Every Body Yoga

From the unforgettable teacher Jessamyn Stanley comes Every Body Yoga, a book that breaks all the stereotypes.

It’s a book of inspiration for beginners of all shapes and sizes: If Jessamyn could transcend these emotional and physical barriers, so can we.

It’s a book for readers already doing yoga, looking to refresh their practice or find new ways to stay motivated.

It’s a how-to book: Here are easy-to-follow directions to 50 basic yoga poses and 10 sequences to practice at home, all photographed in full color.

It’s a book that challenges the larger issues of body acceptance and the meaning of beauty.

Most of all, it’s a book that changes the paradigm, showing us that yoga isn’t about how one looks, but how one feels, with yoga sequences like “I Want to Energize My Spirit,” “I Need to Release Fear,” “I Want to Love Myself.”

Jessamyn Stanley, a yogi who breaks all the stereotypes, has built a life as an internationally recognized yoga teacher and award-winning Instagram star by combining a deep understanding for yoga with a willingness to share her personal struggles in a way that touches everyone who comes to know her. Now she brings her body-positive, emotionally uplifting approach to yoga in a book that will help every reader discover the power of yoga and how to weave it seamlessly into his or her life.

 

CONTENTS

WHY DID I WRITE THIS BOOK? . . . viii

PART 1: LET’S GET WARMED UP . . . 1
“Hey, Jessamyn, How Do I Start Practicing Yoga?” . . . 3
“Is This a Cult?” . . . 8
The Elephant in the Room . . . 15
Questions Asked by (Literally) Every Beginner Yoga Student . . . 20

PART 2: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? . . . 27
The History of Modern Yoga, in a Nutshell . . . 29
What the Fuck Is the Eight-Limbed Path? . . . 35
Which Yoga Practice Should I Choose? . . . 40
What Should I Buy? . . . 47
Questions Asked by (Literally) Every Beginner Yoga Student . . . 52

PART 3: JESSAMYN’S ABCs OF ASANA . . . 61
Getting Started with Asana . . . 63
The Poses . . . 73
Standing Poses . . . 74
Balance Basics . . . 88
Hamstrings and Core . . 94
Hips . . . 104
Backbends . . . 114
Restore . . . 124
Questions Asked by (Literally) Every Beginner Yoga Student . . . 132

PART 4: OKAY, BUT HOW CAN I DO THIS ON MY OWN? . . . 137
How I Learned My Asana ABCs . . . 139
Bring It On, Bitch . . . 140
Sequence: Sun Salutation A . . . 144
Sequence: Sun Salutation B . . . 148
The Oreo . . . 153
Sequence: I Want to Get Started . . . 158
Jessamyn Stanley, Pre-Teen Beauty Queen . . . 160
Sequence: I Want to Stand Strong  . . . 166
A Chick-fil-A Bandit Walks into Weight Watchers . . . 168
Sequence: I Need to Feel Balanced  . . . 176
Tabor City Funerals . . . 178
Sequence: I Want to See the World from Another Angle  . . . 186
A Yoga Practice Grows in Durham . . . 188
Sequence: I Want to Energize My Spirit . . . 192
Self-Acceptance: The Taboo . . . 194
Sequence: I Need to Release Fear . . . 200
The Scarlet A . . . 202
Sequence: I Need to Chill the F Out . . . 206
One Is the Magic Number . . . 208
Sequence: I Need to Love Myself . . . 212

PART 5: IS IT REALLY THAT SIMPLE? . . . 215
INDEX . . . 220
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . 222