| Branches Co-Director Leslie shares a dream she had… The other night, I had a dream that I was participating in a yoga photoshoot, held at the foodcourt of Conestoga Mall (naturally, dream logic right). All around me were media professionals, and the other “models” who were a bunch of local yoga teachers, business owners, and people in the wellness and health education sector. We were glammed up, outfitted in our finest gym and leisure outfits, and happily socializing between takes. I was called over to take a peek at some of my photos, in which I was shown posing in utkatasana, chair pose. |
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| When I looked at it, something struck me as funny, not ha-ha funny, but off. Then I realized what it was: post-production editors had already photoshopped my body. My thighs were changed to look much thinner than they are in reality. I felt a seething hot wave of rage boil up in my belly, and I unleashed it, shouting with clenched fists for anyone around me to hear, “I built these thighs in the squat rack! How dare you!” Standing nearby, antiracist educator, former yoga studio owner, and friend of the Branches, Selam Debs offered her solidarity – yeah, how dare they?! The dream ended, or at least that’s all I remember. The righteous rage I felt in that dream is in direct correlation to how much I love the feelings of strength and confidence I get from lifting weights, and how fiercely I want to protect my sense of integrity from the influence of the negative aspects of fitness culture. The focus on appearance and size in the fitness/wellness industry is such bullsh*t. I realize that I benefit from being perceived as “fit” simply because of my size, whether I’m actually stronger or better conditioned than someone in a bigger body. But, appearances really don’t tell you much about a person’s abilities, knowledge, wisdom, experience, or teaching skills. Appearance and size are, of course, real aspects of each of our lived experiences, but they don’t matter a bit when it comes to you being welcome to participate at The Branches. We aim for our space and classes to feel welcoming to diverse shapes, sizes and abilities – no fancy yoga pants necessary.My hope for students in my athletic classes is that they get to cultivate some of that same confidence that I feel when I’m racking up some heavy weights for a back squat, the knowing that it’s worth it to try, and the wisdom that success means showing up. |
| The next opportunity for folks to join me in getting delightfully nitty-gritty into the feeling of their bodies moving is my course, Beyond Flexibility: Stable Core & Supple Spine, which is a brand new iteration. Rather than focusing on an appearance of 6-pack abs or dramatic yoga backbends, in this course we’ll work towards moving with more confidence and fluidity, exploring strength, stability, and flexibility together. Details and Registration are here. |
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