Thought I’d stick my oar in to the yoga-body image debate. I’m an Australian 8-10 (US 4-6) and I am very happy with that. I’m strong. I feel well, I enjoy food. A lot. I’m happy with my ‘bra-fat’ (or, more accurately, the slabs of muscle in my back that might LOOK like fat but aren’t). And I have no desire to disappear to a size 0. I’m much more interested in moving my body every day, and in how that affects my mind.
Speaking of which, I’ve recently read two memoirs couched in tales of physical pursuits.
The first was Sam Fussel’s Muscle: Confessions of an unlikely bodybuilder.
The second was Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.
Both discuss how, over time, you develop a physique unique to your sport. It got me to thinking about whether this is true for yogis too. I think it is: it doesn’t seem to have all that much to do with how intense your practice is (although of course that is a factor) but rather with doing it regularly over time. Murakami talks about this in the context of running too. I won’t mention the intensity issue in relation to bodybuilders because they all seem to be a bit nuts!
Yes, I am aware yoga is about much more than a body, and especially it’s not about changing your body to somehow fit a social stereotype. But. Flexible strength equals a healthy body. And a healthy body helps a healthy mind.
In the last year or so, I have really settled into my body, and I thought I would trawl through some old photos to see if there is a noticeable change. It’s most visible in my arms, since they are, you know, naked.
Child pose, 2006:
Child pose, 2009:
Child pose, last week (2010):
Apart from the difference in muscle definition (and bulk), if you are looking carefully and it interests you, you will also notice that in the 2006 picture, it’s quite obvious that my shoulders are tight and I am a little hunched in the upper back. That eases in the 2009 pic (helped by the arm position) and in last week’s, my shoulders are pretty open!
It’s so interesting to look at: the other thing I had going on in 2006 was hyperextended elbows:
Not so much any more.
It’s over time – nearly a decade of regular practice – that I have been able to stablise my joints and build real strength on top of the flexibility I already had. Now that’s a yoga body to be happy with! At least, I am.
Oh, and? I don’t like shopping much, except for shoes and candles. I will probably be wearing the exact same blue top and black pants in photos two or three years from now. And yes, I still own and wear the clothes from the 2006 picture too.
Moving from Stability: Understanding the Pelvis in Posture (Online workshop)
Light Up Your Life
Maybe we should start a Bra Fat Appreciation Club?
Or a Strong Thighs Appreciation Club?
Brenda, triathlons? Awesome. Murakami has done a few of those: they sound taxing.
And Christine, you are so right, now that I look! It does help not to be in pain, now that I think about it. I’d love to take a class with you.
<3
Actually your BACK is what was so obvious to me in the child’s pose shots. It is so much more relaxed into itself. NICE.
Marcy is reading the running memoir and says it is fantastic.
And now I have to think about this for my own body…hmmm…
I think, somehow, that this is the same sort of point I am trying to make in my latest post.
And I also think I’ll be asking Lovely Boyfriend to take photos when I practice, that would be interesting, I mean at least for me
The biggest difference I notice is that only one of the photos has your sweet kitty joining you on the mat! ;P
Stability, less tension and more relaxation in the body are way more important than getting rid of one’s bra fat. Nice understated post (in comparison to my raging one, haha!)
Congrats on the progress. I like looking at old yoga pix too, to see what has changed and, hopefully, improved. In my triathlon training, I’ve noticed a significant difference, esp. in my legs, as they get stronger and stronger.
Like you, I’ll keep my bra fat, thank you very much. And I think it’s a shame that there such an emphasis on slim, rather than healthy and strong. Size 00, indeed!