Hi. I’m Amber, nice to meet you. Welcome to Body Positive Yoga.
Why Body Positive?
I’ve struggled with my weight and body image since my early teenage years. Growing up as a fat girl can take its toll. I have been on dozens of different diets, exercise regimes, and more trying to fit an ideal that was more about aesthetics and fitting in than actual health. The past few years have changed all that. I have (without really noticing) been on a journey toward health and self acceptance through making peace with my body, instead of fighting it all the time and trying to jam it into some mold that just doesn’t fit. Body positive is the best way I know to describe what my yoga is about.
I have used yoga to make peace with my body over the past several years. Yoga has taught me to actually be in my body, how to become mindful and aware of it on a daily (hourly, minute-ly) basis. Yoga has brought me to finally accepting some limitations, accepting the way I look, and deciding to work from there, instead of waiting for the ideal “thin” me to appear on the mat one day.
I have decided to be body positive instead of negative (or hurtful, mean, punishing, and rigid). I’ve decided to open to the possibilities of what might happen when I make the conscious choice not to hate my body so much. Decided to try moving it in ways that make me happy instead of ways I think I “should” or that will make it turn into a smaller body.
This blog will chronicle those adventures. Won’t you join me?
I like the new site, Amber! I love the topic. I practice yoga at home and continually strive to get better. I wouldn’t call myself a seasoned body image warrior (that would be nice, though:) but I’ve made some great strides over the years to be as comfortable with myself as I am today. I’m much more accepting of myself now that I am older. Nowadays, I’m trying to appreciate what my body is capable of doing rather than how I think it looks to other people.
Thanks JJ! You said,
“Nowadays, I’m trying to appreciate what my body is capable of doing rather than how I think it looks to other people.”
Yes, this! 🙂
Hi —
I’ve taken two classes recently, which I’m enjoying.
In the past, (a few years ago), I felt very isolated in previous yoga classes because I’m not skinny and I had no idea I could use props to help me. (I’m also short. Or fun-sized!)
Being a bellydancer and doing zumba have both helped and hindered my self-acceptance in different ways. Maybe yoga will help me bring a different perspective.
I’m looking forward to reading more on your blog. I added it to my RSS. 🙂
Hey Raquel! Thanks for the comment. I’m so happy that you came to the class the other night – and yay for props! I’d love to hear more about how bellydance/zumba worked with or against your self-acceptance!
Hi Amber,
I love this quote by Clarissa Pinkola Estes from the book Women Who runs with Wolves to do with ‘inside every fat woman there is a thin woman screaming to get out’
“If there really is a woman screaming to get out she is screaming for cesation of the disrespectful projections of others onto her body, her face, her age.”.. “The pathologising of variation in womens’ bodies ia a deep bias…”
Nicky, Great quote – love that. I’ll have to check out that book. 🙂
I’ve been studying the paleo diet and came across your blog. Are you on the paleo diet? I have many health problems (at age 53) and I’m going to take Rob’s advice and try 30 days to see what happens but I also want to lose about 15 pounds. I noticed that you are overweight. Not to be mean—you already know that. Have you lost weight on the paleo diet? Have you done any other type of exercise besides yoga? I don’t do yoga but was always told that along with yoga to do some sort of cardio.