Your Body is Perfect!

30 August 2009 @ 10:24 pm

Okay I'm excited. Three weeks ago my yoga teacher said I had what it took to become a yoga teacher myself. Squeee! So happy! And she said it in front of my mother at the first yoga class my mom ever took and did so well (especially with pranayama!)

Also excited because a few pages into the magazine Yoga+ there's an ad for Kirapalu with a fat woman doing a full pigeon pose. I think I'm going to tear it out and hang it up for inspiration!

If you've seen the ad, please comment with your impressions of it.

Love ya'll!

Current Music: Sunday Jelous- Nick Charles

4 comments | Leave a comment

meshinda

26 August 2009 @ 11:50 pm

Seriously renewing my yoga practice

I haven't been on LJ in a long time mainly because I've been distracted by other sites but other sites don't have the communities I love on LJ. Anyway, I'm a returnee to the group and I've decided that I really want to get back into yoga. I've had a serious of injuries over the last few years that have forced me to start at a lower level than my mind wants me too. I have decided to use Yoga for the Rest of Us in combination with the Just My Size Yoga video. I have been thinking about how I can create my own specialized routine using elements of both videos. Has anyone created their own routines that they do without videos?

Current Location: home

Current Mood:

hopeful

Current Music: none

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arcane_scholar

24 August 2009 @ 10:36 am

New to Yoga

Hey Everyone,

I just recently tried Megan Garcia's Just My Size Yoga. I admit I wasn't really a fan. I didn't feel like she explained how to do the positions very well. Though I did find three I could do, most of them were too difficult for me. I can't support myself on my hands/wrists (I think that was called Cats & Dogs? Or Downward facing Dog? Or something like that. Forgive me, I'm brand spanking new and haven't learned everything yet.), I think that is the biggest problem. I was able to do Mountain and Warrior I and II, which seem like excellent things to begin with. However, I worry I'm going to do it wrong and hurt myself. Does anyone have any advice?

Also, I found Megan's voice to be kind of irritating, and she moves entirely too quick for me to feel relaxed. I don't know, I just feel rather disappointed all together. It seems like that's the only DVD for fat girls like me to try yoga too.

Since that seems to be the case, does anyone have any suggestions on other poses I could try? I'm 375lbs, and I don't have a lot of flexibility or strength yet. So I'm looking for things that will help me build that. I'm also in the Portland, OR area (Downtown), so if anyone knows of a great Yoga class that works for someone my size I would really love to hear about it. I'm looking more for personality recommendations of places people either go, or have gone, instead of "You might want to try and see if they have" type things.

Thanks to everyone!

Current Mood:

cranky

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jazzydivagrrl

18 August 2009 @ 02:53 am

A new journey

I've been teaching yoga consistently for the past eight years and last Tuesday was my final class. There have been varied changes in the management of the facility where I had been teaching and in the change all my students have moved on. In preparation of this shift and my need to increase my personal practice I have been taking two additional classes each week. And so, this is the journey...

As the instructor, I am in control of the style, pattern, and flow of the class. I have learned to breathe and speak, to relax and hold as I cue, or to watch my class and support them. On my mat at home, the same applies. Generally I write my flows or practice in preparation for class. Sometimes I just work in specific asanas.

Since I have joined class as participant, the first lesson I had to learn was to turn off the teacher inside and being my focus to my mat. From the back of the class this was a constant redirection; from the front , I had ego chatter. Thankfully, I had my commitment to breathe and mindfulness. Eventually, I learned to relax into being - being on the mat, being present, being student. One would imagine this comes with ease, especially after all these years, but the biggest bit I had to release was the need to be in control.

So, I have shifted again. I joined a new club and now have three new teacher. They have very different styles and poses I have never seen before. At times I am distracted by the music - Sam Cook, Mary J Blige, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Goo-Goo Dolls. There were times I missed the cues. On the other hand, I once received feedback about playing music with words. I now understand.

I am preparing for the next great thing. In my world that will be Hot Yoga. The new studio hasn't yet opened, but we are planning for a fall appearance. Hot Yoga will be offered three days a week. As much as I know anyone can begin at anytime, I would rather have a bit more stamina when I walk in. What I have learned about being the student is that being in control; even as I upped the ante for my class was still within my comfort zone.

