Stepping away from the very interesting conversations about whether it’s OK to be late to yoga class that have been happening round here this week, let’s explore another facet of modifying yoga to your needs: modifying the shape of the poses.
I really love Amber Karnes. For one, the tattoos. For two, the honesty about body image stuff…
For three, this amazing guest post. If you didn’t know about her before, this should sell you. Read on!
Most of us have probably heard about the benefits of twists – improved digestion, “detoxing” the organs by gently massaging and squeezing them, stimulating bloodflow, as well as allowing the spine to experience a full range of motion. However, if your body is shaped less like a celery stalk and more like a butternut squash, twists may feel totally uncomfortable.
My BFA in graphic design is being put to good use. Photoshopping produce on yoga mats. Yep.
I’ll just come out and say it. I have a belly. I have thighs. In a twist, they meet each other rather quickly. Right away, I become very aware of my body shape as things squish into other things, my breathing feels constricted (because my diaphragm is getting smushed), and everything feels cramped up.
On a good day, I modify the pose, and I still get all the benefits of the twist. On a bad day, I look at the celery stalk next to me, looking blissful in some crazy twist plus bind, and think about how much it sucks to be a fat ass butternut squash.
Confronting the belly
I think it’s rather telling that when, out of curiosity, I googled “belly” and “yoga” in various configurations, nearly all the results look like this: getting a flat belly with yoga, burn belly fat with yoga, yoga poses for trimming belly fat, lose your belly with yoga – you get the idea. So much belly hate!
Confronting our bellies (and the confrontation is practically forced on us when we twist) can be daunting. I have a few ideas about how you can make friends with your belly (or at least come to a truce while you’re on your mat).
Andrea by Josa Jr on Flickr
Visit a prenatal yoga class.
I am totally, 100% serious about this. During my yoga teacher training, I made the decision to take as many different classes as I could during one month. I probably took around 25 classes (I tried to go every single day). I made sure that I included prenatal yoga, as I wanted to experience all the different teachers and styles this studio had to offer. I introduced myself at the beginning of the class as being in teacher training, and although not pregnant, in solidarity – as I, too, had a belly.
The class floored me! All throughout, the teacher offered modifications for making room for the belly (which of course worked for me even though I was sans fetus), and in so many poses, encouraged us to lovingly touch our bellies. She would often say things like, “caress your belly, let your baby feel loved,” or “hold your belly, let your baby feel a mother’s embrace.” I stopped listening at “caress your belly/hold your belly” – and I did it. I have to tell you, this one class totally changed my relationship with my belly. How could I hate my belly? In that moment I could look around at other women lovingly holding and caressing what in some cases were bellies bigger than mine.
I really encourage you to do this. The teacher won’t care that you’re not pregnant. If you feel like you need a reason for being there, tell her it’s the only class you could make it to, say you’re considering teacher training, say you have a pregnant sister and want to know what it feels like, whatever! Take a prenatal class and tell me it didn’t affect your relationship with your belly, even just during that hour.
Stop comparing yourself to others.
I’ve written about this before. Stuff can get real ugly, real fast when we start comparing ourselves. Try to remember why you’re on the mat. Let go of expectations. Return to the breath. Stay in your body. Stop playing the reel of negative self talk. Are you thinking about your belly again? Go back to the breath over and over again. Stay present.
Still want to compare yourself to others? That’s ok. Check out this gallery of real bellies. Feel any differently?
Remember that you’re not a bunch of body parts.
Breasts, thighs, legs – what are you, a bucket of chicken? Your body is so much more than the sum of its parts. Thank your body for working in synergy in miraculous ways to carry you throughout your day. Oh, and tonight, do something nice for your body. We take care of the things that we value – show your body (including your belly) that it has worth by treating it to a massage, long bath, or a soft snuggly robe.
If all else fails, watch this video.
I am pretty sure it will make your day. I LOVE the diversity in this video – different body types, men, women, races, ages, and the kids are adorable! In the words of Dilly Gence, don’t suck that belly in, just breathe, let it out - which is actually really good advice. If you’re sucking in your belly during yoga, you probably aren’t breathing properly.
I nearly forgot, we were talking about twists, weren’t we? Every day can be a good twisty day if you know how to modify these wonderful poses for your body. Here are a couple of my favorites.
