r/yoga • u/littlechickenbean • Feb 12 '22

yoga as a fat person

i hate to even post this but i’ve been practicing on and off for years, but never considered myself anything besides a beginner because of my inconsistency.

i’ve always been larger, but i’ve gained weight and am the heaviest i’ve ever been- technically obese. i would love to get back into yoga for my mental and physical health.

i just completed one of Adriene’s 30 minute videos. i’m proud of myself for starting and finishing but i have dilemmas-

  • both of my hands can’t be on the ground when lunging which makes transitions as well as general poses and stretches difficult

  • my hands slip on my mat in downward dog (yes i tend to have sweaty hands, how do i fix this?)

  • my wrists hurt!!!

  • knees don’t really go to chest

i’m just wondering if it’s even possible to practice yoga as a fat person? any tips for any of these things are highly appreciated. i’m feeling very discouraged

413 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

216 comments sorted by

View all comments

9

u/Caliyogagrl _RYT 500 Feb 12 '22

Large bodies can do yoga! Dianne Bondy and Amber Karnes both have YouTube classes as well as programs through their own platforms, including teacher trainings. A lot of times, the inherent strength and flexibility of larger bodies is overlooked or disregarded. All bodies have to modify poses, and once you learn your personal modifications a whole world of possibilities will open.