In every practice we reach for ease and effort. It is amazing when we allow another to extend our length and breathe, when we give in and give up, recreating the divine dance within ourselves. Namaste

Current Location: work

Current Mood:

relaxed

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ktenniel

19 July 2009 @ 02:21 pm

Advice on Yoga Workshops for Larger Bodies

Hello everyone! I found this site through a search on plus size yoga and it looks like a great community. I joined mostly so I could post this humble request...

I am organizing a set of workshops in the fall for yoga (and martial arts) for larger-bodied people in my area (Durham, NC). I myself am a larger-bodied person who has been practicing yoga for the past three years with great benefit, and my goal is to pay that experience forward. I was hoping that you guys might be able to offer some input, advice, words of wisdom to help in making my workshops a comfortable and positive experience for all participants.

Any input welcome and appreciated!

6 comments | Leave a comment

spotlessdream

12 July 2009 @ 02:53 am

(no subject)

what's up everyone? i found myself surprised that I was able to get into yoga through the wii fit. I have had a spinal injury which added in my getting a "bigbody". Now if this helps me slim down, all will be great in the world. :) Some positions I can't do completely but I am glad I can be among others who do this.

My question to you is, what is your favorite position? Are there some that you are hoping to one day be able to master?

Current Mood:

awake

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daisygrl

28 June 2009 @ 01:54 pm

buddha body yoga

Here is a great source for yoga for large bodies in New York. A nice website, too, with good information. BUDDHA BODY YOGA and an article in the New York Times about the class here.

Leave a comment

gypsyriver

23 April 2009 @ 09:48 pm

Eagle Pose?

Does anyone have tips or suggestions for Eagle pose? Two videos I do regularly focus on this pose, and I just can't manage to get my arms to cross properly. I've tried using a strap, but my arms still cross awkwardly, with my elbow poking into my inner arm and my hands are a good 6 inches apart. Also, it kinda hurts. The other thing I've tried is just starting with my palms together and then trying to bring my elbows together and that creates a nice stretch, but I'm not sure if it's the right stretch, if that makes sense.

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daisygrl

20 April 2009 @ 03:11 pm

reminders

Hello Beautiful Big Bodies,

I have not been to a yoga class in a couple years. I have been doing some asanas at home recently trying to get stronger. Saturday I went to my first yoga class and it was great.

It was a beginning Hatha class. It was just me and one guy. The guy was thin and tall and about 25, maybe younger. I am 44, tall and very fat.

During the class there were some things that he could do that I couldn't, so I made some modifications and the teacher was great at helping me find them.

But, there were also some things I could do that he couldn't. It was a good lesson that we all have different bodies and they all are set up a little different. There is no reason to have any bit of judgment about it at all.

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rheavon

08 April 2009 @ 10:52 am

Headstands?

Hello everyone!

This morning in Yoga class we made our way to headstands. I've tried doing them in the past for other kinds of classes at sort of a non-specific level and could never do them. In this class, however, we've been working on it for a few weeks now - working our way to the full headstand - so my 250lb self kept feeling more and more confident.

So everything was going peachy as I clasped my hands in front of me, with my forearms on the floor, with the back of my head in my hands and the spot above my hairline on the floor. As I came into a downward-dog-esque position and walked my feet towards me to prepare for liftoff, everything was fine. I could lift one leg up at a time- that was fine. So I lifted both legs off the ground feeling great and wowed for a split second, and then there was a sharp pain in the space between my shoulder blades, so I came down and my instructor gave me a soothing massage as I continued to breath deep. I then did some rolling down through the spine & some spinal flexing and I felt fine.

It is roughly an hour later and I'm not feeling any tension, so that's good.

Has anyone here tried the headstand? Stories? Successes/difficulties?

Current Mood:

calm

10 comments | Leave a comment

beerdrinkinlass

27 February 2009 @ 11:17 am

Negative review for wide yoga mat seller

After reading the suggestions in this post, I went ahead and ordered from a company called Yoga Accessories.

