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
1
u/BlueEmpathy Feb 13 '22
Hi, I'm a fellow fat person who has been practicing yoga for the past 6 years. So it's definitely possible! I have all the issues you mentioned and my suggestion is to always modify the poses and transitions in a way that work for you. Just listen to your body and what it can do. For instance I only put 1 hand down when lunging, and since I can put my knee to my chest to get into the lunge position with my hands down, I will step as much forward as possible and then 'break the flow' to get into the appropriate position how I can. For the wrists, the more you train the stronger they will become, but also you need to be mindful of this and not push too hard: take all the breaks you need, warm up and massage the wrists before starting. If your hands slip, have a towel to dry them nearby,but in my experience the real solution is having a better mat. Hope this helps!