“Take a nice deep inhale and cleanse the body with an exhale….Open up your heart chakra and let the love flow into it….Focus your third eye on a warm beach, feel the wind in your hair, let the sun kiss your face, and completely immerse yourself into this new reality….Float your thumbs to third eye center, bow, and say namaste…” These cheesy words and strange phrases are how I make a living. I talk about breathing, how change is a good thing, how to love yourself in the good times and bad times, and create a positive and peaceful environment. If you guessed I am a yoga instructor….you would be absolutely correct. I am in love with my job 24/7 and the fact I actually get a paycheck is an awesome added bonus. I love going to work everyday, taking yoga classes throughout the week, and studying up on different postures. I get excited when Target has a sale on yoga pants or when I find a book of quotes I can use for my classes. I really don’t sound any different from any other yoga teacher out there…and in all honest I really am not that different from any other yoga teacher. But, there is one quality of mine that may make you do a double take when you meet me……and that quality is I’m plus size. Being a plus size yoga instructor has many upward facing dogs (ups) and lots of downward facing dogs (downs). Being plus size in society now a days can be difficult. There’s judgement thrown at plus size people in all different forms and non plus size people don’t understand/don’t want to understand why your not a size zero. Throw society’s judgement into a world of health and fitness, where you’are expected to be no bigger than a size 6-8, and all your work attire is very figure hugging….it turns into the yoga roller-coaster of life. Regardless of what size you are yoga is for everyone. I’ll be posting once a week, talking about the ups and downs of my personal yoga roller-coaster, more information on postures, how to meditate better, any light bulb moments that occur on and off the mat, and what it is like being plus size in a health and fitness industry. So keep calm, lay on your back, and close your eyes…..because the 22 year old, plus size, yoga instructor named Leah Richards (that’s me) will massage your eye drums with words and enlighten your third eye with a new perspective.
See you on your mate!
Peace, Love, and Namaste.
The Curvy Yogini
Love it Leah! You inspire me. 🙂
Thank you so much Christina!!! That means the world to me!!! XOXOXO