Immediately after placing my order, I realized that I had ordered this mat instead of the mat I meant to order, this mat.

I immediately sent an email to their customer service email address, asking them to assist me in changing my order. I got no response.

The following day, I received an automated email that they had received my order and were processing it. I forwarded that email to their customer service email address again asking them to adjust my order before it shipped out. No response.

I attempted to call their customer service line the next day, and was put into a voice mail system from hell which ended with a "thank you for contacting Yoga Accessories. Your message has been saved." I never had the opportunity to leave a message for anyone.

I called again and was actually put into "Robin"'s voice mail. I left a message explaining the situation. I did receive a voice mail back, but she told me that I would need to refuse the package and order the correct mat with my credit card. She didn't say if I would get a refund for returning the wrong mat. Also, because I have this thing called a day job, the wrong mat was delivered to my house without the opportunity to refuse the order.

I called again on Monday of this week and left another voice mail for Robin, asking her to call me back to explain how I could return the wrong mat. No response.

I left another message for Robin on Wednesday, stating that I had already left a message on Monday and to please call me back to resolve this issue. No response as of today.

I may just be spoiled by Amazon's fantastic customer service, but this company had almost a week to correct the order before it was shipped, and I've since been ignored both via email and voice mail by their lousy customer service. I would advise against ordering anything from this company, Yoga Accessories.

cross posted to

fathletes

12 comments | Leave a comment

daisygrl

22 January 2009 @ 06:04 pm

big mats for bigger bodies

Hello All,

Someone posted on

fathletes today about looking for a larger yoga mat and I passed on a link to her. Then I realized I never posted about it here. Duh.

I have not tried one of these, but it sure sounds like a great idea. A wide yoga mat for big, beautiful bodies.

Also, if taking up space isn't an issue, a couples mat seems to me like the ultimate yoga mat......Wait....did I make that up? I can't find a lid

3 comments | Leave a comment

daisygrl

05 January 2009 @ 12:21 am

dvd reviews

Hello everyone,

I just went through and put the dvd reviews that we have in memories, so they are more accessible. Please feel free to add your reviews or comments.

Hope you are all doing well.

I hope to do way more yoga in 2009 than I did in 2008. I really have had quite a dry spell.

Leave a comment

aurorastar420

24 November 2008 @ 01:21 am

Halloooo!

Hi! I'm Julie, and I just started doing yoga with my two best girls in the privacy of our living rooms about a month ago. So far, I love it. My friends are both a good bit smaller than me, but I think that's a good thing, because it brings out my competitive streak that makes me say "If your narrow butt can do it, then so can my big butt!"...and trust me, that's gotten me through many sessions where I wanted to give up and go smoke a cig halfway through. I found this community today and read over the more-recent posts. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who has to reposition legs/boobs/belly/etc. to get the full benefit of the various poses. Since I started, we've gone from one night a week to three nights a week, mostly because of my pestering. I hate doing things half-assed. Which leads me to my question. I know lots of people do yoga every day, some twice a day, which seems like a hell of a lot at my current state of development. I'm afraid I'd be too sore to function if I did yoga every day. Is three times a week enough to fully reap the benefits of yoga, or should I start sneaking in (possibly shorter) daily sessions? Also, I have REAL issues with inverted poses (plough, shoulder stands, etc.). I CANNOT GET MY LEGS/BUTT THAT FAR IN THE AIR! Plus, my chiropractor has forbidden me from doing anything that puts weight on the neck until I get some of my TMJ issues worked out (I'm not sure how it's connected but...I trust the man.), so is there anything else I can do in place of the offending poses and get similar benefits? I feel like a goon sitting there stretching and drinking water while my friends have their butts in the air. Haha

Current Mood:

mellow

11 comments | Leave a comment

russiandancer4u

05 September 2008 @ 08:14 pm

Intoduction

Well lets see... I'm Sara and I'm 19. I used to do yoga in high school gym class, but there were some things that were hard to do because of my size. Everyone else in my class was like a stick. When it came to the part of touching your toes to the ground behind your head (i dont know names of poses or anything) I thought I was going to suffocate on my boobs. Now that I'm going to be having the time and space I want to pick it back up again.

