Are you feeling inspired? A combination of excitement and overwhelm? Well, there is certainly lots to consider and even more to learn when it comes to the intersection of yoga, body image, the diet industry, consumerism, pop culture and the media, the -isms, as well as how they relate to trauma and healing. I’m influenced and inspired by the work of countless individuals and organizations doing good work around these issues every single day. As you reflect on the stories in this collection, I’d like to share a few of the people, organizations, books, and websites that I find to be useful and thought-provoking with the intention of supporting and inspiring you long after you read the last page in this book.
While this is by no means a comprehensive list, I feel it is sufficient in providing the encouragement, knowledge, and community resources you may need now or sometime in the future. Whether you wish to deepen your understanding on your own healing journey and/or wish to support others, there’s plenty here for you to explore.
Yoga and Body Image Discussion Guides
Did you know the Yoga and Body Image Coalition website offers free downloadable discussion guides written by Dr. Beth Berila? If you’re looking to dive into the stories in the first anthology, Yoga & Body Image: 25 Stories About Beauty, Bravery and Loving Your Body, or the stories in this volume, this guide provides thought-provoking prompts that will encourage you to examine the content from new angles as well as provide context for how to lead Yoga and Body Image group discussions.
http://yogaandbodyimage.org/discussion-guide/
Yoga and Body Image Online Immersion
Are you interested in diving in to the themes and issues in this book with a supportive online community? Equal parts virtual book club, part consciousness-raising group, and part group coaching circle, I facilitate an interactive, live online immersion with guest experts and book contributors over eight weeks. This is offered several times throughout the year. You will be guided, supported, and prompted to explore your own narrative while, most importantly, given an opportunity to re-write that narrative.
http://ybicoalition.com/mantra
Yoga and Body Image Coalition
Are you interested in accessing content related to the themes in this book? Do you want to support work dedicated to challenging the existing media representation of yoga and creating new and diversified imagery? Do you feel called to community? Well, check out the Yoga and Body Image Coalition (YBIC). We’ve been creating conscious community and media content that expands the current corporate notion of the “yoga body” and #whatayogilookslike, thereby inviting every body to the practice. A grass-roots movement rooted in social justice and equity, we’ve been putting our values into action since 2014.
http://ybicoalition.com/
Community is where it’s at and I want to list (in alphabetical order) just a few of the countless groups and organizations offering live trainings and events, video seminars, e-courses, podcasts, compelling articles, and conferences to increase awareness, educate, and train people looking to diversify their skill set, build compassion and sensitivity as well as bolster solidarity.
About-Face
Educating and equipping girls and women with tools to resist harmful media messages.
https://www.about-face.org
Accessible Yoga
Trainings and conferences worldwide aimed at expanding access to the practices of yoga for people with disabilities, chronic illness, seniors, and for anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable in the average studio yoga class.
http://www.accessibleyoga.org
Adios Barbie
The one-stop body image shop for identity issues including race, size, aging, sexuality, disability, etc., since 1998.
http://www.adiosbarbie.com
Austin Queer Yoga Collective
Decolonizing yoga and wellness through body-positivity, inclusiveness, and trauma sensitivity for the LGBTQIA+ community.
http://www.austinqueeryoga.org
Black Girl In Om
Promoting holistic wellness and inner beauty for women of color.
http://www.blackgirlinom.com
Black Yoga Teacher’s Alliance
A professional collective and annual conference gathering aimed at community building and networking.
http://www.blackyogateachersalliance.org
Beauty Redefined
A nonprofit working to help girls and women redefine the meaning and value of beauty in their lives.
https://beautyredefined.org
The Body Positive
A national organization offering resources and programming to end the negative impacts of a negative body image.
http://www.thebodypositive.org
Buddha Body Yoga
Adapting yoga poses through the use of props and providing variations on asana to increase accessibility for larger bodied people and people with injuries.
https://www.buddhabodyyoganyc.com
Dances with Fat
Ragen Chastain, writer, speaker, ACE-certified health coach and activist on “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not size dependent.”
