The Fat Girl at Yoga

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  • VpinkLotus
    VpinkLotus Posts: 849 Member
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    This post totally makes me think of this great book i read:

    http://www.amazon.com/enLIGHTened-Pounds-Fresh-Pineapples-Beagle-Pointer/dp/1616088311/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365893096&sr=1-1&keywords=how+I+lost+weight+with+yoga

    It was about a girl who was the "fat" girl at yoga and over time she wasn't the fat girl anymore...and then one day she was the instructor! It was also a lot about her journey with eating and changing her life in general...i loved it. :)
  • IrishChik
    IrishChik Posts: 464 Member
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    Yoga is far and few in between where I live. I do DDP Yoga & I am the fat girl. No one really cares much at the classes I have gone to. I go for help with degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis in my hips. I focus on feeling better and not those in class.
  • soymilkcoffee
    soymilkcoffee Posts: 171
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    In the words of my instructor, worrying about how you look in the mirror is just a distraction from your practice. :) Nobody is judging you. And if they are, they don't belong in a yoga class. We come to yoga to practice our poses, build strength and endurance and become a little more peaceful. So don't worry! Focus on yourself and do the best you can. :)
  • katyejean
    katyejean Posts: 233 Member
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    I'll be honest, I'm not exactly the most out-going person, and I don't like going to classes and stuff. But really, you just have to go and do it if that's what you want to do. No one there would have any reason to rag on you. You're there to better yourself, aren't you? I hope you get enough confidence to go! :)
  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
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    My core is so effed up I cant even stretch before workout without weeble wobblin' so I dont fall down. I have a yoga video I am waiting to attempt it until me belly goes down a little bit lol I would def find a class that has other fatties in it though I would feel like all eyes are on me if I was the only one.
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
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    . And in all seriousness, in some of those poses, it's not easy to hold in your farts.
    So true!!
    One pose is even called " the wind removing pose......

    This is why I'd never try yoga in public. Not gonna let this happen, cuz I'd burst into uncontrollable laughter. I'm such a 13 year old at times. :laugh:
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
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    My core is so effed up I cant even stretch before workout without weeble wobblin' so I dont fall down. I have a yoga video I am waiting to attempt it until me belly goes down a little bit lol I would def find a class that has other fatties in it though I would feel like all eyes are on me if I was the only one.

    Try Zumba!! I've had women in their 200+ lbs taking my class and they did great! You just modify accordingly. And nobody cares what you look like, they're too busy focusing on their own routine.
  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
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    My core is so effed up I cant even stretch before workout without weeble wobblin' so I dont fall down. I have a yoga video I am waiting to attempt it until me belly goes down a little bit lol I would def find a class that has other fatties in it though I would feel like all eyes are on me if I was the only one.

    Try Zumba!! I've had women in their 200+ lbs taking my class and they did great! You just modify accordingly. And nobody cares what you look like, they're too busy focusing on their own routine.

    Message me I dont know exactly what it is
  • NakeshiaB
    NakeshiaB Posts: 250 Member
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    I've done yoga with fat, thin, young, old, people missing limbs, pregnant women and disabled. If you find the right class, nobody will judge you. As others have said, yoga is all about you and finding out what you are capable of.

    I hope you do find a class that is right for you, if you can't there is always one on one instructors, or videos. Try myyogaonline.com the site has plenty of great videos for beginners. Maybe give a few beginner videos a go and once you feel more comfortable with the poses, then try a class?

    Yoga is wonderful for opening up your body and mind. I'm about to start up again this week after a long break. I have self-doubt/confidence issues and was telling myself I wasn't doing good enough. I've now realised that it's not about how well you do, it's about connecting with yourself.
  • aronao
    aronao Posts: 112 Member
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    In the yoga classes at our gym there are people of all ages and sizes. So don't worry about what anyone else thinks. It's none of their business.
  • teach722
    teach722 Posts: 18 Member
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    I am the fat girl at yoga, and take the class with my incredibly fit 71 year old mother!!! I enjoy being able to excercise with her (and my sister sometimes). The instructor is very good at telling us how to make accomodations...that helps.

    My mom goes 2x a week for over a year. She fell over the summer on a cement patio and didn't bruise or break a bone. She just got up and kept moving. I attribute that to yoga. I want to be bendy like her! :-)

    I also agree with the person who said try out zumba--what a workout! Still can't get my hips moving like the skinny girls, but some day that will happen.

