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Everybody Wants a Yoga Body

Confessions of a yoga instructor.

There were 5 mins left before the start of the Vinyasa Flow Yoga class I was teaching. It was time to start collecting the waivers and questionnaires I gave out at the beginning of most of my new classes. Personally, I’ve always hated the sterile paper work affiliated with the beginning of possibly transcendent yoga experience but the waivers are necessary. Questionnaires, not so much, but I’ve gotten some helpful insights into my students’ goals, apprehensions and abilities. Some students really pour their soul out on questionnaires, while others choose “N/A” which means I’m nervous filling this out. What is it about holding a borrowed pen that makes us feel like we are about to sign away the deed to our house? Yogis, I am about to see you in some of the most vulnerable positions your body can create, I think you can give me better than N/A.

Waivers and questionaires at one of my yoga workshops, which came back half filled, of course.

While collecting the paperwork I noticed new student and now friend, Lisa; a millennial wearing a two sizes too big charcoal gray hoodie. Her eyes were consumed with the questionnaire. I snuck a quick peek over her shoulder to notice a blank questionnaire. “Lisa, feel free to fill your questionnaire out after class.” I suggested so I could begin. “I just don’t know how to answer…my answer is a little…” She spoke hesitantly. I could have told her in my most enlightened yogi voice that it wasn’t necessary to answer if the answer wasn’t there for her. But I had a feeling she was struggling with something deeper and needed tangible letters to put on paper. I decided that Lisa would be a student that required a little hand holding. So, I paraphrased to her an already simple question. “What made you come to yoga today?” Lisa decidedly said, “Okay” and in big letters, she wrote: I want a yoga body! Exclamation and all. She smiled big; shy of almost cracking up laughing at her admission. I smiled just as big back, humbly accepting her reason for yoga.

Lisa’s admission!

There are as many reasons to come to yoga as there are yoga poses but truth be told the average modern-day yoga goer, either wants a low impact, stress reducing activity or just like Lisa, wants a yoga body. Let’s face it, yoga become mainstream some time ago; a part of popular culture. No longer does the image of a frail hippie, sitting atop a mountain in sukhasana in Gyan mudra (thumb and index fingers touching) remind us of yoga. This image has been replaced by a perfectly groomed and toned, $140 legging wearing, high ponytail having, striking a flawless pose type of yogi. Of course, in a beautifully lit yet sterile yoga studio with eco-friendly bamboo flooring.

When I think of this evolution of yoga, Janele Monae’s song entitled Yoga starts playing in my head “baby bend over, let me see you do that yoga” and the image of her back up dancers in compass pose, wearing red high heels lulls me and the Lisa’s of the world into a false sense of yoga. Modern day Author, Rachel Brathen’s famous words, “The goal of yoga is not the pose….to appreciate your body and become aware of your mind and the noise it creates. To make peace with who you are.” Is what Lisas of the world need to understand but this concept of self-acceptance is not what pop culture is selling. And why should it? It never claimed it was a deep, still pond of knowledge or social responsibility. It wants to give you the illusion of perfection and unrealistic goals so you keep buying until you’ve spent half of your pay check at an outrageously expensive yoga brand store because you think you’ll wear those leggings “like, every day, duh!” But in reality, you’ll wear them a few times until either, you give up yoga or achieve that yoga body. The latter, rendering those leggings too loose and well, wasn’t the whole point of the yoga body to wear the yoga pants that would highlight your new yoga booty? (I need to catch my breath after that sentence!)

Now don’t forget to add an extra vinyasa to your practice so, you can maintain that new tight body. Oh, and add an OM every once in awhile so you can be one with the universe. Let me clarify that I’m not against the purchasing of useful or frivolous goods to beautify our lives and bodies but where does outward satisfaction end and inward yoga begin?

Sarcasm aside, my student Lisa did need the hand holding guidance of a completely non-judgmental instructor which I aspired to be but I’m a lover of eastern yoga and no matter how much I practice and find benefit in yoga with a western twist, my eyes will involuntarily roll at the thought of a yoga body without the yoga soul.

Her body had to be her ally and not her enemy…

To save my own yoga soul I practiced non-judgement whilst working on Lisa’s desire for a fit body. I had my students indulge in the idea of self-acceptance with lots of “I am enough” mantras and guided meditation at the end of our classes. In particular, I had Lisa push through sun salutes and reminded her of how one day she could do 108 but her body had to be her ally and not her enemy that needn’t be beat into submission. I hoped I was getting through to her.

Lisa approached me at the end of our 16th and final class. “I lost 9 lbs, I need some new yoga clothes!” She squealed with delight, while pulling her loose leggings up. Her charcoal gray hoodie, nowhere to be found. I was thrilled to see the aura of accomplishment around her bright face but hoped she was able to shed the limiting belief that she needed a yoga body or that there was such a thing.

Lisa looked contemplatively at her yoga mat. Did she suddenly slip into a state of Dhyana (meditative and almost final stage of yoga)? Was she having an, other worldly experience that I would be privileged enough to witness? After a deep silence, she looked into my eyes and proceeded to ask, “What’s a good pair of leggings that lifts the…. bootay?” At, that very moment the father of yoga, Pantanjali rolled over in his grave. It took every muscle in my body to control my eye rolling. Finally, my judgmental self surrendered to the powers of popular culture and gave Lisa the name of the leggings my enlightened self had been wanting to purchase.

The Grace highwaisted yoga legging in black onyx from Kira Grace. And FYI, KiraGrace will be donating 100% of net profits of the leggings to the Seva Foundation. The foundation helps women and children of human trafficking in India. More on this in another post!

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DISCLAIMER: This site is not intended to provide and does not constitute medical, legal, or other professional advice. The content on voicebowl.com is designed to support, not replace, medical or psychiatric treatment. Please seek professional care if you believe you may have a condition.
COOKIES POLICY: This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse on this website, you accept the use of cookies for the above purposes.