A Yogi on Fat Yoga & Changing Stereotypes (pics)

Living in today’s society, its easy to get caught up in the stereotypes that are put forward daily on how our bodies must look and what body type is acceptable.

But the truth is that many of these stereotypes are in fact unattainable because we are not all made the same way. We come in varying shapes and sizes but this should not be a limitation for the things that we can accomplish

The hashtags being used on Instagram vary—plus-size yoga, curvy yoga, fat yoga—but the accompanying images of women striking a pose send the same clear message: There is no one typical yoga body.

(Photo: MyNameIsJessamyn/Instagram)

One of the most prominent advocates of the movement to prove that the physical, mental, and spiritual discipline is for people of all shapes and sizes is Jessamyn Stanley, a Durham, North Carolina–based writer, body-positive advocate, and yoga teacher. Stanley, who began practicing yoga in 2011, has amassed more than 82,000 devoted Instagram followers.

Her fans are primarily women who eagerly click “like” on her photos, such as the one above where she demonstrates the challenging “Feathered Peacock Pose.” Stanley’s execution of the move demonstrates her strength and flexibility—which people may not anticipate because of her size.