Episode #33: Jessamyn Stanley on Yoga for Every Body

Welcome back to Episode #33 of That’s So Maven! After a 5 day trip to NYC, I’m so happy to be back home and continuing to interview some incredible humans making waves in the wellness community. Today’s guest, Jessamyn Stanley is no exception.

From Jessamyn’s bio:

“Jessamyn Stanley is a yoga teacher, body positivity advocate, and writer based in Durham, North Carolina. Jessamyn uses high energy vinyasa flow as a way to move past mental and emotional barriers. Her classes provide a body positive approach to yoga which celebrates students’ bodies and encourages them to ask “How do I feel?” rather than “How do I look?” when practicing yoga.”

This perfectly sums up Jessamyn and exactly the message she is advocating for. It was such a pleasure to talk with her and breakdown the prejudice that exists in the yoga community and beyond.

Here are just a few of the things we discussed:

• Jessamyn’s journey and how she discovered yoga
• Why she thinks there is a lack of body diversity in the yoga community
• Body image and how she learned to accept her body
• Is the word “fat” derogatory and if not, can we use it?
• How we define health and if you can be healthy and fat
• The prejudice that exists in the health and wellness community
• Advice for people who feel discriminated against for their body size

LISTEN HERE:  iTunes | Stitcher | Google Play | Player.FM | Podbean

What questions do you have for Jessamyn? Do you feel the yoga community is inclusive?