ay keeps the
dog brings ease and flusI laugh and say, ‘Just keep going, it’ll come’.hes out the system.I read an interview wiGuardian newspaper wcalled ‘The People’s Yogith you in The here you were ’. How do you (^)
feel about that?
Yoga With Adriene has become a phenomenal hit on YouTube with over 4 million subscribers. David Holzer
catches up with the person behind it, Adriene Mishler
“I got into yoga as a kid when I was in highly disciplined creative environments such as
rehearsal rooms and performance studios.”
Adriene Mishler