Bharadvajasana I
Bharadvajasana I modification with a chair
According to Yoga Journal, Bharadvaja, who this pose is named for, was one of seven legendary seers, credited with composing the hymns collected in theVedas. I’m also pretty sure he was a skinny Indian dude, because when I try to sit like this, I’m hilariously out of alignment. I can use a zillion props and get there, but I’d rather just do this twist in a chair. It’s easy and accessible, and even though my legs aren’t all fancy, it totally works.
Sit in a chair with the back of the chair at your side, instead of behind you. Place the feet flat on the floor and relax the shoulders away from the ears. Gently engage the trunk muscles by drawing the navel toward the spine (to make sure the spine is lengthened and the back supported). Now twist toward the back of the chair and grab the sides of the chair with your hands. Use the chair as leverage to pull gently into the twist. Focus on twisting through the thoracic spine (think about bringing the shoulders around rather than seeing how far you can wind up the lower back).
Marichyasana III
Marichi’s pose is the first pose I recall being totally nonplussed about during a yoga class. Everyone else was twisting into their bent knee and putting their elbow to the outside of their thigh like it was totally natural, and I was all, “WTF?” while holding my breath and trying valiantly. Now I just laugh. My body does not do this. Here’s how I handle Marichyasana:
Step 1 – sit in dandasana with the hips elevated. You can use folded blankets, but I really need the height here to keep my spine long, so I sit on two blocks, side by side. Maybe your butt can fit on one block. Try it out.
Step 2 – bend the left knee and draw the foot as close to the left sit bone as you can get. I like to widen my feet a little bit here just to make room for my belly. I also move the belly out of the way (more on this below).
Step 3 – hug the bent knee into the body and twist toward the bent leg. Use your fingertips on the ground (or on a block if you start to lean back) to support the length in your spine. Again, think about twisting from the belly up (pitching your shoulders into the twist) instead of cranking your lower back as far as it will go.
Another view:
You can see I’ve slightly widened my feet here to give my belly a bit more room.
It’s totally cool to move your belly out of the way
And I’ve got the video to prove it:
My favorite lying twist
Step 1 – lie in partial recline (knees bent, soles of feet on floor) and let your arms come to shoulder height. Then cross your left leg over your right so the ankle comes past the knee.
Step 2 – press into your right foot and pick up your hips about an inch off the floor. Then scoot your hips over to the right so you’re sort of resting on your left butt cheek. Keep your legs in the same formation and gently lower your knees down to the left. So hips go right, knees go left. Keep both shoulders on the floor. Use the leverage of your left heel to pull on your right thigh to deepen the twist if that feels good. You can also place a block under your left knee if it doesn’t reach the floor (which is totally ok).
Get twisty with it
What twists are your favorite? Were these modifications new to you? Do you know of other ways to make twisting easier or suggestions on dealing with feelings that come up when you run into your belly? Tell me in the comments!
Moving from Stability: Understanding the Pelvis in Posture (Online workshop)
Light Up Your Life
I found this so interesting, as it led to a bit of an epiphany. I don’t have much trouble from my tummy or boobs when it comes to yoga, but I have a fused spine from a scoliosis surgery. I’m fused from T2 to L3 and have zero flexibility in between those vertebrae. I get frustrated sometimes when attempting certain poses and I have to modify pretty heavily, and your post made me feel a lot better. Thanks for all the tips.
Kind of unrelated, but I am so feeling you!!!! I am going to bootcamp classes once a week and when it comes to stretches, especially the ones where you use your arms in the front, I am always thinking “Good lord, another stretch for people with no tits!” It used to make me very frustrated with myself, although I usually love my boobs, so thanks for this article
I second the recommendation for prenatal yoga. I took one for a while after getting over an abdominal strain. It was very positive, gently challenging, and very concerned with everyone’s physical limitations. (Far beyond the token “respect your limits” you get at the beginning of some classes.)
Actually, one of my most useful teacher trainings ever was the prenatal one I took. I use SO much of what I learned in that training in all my classes…
Great post.
I have a belly and boobs (f cups!)…and although I can (finally) get into many twists and binds, it takes work. In Ashtanga I generally get my bind just as the teacher says “5″! My tip, for Mariachiasana 3, is to lean right back, shove my tummy and tits out of the way, then lean forward and go for it. it often takes a few tries…but that’s what I do. At a certain size, I assume a modification would be needed, but for bigger than celery and smaller than squash (maybe I am a Zucchini?) the full pose can be accomplished with some extra shoves the intructors never seem to tell us about. I taught a few curvy intructors my “lean back and shove them aside” method., and they were thankful! For Marichasana 1 and 2, I don’t need to lean back, but I do need to shove that stuff aside. As for Mariachasana 4…hahahahaha. Never.
