Yoga is for…

Every age.

Every race and ethnicity.

Every class and socioeconomic status.

Every gender identity and sexual orientation.

Every size, shape, height, weight and dis/ability.

But how often do we see this kind of diversity reflected in the mainstream representation of yoga or “yoga culture” itself?

Too often, we see homogenous and one-dimensional representations of yogis, the “yoga body” and the practice itself—images that don’t accurately reflect the range of diversity among those that practice or yoga itself (after all, yoga isn’t just about a fancy postural practice).

In the process, these yoga stereotypes about young, bendy, thin, able-bodied (and, overwhelmingly, white) people practicing in designer yoga clothes in serene (and expensive) studios often has a tendency to alienate people and communities from the practice all together.

The Yoga and Body Image Coalition has experienced the profound impact a consistent practice can have on our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being —and we want to share these gifts by making yoga accessible and genuinely welcoming.

We are yoga teachers, practitioners, experts, educators, activists, writers, artists, non-profits organizations and body-image advocates and we’ve come together to create safe spaces for every body and everyone. We believe these ends are best met through the power of conscious community and collaboration.

“This is what a yogi looks like” was born out of the fierce commitment to these intentions by being the media and driving the conversation toward an all-out paradigm shift in yoga media.

This is what a yogi looks like: no hair stylists, no make-up artist, no fancy lighting, no corporate sponsors.

Just yogis like you.

Read more about the Yoga and Body Image Coalition’s “This is what a yogi looks like” campaign here.

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Author: Melanie Klein

Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: Screenshot from video