Queer “Fat Femme” yogi Jessamyn Stanley is challenging preconceived notions of what a Yoga body should look like. She stumbled upon Bikram yoga by chance in 2011 while at grad school through a Groupon offer, and was instantly hooked. Now, the 27-year-old North Carolina resident is a certified yoga instructor herself, and has over 55,000 Instagram followers.

Stanley is often scantily clad in her Instagram photos. “I think it’s intimidating [to see the ‘typical yoga body’ at the front of the class],” she told nymag. “It creates more of an aspirational experience as opposed to an inspirational one. It doesn’t actually elicit what yoga should give people. The whole point of this practice is to burn away the parts of our lives that are built up over the years that don’t matter, and to burn that away to who you truly are.”

More info: jessamynstanley.com | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter (h/t: lostateminor)

Jessamyn Stanley started yoga by accident thanks to a Groupon offer in 2011

“We live in a society where we are trained to think that being overweight is wrong so people are going to stare at you”

“Our society throws crazy shade at anyone whose body differs from the models featured in Western media.”

“The only thing that you can control is your reaction to that”

“I’m teaching about three classes a week right now, then later this summer I’m going to teach every weekend in different parts of the country…”

“There are a lot of things you learn as a larger-bodied person practising yoga — what to do with your stomach, what to do with your breasts”

“I always tell people (especially women) to stop sending negative energy into their bodies and thoughts”

“That negative energy is responsible for all body unhappiness”

“The only person in control of your life experience is you. “

“I think it’s intimidating [to see the ‘typical yoga body’ at the front of the class]”

“It creates more of an aspirational experience as opposed to an inspirational one. It doesn’t actually elicit what yoga should give people”

“The whole point of this practice is to burn away the parts of our lives that are built up over the years that don’t matter, and to burn that away to who you truly are”

“Your body is not standing in your way. Only your mind is standing in your way”