(Picture: Rachel Slawson)

Type #yoga into instagram and you’ll be bombarded with nearly 36 million posts.

A quick look at the top results and the majority of the images show beautiful, blonde, slim – and of course white – women twisting their bodies into unbelievable shapes.

I hid my epilepsy for years because I was scared I would be picked on

Often they are also on a beach and are wearing either bikinis or expensive looking yoga pants and cropped tops.

The images are undeniably amazing, and some yogis such as @yoga_girl have made their entire livelihood off the back of sharing images like these, but is it sending the right message about what yoga is about?


And how many people are put off from trying yoga because they don’t fit the mould?

I’m not the only one to feel like something is amiss.



A backlash is growing against the perfect image of yoga and the idea that yoga is only for a certain type of body. Using the hashtag #yogaforeverybody, people of all shapes, sizes, ages and races are sharing photos of themselves doing yoga poses.

Some are taking it further with hashtags #curvyyoga and even #fatgirlyoga.

The movement is being lead by plus sized yogis Anna Guest-Jelley, who has written a book called Curvy Yoga, and Jessamyn Stanley, who has been on the cover of several yoga magazines in the US but other yogis of all sizes are welcoming the movement.

Spot the difference #treepose #yogaeverydamnday #nature A post shared by Nicola Slawson (@nicola_slawson) on Oct 9, 2016 at 10:00am PDT

For me, yoga is my therapy and whenever I am struggling with life, it usually coincides with letting my yoga practice lapse.

I have never once regretted going to a yoga class, or wished I hadn’t rolled my mat out at home. It makes me feel amazing and I regularly try to encourage friends to give it a go. I am also a prolific Instagrammer, using my account to keep a diary of my life.

Despite this, when a friend suggested I join her in doing a ‘yoga challenge’ last year, my heart sank and I felt anxious.

Yoga challenges are where someone – usually a yoga teacher – will suggest a pose a day for a specific period of time and encourage followers to join in and share images.

I really didn’t feel comfortable posting pictures of me doing all those yoga poses on Instagram.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m partial to pulling a tree pose out the bag while, you know, in a wooded area, and I actually love Rachel Brathan (AKA yoga girl). I even met her once like the true fan girl I am.

A dream come true! @yoga_girl taught me yoga! And on Monday I’ll interview her! Last year during the #yogagirlchallenge I set an intention to score an interview with Rachel once I’d qualified. 11 months later and it is HAPPENING! #dream #yogagirl #yogaeverydamnday #happiness Also so lovely to meet @dennisfromsalad ? A post shared by Nicola Slawson (@nicola_slawson) on Aug 6, 2015 at 12:46pm PDT So what was stopping me? It was the fact that I was feeling overweight and ugly compared to all the other yogis sharing pictures of their practice. I didn’t feel like I lived up to the beauty standards of those who share their yoga moves on social media. Of course modern yoga practiced in the West is a long way from traditional yoga practiced in ashrams in India, but even so, it’s ridiculous that being asked to do yoga resulted in me mentally beating myself up and feeling like I don’t belong. Some yoga teachers like Anna have set up special classes for curvy yoga lovers. In an interview with the Sonima blog, she describes the negativity she has experienced in the yoga community. Some accuse her of encouraging people to be overweight, she says.

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