7 comments | Leave a comment

daisygrl

03 August 2008 @ 08:02 pm

how awesome

I just stumbled across this website with these inspiring and wonderful statues (more on the website) they call Yoga Fanatics. Check out the copy that they have with these:

A fun and life-affirming bronze statue. The Rubenesque figure bursts with energy and vitality, reminding us that health and excercise aren't reserved exclusively for people who match prevailing media images of what the human form should look like.

8 comments | Leave a comment

oakmouse

02 July 2008 @ 06:40 pm

Introduction

I just joined, and thought I should introduce myself.

I'm a middle-aged fat woman who took up Hatha yoga about a month ago courtesy of a copy of Megan Garcia's book Megayoga. I used to do yoga in high school gym class, and enjoyed it a lot. My teacher was cool about my size and treated me well (rare in gym!). Later I dropped out of yoga when I went to a college where thin was more or less mandatory and the fat girl's best option for exercise was to go walking. I was delighted when my husband found Garcia's book for me, and also delighted to find this community. It's good to be doing yoga again.

*waves to a couple of people I know tangentially through mutual friends*

Current Location: home

Current Mood:

thankful

Current Music: none

10 comments | Leave a comment

chubcheeks

27 June 2008 @ 12:44 pm

Wrist pain

Hey guys
I just had a quick question.
I enjoy doing yoga but lately when I do certain poses involving the majority of my weight in my hands (such as downward dog) my right wrist starts to hurt. So I was wondering if any of you deal with the same thing or if you have any suggestions to ease it/get rid of it.

Thanks :)

Current Mood:

curious

Current Music: Better Than Ezra

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evil_erato

27 June 2008 @ 10:58 am

(no subject)

For anyone in the Northern Virginia/DC area, there is going to be a curvy girl yoga workshop at Pure Prana yoga studio on Sunday, August 10th. Here's the blurb from their website:

Voluptuous Yoga for Women with Curves
with Melissa Sistoza

Sunday, August 10, 2008
2:00-4:00pm
$35.00
register

Find comfort and acceptance in your body!

Join us for a playful, uplifting and nourishing yoga experience for women with curves. Melissa Sistoza will encourage and challenge you to build your strength, balance, and flexibility, as well as offer a
safe and inspiring space for self-awareness, personal growth, and finding peace with our imperfections.

We'll discuss and practice specific yoga postures, emphasizing how to accommodate breasts, bellies, and any other body part that feels too round or big. In this intimate setting with like-bodied individuals,
we'll make the deeper connection between the mind, body, and spirit, promoting harmony with our entire beings.

Melissa Sistoza lives in the Lakeridge, Virginia with her husband, two children and dog Blue. She loves traveling around the United States and has visited nearly all 50 states. She shares a great love and respect of the outdoors with her family and a deep connection to her home in beautiful Virginia. It wasn't a big leap from her love + exploration of the natural world into the wonderful world of yoga. Melissa completed Yoga Fit's Teacher Training in 2005 and experienced a deep and profound love affair with yoga since. She continues her on-going education of Yoga by enrolling in Pure Prana's Holistic Teacher Training Program for Fall 2008.

You can register on their workshop page here - just scroll down to the workshop blurb. :)

I am not affiliated with this studio, though one of my friends goes there regularly and has always spoken highly of it

Current Mood:

awake

2 comments | Leave a comment

chubcheeks

21 June 2008 @ 11:17 am

I'm new!

Hey guys! I'm new so I just wanted to introduce myself.

My name is Liz. :)

I've never really done yoga before. Just once or twice, but I wasn't really doing it, just being stupid. So I found this group and was reading all your posts & I want to get into it.

I don't know if any of you have Comcast On Demand, but theres a workout/fitness section on there and I found a few yoga videos and tried it last night xD. I'm REALLY not flexible haha.

But I think I'm going to work on it over the summer & keep checking back in with you guys,

Okay, I just wanted to say hi. So, hi.

Current Mood:

bouncy

Current Music: Metro Station

3 comments | Leave a comment

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