Yoga has nothing to do with your body-type. Don't believe us? Here is evidence. #CurvyYogis and #BodyPositiveYoga are some hashtags widely used on Instagram that you should take a look at.
They lead to posts where the Yogis are not lean or how a stereotypical representation of a Yoga practitioner expects them to be. Not only are they reclaiming the word "fat", but are also subverting the idea of a lean Yoga body.
Instagrammer Trinity.Yoga is one such example of body positive Yoga practitioners with a stable following of like-minded people.
Busting Yoga Myths
One of the biggest myths surrounding Yoga is its connection with weight loss. No, it does not lead to weight loss - unless it’s a very specific kind of it, meant to target that particular problem.
Yoga helps to tone and strengthen your body, along with calming your mind.
Meet Jessamyn, another Instagrammer who celebrates her curvy body by putting up stunning pictures of her doing gravity-defying Yoga asanas. Her ideas of body types are loved and appreciated immensely, as can be evidenced by her massive following of 365,000 followers!
Put Some Breathing Into It
Yoga, a lifestyle choice, is about calming the mind and reaching the equilibrium between mind and body. Asanas are only a means to achieve this end and are also only part of the process.
Yogis like Bad Wolf ૐ, Georgina and Yoga with Joshay prove this further with constantly reminding Instragrammers that their practice is not about ripped bodies and lean muscle.
Reclaiming the Word “Fat”
By using hashtags like #FatYoga and #FatPositiveYoga, several of these practitioners are reclaiming the word “fat”. The attempt perhaps is to no longer let it be associated with sloth, lack of exercise or flexibility.
The cultural subversion of the word is an important step in fighting eating disorders, on the rise globally owing to unrealistic body standards set by media.
Eating disorders, which include anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating disorder and overconsumption, are characterised by irregular eating habits and severe distress or concern about body weight or shape.
A study published in the journal International Journal of Eating Disorders, conducted on 1,7000 college students, found that females are almost 1.5 times more likely to get treated than males. Additionally, affluent students are nearly two times more likely to get treatment compared to non-affluent.
Men are almost five times more likely to remain underdiagnosed than females on eating disorders, which also delays their treatment options, concluded the study.
(With inputs from IANS.)
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