“Many people think they need to be thin, flexible or strong to practice yoga. Please, hear me when I say that yoga is for everybody. Bodies change and evolve every single day, and the physical practice is simply a manifestation of the internal change. Yoga is a spiritual practice, one that allows you to be and see yourself. It’s a practice of non-attachment. Your physical body isn’t a deciding factor in whether or not yoga is for you. Your body changes. There’s nothing to be attached to that won’t leave you hurting or feeling empty down the road. Come to yoga to find out how you feel, not judge how you look. We do enough of that anyway. Give yourself a chance, give yourself the gift of knowing your worth and it will change your life.” ~ Dana Falsetti

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Own it.

Own your shape, your color, your size.

Own your feminine side and your masculine side.

Own your curves and your rough edges.

Own your shadow and shine your light.

There is no such thing as too big or too small.

There is not too much this or that.

It is what it is.

Our bodies are temples.

And we don’t need to have anything but a body to practice yoga.

Yoga can be practiced anywhere, anytime, all the time.

We don’t need to be anything to do yoga.

Yoga shows us that our ego is sacred.

Yoga is daily life, no stone left unturned.

It’s how we breathe.

It’s in our posture: the way we stand, walk, talk, eat, dream, relate.

It’s in the way we love.

Yoga is this moment, right here, right now.

Yoga is awareness, acceptance and the sacred union between truth and balance.

Yoga gives us the energy to serve others and share love, kindness and compassion with all beings, without exception.

Yoga is not dogmatic or bound to a single lineage or guru.

Yoga has no physical or spiritual prerequisites and requires no fancy clothing, props or accessories.

Yoga is the connection to our breath, our bodies, our minds.

Yoga cultivates gratitude for this life, this breath, these teachings, this chance to be here and love and grow and let go.

We don’t need to be any certain way to practice yoga: not flexible, not strong, not balanced, not thin, not young and lithe. Not anything!

It’s a lifelong practice.

We don’t need to have anything to practice yoga.

We really don’t. Not even a yoga mat, unless we really want one. Yoga is done barefoot.

Yoga is self-knowledge.

Yoga is for everybody.

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Author: Michelle Margaret Fajkus

Image: courtesy of the author, Beth Scupham/Flickr 

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock