Permission

by

YOGA | SELF CARE

Permission

by | Jul 1, 2019

Yoga gave me permission to fall in love with my body.

The universe sends us so many messages about what we ‘should’ look like and what a ‘real’ yoga body is. 

That message was telling me I wasn’t good enough so naturally I was relating my worth to what I looked like on the outside. 

I thought happiness and worth could only arrive in my life if I looked like world was telling me I should.

Krystal

I’m not sure all the influences that helped me realize I was so very mistaken but I do know one of them was Kady and Big Booty Yoga.

I turned to restrictive eating and when the foods I deemed good weren’t available I simply wouldn’t eat. I told myself this was true health I was finding, I would shout from the rooftops my new found ‘wellness’ routine, this included a new obsession with running, and I wasn’t chasing a runners high, I was chasing a thigh gap my body wasn’t designed to have. 

I’m not sure all the influences that helped me realize I was so very mistaken but I do know one of them was Kady and Big Booty Yoga. To see a strong, successful women being her best while living in her authentic body gave me the desire to explore that within myself. And today, I am a proud plus size yogi and runner. I eat what my body asks for and I don’t give food a moral value of good or bad. 

In the moments I forget to be kind to myself, to my body I look to yoga, where my body shows me how strong and capable I am and that my strength is not relative to my size. My body holds me and adventures with me and is beautiful. Yoga gave me permission to fall in love with my body, so I did. 

 

A Resilient Gift

A Resilient Gift

The assumption would be if you met me and saw me is that being petite (I’m almost 5’1) with a muscular, athletic frame that I’m content with my body. Truth is I’m pretty content now, but it has been a long road to get here.

My body and me.

My body and me.

Dear Little Kristi,

As I pick you up, I want you to know you are loved. You matter. Your body is a gift.

Even though you get glasses in 3rd grade, you still have beautiful, almond shaped eyes. Even if you think your nose is too big, be proud your Native heritage. When you’re in elementary school, don’t let the teasing about being bigger or heavier than the other kids get you down. Your weight doesn’t define you as a person. You are so much more than a number on the scale. Just wait and see.

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Overcoming Other’s Opinions on the Mat

YOGA | HEALTH & WELLNESSI first began yoga for my joint health. I had desperately wanted to run, but my joints were not receptive to my weight and gait back then. So, I would drag my ass to the yoga studio for the asana, and without fail, each class would be...

Slow The F Down

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“Let’s pause for a moment… how many of you have dealt or currently deal with a body image issue or challenge with food? Raise your hand,” our Yoga Teacher Training instructor questioned us.