Have you wanted to try yoga, but were concerned that you might feel like the biggest person in the room? Or that the instructor might not teach poses that were suitable for your body, no matter its ability or size? Then Curvy Yoga might be the class for you! (They are having an annual until January 10, 2017. Visit here for more details, or see my Curvy Yoga Store page.)

Curvy Yoga is yoga instruction specific to people in larger bodies, but all body sizes are welcome in my classes. Through intentional sequencing, strategic uses of props, and creative variations, yoga is made accessible to people of all shapes, sizes, and abilities.

My guiding philosophy is that there is no “wrong” way to have a body, and that all bodies are capable of experiencing the benefits of a yoga practice. Yoga can change to suit the body you have today, and the pose can be made to fit you, not the other way around.

My Curvy Yoga students are a variety of sizes, ages, abilities, cultures and gender identifications. What they have in common is a desire to gain flexibility, strength, agility, and balance, and to practice self-care in a fun environment that is body affirming and free from judgment and competition.

Class sizes are limited to 10 people, and each class is a three-month series. A caring community tends to develop in each class as we practice together, and students report that they look forward to each class, even if they haven’t liked moving their bodies before. Students tell me that Curvy Yoga class is their “happy place” and they always leave feeling better physically and emotionally than when they arrived for class.

I became Curvy Yoga certified in 2013, after teaching group classes for over five years. I sought this additional certification because of my dedication to making yoga instruction accessible to all bodies. My own yoga teacher training hadn’t sufficiently addressed teaching to the variety of bodies that I saw in my classes as a teacher, and I had witnessed and experienced body shaming in some of the classes I had attended as a student. I feel so grateful to have found Curvy Yoga and to have become part of a movement that celebrates diverse bodies and abilities. In the words of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition: “Yoga is for Every Body.” I am committed to supporting your yoga practice, in the body you have today.

Please let me know if you would like to be placed on a waiting list for an upcoming series. Most of my students tend to continue from series to series, but occasionally there are openings for new students. I am also available to teach private and semi-private classes. I look forward to sharing this practice with you!

Please visit curvyyoga.com to learn more about the origins of this practice and to meet Anna Guest-Jelley, the creator of Curvy Yoga, and my teacher. If you want to purchase her books, or subscribe to her videos, you can do so through the link below. I highly recommend Curvy Yoga Studio, which is a large library of yoga videos, sortable by length, style, and theme, in case you want to practice at home. I am honored to be a Curvy Yoga Affiliate, and to help make these resources available to you.