I want to get into yoga, but I don't fit the stereotyped yoga body. Do you have any advice to help me get started?

Q:

I want to get into yoga, but I don't fit the stereotyped "yoga body." Do you have any advice to help me get started?
A:

I would first say that if you have a body, yoga is available to you.

The practice by nature is accessible, no matter what yoga marketing or American emphasis on physicality and athleticism might tell you. Curate your social media feed to reflect teachers and practitioners who look like you.

Find a teacher and community that embraces and celebrates different bodies, experiences, and identities. Look into online resources like my work, the work of Dianne Bondy, Jivana Heyman, Matthew Sanford, Michael Hayes, and so many more who offer classes, videos, resources, workshops, and retreats to hold space for those of us on bodies that are not usually included in the mainstream “yoga world.” (Learn more in 5 Body-Positive Yogis You Should Be Following on Instagram.)

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Written by Amber Karnes
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Amber Karnes is the founder of Body Positive Yoga. She’s a ruckus maker, yoga teacher, social justice advocate, and a lifelong student of her body. Amber trains yoga teachers and studio owners how to create accessible and equitable spaces for wellness and liberation. She also coaches with human beings who want to build unshakable confidence and learn to live without shame or apology in the bodies they have today. She's the co-creator of Yoga For All Teacher Training, an Accessible Yoga trainer, and a sought-after expert on the topics of accessibility, authentic marketing, culture-shifting, and community-building. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband Jimmy. You can find her at bodypositiveyoga.com.