Not Lithe, But Over-Size? You Can Still Benefit from Yoga
Hello, your Colorado Springs Chiropractor here. I just read a great article about yoga for plus-size people. What a wonderful concept. I tell all my patients that “health begins right where you are today. You can’t wait for more time or less body weight.” However, up until now, yoga studios have not usually been purlieus for people of size. Striking a yoga pose has seemed to be an exclusive option for lithe, limber bodies. But, not anymore! Yoga classes for heavier people have been sprouting up all over the country with names like Buddha Body Yoga, MegaYoga, HeavyWeight Yoga, and Yoga for Round Bodies.
The ancient practice of yoga might be based on a philosophy of self-acceptance and non-competitiveness, but plus-size people usually feel too self-conscious to even try a yoga pose, much less try on a yoga philosophy. In addition, most yoga classes, even beginner courses, don’t address the needs of big bodies, says Michael Hayes, the owner of Buddha Body Yoga in New York. Poses considered standard for those who are fit or slim are often difficult or even impossible for heavier students.
So, if your body weight has been holding you back, and if you’ve been waiting for just the right moment to start getting healthy and fit, it looks like that moment has arrived. Check to see if there’s a yoga class for plus-size people in town. If not, maybe you can start one!
For the complete article go to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/health/nutrition/14fitness.html?_r=1&em
Comments
Thank you for a great tip. I am plus size, and I like Yoga but never stick with it. I give up mostly because so many of the poses do not seem to take my actual body into account. By the end of the class I feel like I am either going to hurt myself as I try to modify the poses to fit my shape, or I am going to nullify any result because of those same modifications. Not being a Yoga instructor myself I am never sure which, probably it would be some of both. Most Yoga instructors seem to just ignore me struggling in the corner entirely. I assume they hope I will just go away- which in fact I usually do.
How nice to see that there is an alternative for people like me to get the benefit of Yoga in a healthy and appropriately guided way!
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