https://danceswithfat.wordpress.com
Decolonizing Yoga
News and resources covering queer/trans, body acceptance, and race issues and events as well as cultural appropriation and feminism as they intersect with yoga practice and yoga culture.
http://www.decolonizingyoga.com
Embody Love Movement
Workshops, trainings, campus clubs, and e-courses focusing on beauty from the inside out to empower girls and women and contribute to meaningful change in the world.
http://embodylovemovement.org
Health at Every Size (HAES)
A new peace movement that promotes social justice and supports people of all sizes in addressing health by adopting healthy behaviors and ditching “diet culture.”
https://haescommunity.com
Melissa Fabello
Fierce fab feminist on body image and sexuality.
http://www.melissafabello.com
The Militant Baker
Blogger, author, speaker, and mental health professional Jes Baker helps you “lose the bullshit” and “liberate your body.”
http://www.themilitantbaker.com
Mind Body Solutions
Founded by the pioneering work of Matthew Sanford, MBS offers workshops, training, and classes. Their Opening Yoga to Everyone training program offers adaptive yoga instruction and they have trained more than 800 teachers nationally and internationally in this methodology.
http://www.mindbodysolutions.org
Nalgona Positivity Pride
A Xicana/Brown*/Indigenous site that focuses on the intersection of eating disorders awareness, body-positivity, and decolonizing body love.
https://www.nalgonapositivitypride.com
http://nalgonapride.tumblr.com
National Eating Disorders Association
Resources and local eating disorder support (United States only).
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
Off the Mat Into the World
In-person trainings and intensives as well as online classes dedicated to bridging yoga and activism using yoga, meditation and self-inquiry.
http://www.offthematintotheworld.org
Proud2BMe
An online community for teens aimed at promoting positive body image and encouraging healthy attitudes about food and weight.
http://proud2bme.org
Queering Yoga
Examining and delving into healing, self-discovery, and empowerment, Queering Yoga is a documentary about the Queer/Trans/QTPOC yoga movement.
http://queeringyoga.com
Race and Yoga Journal
Exploring the intersection of yoga with whiteness, race, racialization, and liberation for all, Race and Yoga is the first peer-reviewed scholarly interdisciplinary journal of its kind.
http://escholarship.org/uc/crg_raceandyoga
Red Clay Yoga
With a focus on youth and marginalized communities, Red Clay Yoga (founded by Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts) provides training, community engagement, restorative justice, and literacy.
http://redclayyoga.org
South Asian American Perspectives
on Yoga in America (SAAPYA)
SAAPYA is a platform and network dedicated to highlighting and uplifting the voices of yoga students and teachers across the South Asian diaspora.
https://saapya.wordpress.com
Stonewall Yoga
A queer yoga network dedicated to inclusivity and accessibility through low pricing while raising funds for charity.
http://stonewallyogadc.net
Trans Folx Fighting Eating Disorders
Based in Los Angeles, T-FFED is a collective of trans/gender diverse folx and allies offering trainings and supportive structures for members of marginalized communities with eating disorders.
http://www.transfolxfightingeds.org
Trauma-Informed Yoga
A training for yoga teachers, clinicians, social workers, medical personnel, and/or individuals working with communities with trauma facilitated by Hala Khouri and/or Kyra Haglund.
http://www.traumainformedyoga.net
Yoga Dork
On the cutting edge of yoga news and breaking stories, Yoga Dork’s commentary is sprinkled with wit and wisdom.
http://yogadork.com
Yoga for All
Live and online yoga teacher trainings educating yoga teachers and students on how to create body-positive yoga classes and spaces for people of all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Yoga for All also fosters and nurtures community engagement and support.
https://yogaforalltraining.com
Yoga International
Dedicated to creating a cultural shift in the dominant yoga narrative, Yoga International is an online publication that provides news and commentary as well as online yoga classes, video summits, and conferences.
https://yogainternational.com
Yoga Service Council
A collaborative community dedicated to supporting the yoga service community by offering an array of tools and projects, including their annual conference, as well as collaborative community to meet their mission.
https://yogaservicecouncil.org
Yoga & Social Justice Collaborative
With a focus on spiritual and social justice, this collaborative offers conversation panels, events, workshops, and conferences intended to make yoga more inclusive and supportive in the name of collective liberation.
https://www.yogaandsocialjustice.com
For all my bookworms, here are some must-haves for your reading list or library. Again, this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, just a few gems I think you need to continue the journey of discovery. There’s lots of smarty-pants analysis and commentary on themes related to this book, often provocative and challenging as well as deeply nourishing and enlightening.
