In recent years, the campaigns for a more natural and affordable beauty have multiplied; millions of girls are fighting to destroy the dictates imposed by fashion that want women all the same, all responding to the same strict aesthetic canon.
In the wake of this commendable rebellion there is a whole new trend in yoga . We have spoken many times of the many styles born of this discipline, but in this article we explore a still little known universe: the so-called curvy yoga, where "curvy" means aimed at people who are more into flesh.
Birth and philosophy of curvy yoga
The curvy yoga is born from the assumption that yoga is a discipline reserved for long-limbed, thin and "beautiful" people probably because magazines and sites are full of models on the mat.
Thus, more and more women, symbolically led by Anne Guest Celly, founder of the Curvy yoga organization, have begun to tap into social networks photos of themselves or curvy girls practicing asanas to show that everyone can do yoga, no matter what the size they wear.
There have also been organized classes dedicated to curvy yogis held by teachers who are graduates in "curvy yoga", who would be particularly prepared for the needs of this type of student. On the youtube channel of the organization there are in fact videos where Anne explains how to modify the asanas in harmony with that physical conformation.
Furthermore, although these lessons are nominally open to all, in reality they are clearly oriented towards curvy students who are assured a non-competitive, respectful and serene environment .
A well done and captivating site, a yoga teacher course, an online shop complete Anne's offer for her students.
Stereotypes about yoga, how to break them
Curvy yoga: a brand to think about
This apparently positive and harmless yogic movement actually conceals, in my opinion, structural fragility, both from a "technical" and "philosophical" point of view.
Following the yogic sphere, there are two reflections that emerge.
- It is rather indifferent to the assumption that a curvy person is also a person who is not very dissolved or otherwise particularly demanding: perhaps he will lack full agility (especially in the most dynamic practices), but it is not at all said that he has greater needs than a long-limbed student ; consequently, it is not certain that the latter is undoubtedly dissolved or in need of specific attention only because it is slim. The physical mass is only one of the many elements that determine the yogic characteristics of a pupil and not even the most important (cardiac or vertebral problems can be much more decisive), therefore the assumption that curvy yogis would somehow be out of focus "Different" from other yogis in relation only to their weight.
- Since the term "curvy" is the architrave of this whole organization, it would be important to understand what is meant by this term: when is she curvy ? Do the differences with a long-limbed student reside only in the generosity of forms or do they also underlie specific problems connected to the greater body weight (cardiac, articular problems, etc.)? If so, how can these classes be open to everyone at the same time? Or is it just a question, so to speak, "social" or do you prefer to have homogeneous classes because you limit the possible comparisons between students? This basic node should be dissolved, since the credibility of the entire concept of "curvy yoga" is based on it.
Quitting the teacher's clothes and wearing those of the ordinary woman, other perplexities emerge:
- This self-ghettoization of curvy students, who self-proclaim themselves ipso facto "different" from the others, is unconvincing. Every teacher knows that in front of him there are complex human beings, each with his own physical or personal problems: the skill also lies in knowing how to propose modular lessons for each person, so that everyone can benefit from psycho-physical benefits. Why should people in flesh self-exclude themselves to the point of establishing a movement reserved solely for them? Is the lack of different people in heterogeneous classes with whom to share the practice not a great loss of friendship, spiritual and energy?
- The idea that yoga is reserved for slim people is really very superficial and diminishes the great cultural depth that it brings. The sense of competition and underlying envy that curvy yogis could hide causes a spirit of competition to emerge that is completely foreign to this universe. If you have had the misfortune of being stumbled into "fitness yoga" classes (and there are ...) or in any case not very welcoming, it is sufficient to have the patience to find the right environment, friendly, kind and above all open to all.
The importance of staying focused on practice
Diversity, be it physical or cultural, should always be considered a wealth and an instrument of growth. Exclusion, even if chosen, is a dangerous road that brings out the embrace of the reference community (in this case, the yogic community in its entirety) in the name of "We are different". Different from whom? Does the weight on the scale make us different from each other?
It would be advisable not to feed these disruptive currents because, in their own small way, they reflect rising grudges which in yoga should not find the slightest space. We are all yogis on the mat, each with its limitations, problems and needs. The teacher's task is to harmonize these differences in a lesson that is both profound and stimulating .
Let's not get distracted from the rest, because it really doesn't count.