    Good luck and be confident (or pretend to be confident).
  • beginagainat46
    beginagainat46 Posts: 3
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    As my instructor puts it.....it's YOUR practice!!!!
  • mchapman853
    mchapman853 Posts: 3
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    I am the fat girl in YOGA and LOVE IT, it works on my flexabilty and mental wellness also, I don't care how others look at me as long as I am doing something to better me and I have had greats times and lots of support. Be brave you will probably not be alone in size, it is usually all shapes, sizes and ages. Just enjoy yourself it sounds like you are doing GREAT!1
  • jazzy1a
    jazzy1a Posts: 39
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    You might be the fat girl, but there will be an old girl, a puny guy, a bald guy, a fat guy (who doesn't think he's fat and is wearing spandex shorts a size too small for him), a girl who thinks her thighs are too big, another girl who wished her stomach was flatter, etc. there will also be people there who will look right through you because they are so focused on themselves. So go ahead with your fat self and be proud--just wear something you feel cute in--it makes all the difference.
  • Docmahi
    Docmahi Posts: 1,603 Member
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    you wont be alone - and nobody cares at all

    best part about yoga is you really have to focus so much on yourself that it blocks everything else out!
  • suv_hater
    suv_hater Posts: 374 Member
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    Yoga can be humbling for people of all shapes. I couldn't do a corpse pose until my 7th session!
  • marsviolet
    marsviolet Posts: 79 Member
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    I started yoga around 100 pounds ago and I was TERRIFIED walking into that class!!! I am so so so happy that I did! PLEASE GO! :) x
  • maiaroman18
    maiaroman18 Posts: 460 Member
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    . And in all seriousness, in some of those poses, it's not easy to hold in your farts.
    So true!!
    One pose is even called " the wind removing pose......

    This is why I'd never try yoga in public. Not gonna let this happen, cuz I'd burst into uncontrollable laughter. I'm such a 13 year old at times. :laugh:
    I did fall down in class once... I was trying so hard not to laugh after someone farted that I lost my balance. Then, I couldn't help from busting out laughing.

    I forgot to add earlier, make sure you're wearing very comfortable clothing that doesn't make you feel self conscious when you're bending over and reaching your hands above your head; pulling and tugging on your clothes the entire class because you're worried that your stomach or butt crack is hanging out will make your experience uncomfortable.
  • SJ46
    SJ46 Posts: 407 Member
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    The yoga classes I attend are a mix of body types, shapes, sizes, ages, genders, strength abilities, flexibility abilities, and the list can go on and on - we are all unique individuals. Each of us have been the new guy/gal in class and each of us have our own insecurities.

    autniccole, you have more to lose by not going, seriously. Anyone, anywhere (not just in yoga) that judges you by your weight isn't even worth your notice.

    My advice to anyone just starting out in yoga is to go at least 3-5 times before you decide if it is for you and to try different instructors as they are all very different.

    Much luck to you autniccole, yoga has added so much to my life and I hope it does the same for yours. :flowerforyou:
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
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    I've been the fat girl, and I'm still the wobbly chick with crap balance even though I'm skinnier and there's less of me on my mat. Then I took a gal who is incredibly fit and tiny to yoga with me, and she said that I was so graceful and flowy and she hopes one day to look like me. I've also had other people tell me they can tell I do yoga a lot because it looks so natural on me. Perception is everything. I still feel wobbly sometimes and I still feel I sweat like a pig. But it feels good.

    Over time yoga becomes easier in that you can find your downward dog, and you can find your plank. It's about knowing where your body goes. It's hard to describe how you'll be holding a pose and suddenly you can feel your body figure it out. Once that happens, you can find your breath and everything feels awesome. That being said, I dread boat pose and haven't found mine yet. It's a continuum.

    People I know at yoga class checking me out aside, the beauty of yoga is that it is non-competitive and non-judgmental, and what happens on your mat is perfect. I've had some yoga instructors try to correct my form, but they're doing so based on their perceptions, not how far my not-very-bendy body can go without me losing balance. The best instructors are the ones who encourage you to notice how your body holds poses and adjusts to find and maintain balance.

    And there's nothing wrong with doing yoga vids once you've had some practice with a real instructor. I don't feel like driving 40 mins each way to class on weekends when I can't do them after work. A DVD will just give you the prompts you need to follow a routine :)

    Namaste.

    Beautifully said!

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