Atkins, Dawn, ed. Looking Queer: Body Image and Identity in Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, and Transgender Communities. Binghapmton, NY: Hayworth Press, 1998.
Berila, Beth, et al., eds., Yoga, the Body, and Embodied Social Change: An Intersectional Feminist Analysis. Lanham, MD: Lexington Press, 2016.
Butera, Robert, and Erin Byron, eds. Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Mindful Living: Awareness and Meditation Practices for Living in the Present Moment. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2016.
Coffin, Nancy. Chair Yoga for Seniors: A Gentle Sequence to Get You Started. 2013. Kindle edition.
Costin, Carolyn, and Joe Kelly, eds. Yoga and Eating Disorders: Ancient Healing for Modern Illness. New York: Routledge, 2016.
Eisenberg, Mindy. Adaptive Yoga Moves Any Body. Orange Cat Press, 2015.
Emerson, David, and Elizabeth Hopper. Overcoming Trauma through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2011.
Fries, Jonna, and Veronica Sullivan, eds. Eating Disorders in Special Populations: Medical, Nutritional, and Psychological Treatments. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group, 2017.
Guest-Jelley, Anna. Curvy Yoga: Love Yourself & Your Body a Little More Each Day. New York, NY: Sterling, 2017.
Harry, Sarah. Fat Yoga: Yoga for All Bodies. Sydney: New Holland, 2017.
Horton, Carol. Yoga Ph.D.: Integrating the Life of the Mind and the Wisdom of the Body. Chicago, IL: Kleio Books, 2012.
Horton, Carol, and Roseanne Harvey, eds. 21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics and Practice. Chicago, IL: Kleio Books, 2012.
Klein, Melanie, and Anna Guest-Jelley. Yoga and Body Image: 25 Personal Stories About Beauty, Bravery & Loving Your Body. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2014.
Jain, Andrea R. Selling Yoga: From Counterculture to Pop Culture. New York: Oxford Press, 2015.
Lee, Cyndi. May I Be Happy: A Memoir of Love, Yoga & Changing My Mind. New York: Dutton Books, 2013.
Lipton, Laura. Yoga Bodies: Real People, Real Stories, & the Power of Transformation. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2017.
Marsh, Sarahjoy. Hunger, Hope and Healing: A Yoga Approach to Reclaiming Your Relationship to Your Body and Food. Boston: Shambala Publications, 2015.
Molinary, Rosie. Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press, 2010.
———. Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image, and Growing Up Latina. Emeryville, CA: Seal Press, 2007.
Sagun, Valerie. Big Gal Yoga: Poses and Practices to Celebrate Your Body and Empower Your Life. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press, 2017.
Scritchfield, Rebecca. Body Kindness: Transform Your Health from the Inside Out—And Never Say Diet Again. New York: Workman Publishing, 2016.
Sell, Christina. Yoga from the Inside Out. Prescott, AZ: HOHM Press, 2003.
Simpkins, Kimber. 52 Ways to Love Your Body. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Press, 2016.
Smith, Dana. YES! Yoga Has Curves. Spiritual Essence Yoga, 2014.
Stanley, Jessamyn. Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get on the Mat, Love Your Body. New York: Workman Publishing, 2017.
Tovar, Virgie. Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love & Fashion. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press, 2012.
While this is just a select sample of all the wonderful work happening right now, I hope these individuals and organizations help buoy you on your journey from here. Remember, to check out the bios and websites for all the contributors to this anthology listed at the end of their stories as well as explore the community partners officially aligned with the Yoga and Body Image Coalition listed on the “Team” page at ybicoalition.org.