Jessamine had tried yoga once before in high school, and she absolutely hated it. As a queer, plus-sized black woman, in a mostly skinny, white lady yoga class, she felt uncomfortable in her body. At first, that yoga class wasn't the amazing, life-changing experience Jessamine was hoping for. "I remember we were practicing a posture called awkward pose that is literally so app-winning because it is extremely awkward"
We often think of yoga as a physical exercise - but a centuries-old Sanskrit text, The Yoga Sutras, share teachings intended to improve both the body and mind. The author, Patanjali, makes clear that the poses and stretches are only part of picture - we also need to be kind, contemplative and grounded.
Jessamyn Stanley (yoga teacher and author of Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance) takes Dr Laurie Santos through Patanjali's text - saying its lessons "can be applied in every circumstance, no matter who you are or where you are".
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