PS anyone else getting tired of FuckYeahYoga. It used to have a nice variety of pictures and practices. Now it is nothing but the skinniest bodies, in the skimpiest outfits, dong the most advanced poses. Sigh. I think my not-so-skinny body in a more modest outfit practicing a less advanced pose looks awesome…but the last few (really pretty pictures) I submitted were not posted.
Love your videos! your creative and honest approach to yoga is inspiring and fun.
I loved reading this article! Thank you, from another butternut squash
As one of Amber’s teachers and a friend, it has been heart warming and inspiring to watch her share herself and her wisdom on this path. (Your videos are adorable and hilarious!) Being that I am not a butternut squash, I do have a lot of squashes and other root veggies in my classes, and Amber has been MY teacher in helping me to understand what it feels like to be in a body that is more full and how to teach to that student. My girlfriend and I decided that we have more red bell pepper bodies ( i am FOR SURE not a celery!). We are thicker and more muscular (with big stiff shoulders and junk in our trunk) which means that there are a lot of asana that are difficult for us too. Propping isn’t just for the squashes! Bell peppers tend to need a lot of straps and blocks too!
I love you gals, Amber and Nadine!
yogiweezy, I can’t agree more on how our students are probably our greatest teachers. Like you, I have broad, stiff, muscular shoulders and arms, and junk in the trunk. There’s a WHOLE lot I can’t do. I was saying that to a friend the other day: I am best with modifications for big asses, since I have one
This is pretty much an extension of “widen the bent knee stance,” but I had a teacher this summer who suggested that I could take half lord of the fishes with my top leg foot on the inside of my bottom knee rather than crossed over all the way outside it.
She mentioned it as an option for anyone who was having trouble keeping both hips grounded, but I went, “Holy fucking shit!” (fortunately, not out loud) at how uncompressed my belly and thigh felt — and how free and able to twist my back felt.
Which, it’s good to have “Holy fucking shit!” moments in yoga.
Haha I love that!
Amber – yr a fucking rockstar. Thank you for sharing. My heart bursts with love when I see a yogi that is not photograhed in a white crop top, tiny hot pants, on a rock with the sun setting in the background. Thank you for being real, and for exploring different body shapes. That’s all they are..shapes..
Hahahaha! The rock/white hotpants/sunset thing seems to piss a lot of people off!
Haha you will officially never catch me in a yoga bikini on a rock in the ocean.
Fucking love. I modify just about everything these days, but in particular closed belly twists. Neither my belly nor boobs fit, so I work around them. Yes I make space rather than trying to squeeze them into a tiny space!
Thank you, totally made my morning
I’m so glad to hear it!
I love modifications; this was awesome!
I might also note that even thin people are tight and these postures can be hard. So the modifications work pretty much for everyone.
Also, as a hint to teachers, it’s always great to be inclusive. I marichi II there the exact same way, but I don’t have enough blocks for some folks to double up if they need to, so i tell the *whole class* to use the super-comfy, extra-wide bolster. Then no one feels ashamed of a butt being larger than a block. People should come to yoga class and feel super awesome and totally, 100% accepted for exactly who they are in their exactly-as-they-are bodies. So, make adjustments for them. Observe, see what would make *everyone* more comfortable.
It’s worth it. Your classes will fill up fast.
Great tip on the bolster vs 2 blocks!
I appreciate (and can use) the yoga tips, but I was driven to comment to say thank you for the video – I nearly died laughing in my office (thank goodness my door was closed!).
This is wonderful and needed, in my opinion. Twists are some of the more difficult poses to modify for us larger yogis and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone tackle them as well as Amber does here. Plus – I laughed really hard at the butternut squash and bucket of chicken comments. I strongly second the suggestion to go to prenatal yoga. Watching people care for their bodies in a way that isn’t always present in other yoga classes can be truly inspiring – it was for me!
Amber has a cracker sense of humour, doesn’t she? I wonder if she will get any men into prenatal yoga…
Hehe glad you liked the squash.
So great you are spreading the Body Positive yoga-love!
Thanks for stopping by to check out Amber’s awesome post!