Yoga and Body Image...

Today, I got the following comment on an earlier post:

Anonymous said...

one of the reasons i really enjoy yoga-- is that it's a body positive excersise that teaches you to appreciate what you have, big or small. Yoga chickie-- why did you give into societal pressures that force women to think they have to have the bodies of 20 yearold fashion models?most women are are naturally curvy anyway and dont have flat stomachs. I'm not criticizing, it's just that You seem like such a positive person, why would you subject yourself to such a painful surgery that u really didnt need? Personally It just seems so contrary to what i thought yoga is supposed to be about. I just don't get it. It would be upsetting to me to have a yoga teacher that would go under the knife to change something that i thought can be changed with a steady yoga practice, or am i just fooling myself? (Is this a common yoga teacher practice?Also aren't you worried about the post op problems one can have from having such a procedure?) If i was your student i personally would feel kind of duped... I guess thats just me though. But to each is own i guess.. because you write in such a clear concise fashion I would love to hear your opinion on this-- i think it could be very enlightening for a lot of people.

I think these are really excellent questions, and I want to answer them. I am heading to the beach now with the Husband and the Kiddies but I promise to post about this later. In the meantime, two brief thoughts, which I present for "Anonymous" but also for anyone else who has ever felt disillusioned by the imperfections of those from whom they seek answers (to wit, a yoga teacher):

1. Yoga teachers are only human beings: we make errors in judgement at times, we contradict ourselves at times, we don't have the answers you're looking for at times (although I hope I can answer your questions here in a satisfactory manner). I can't speak for every yoga teacher here, but I am sure that many will be quite frank with you about their own foibles and quirks. In my opinion, a yoga teacher who can't or won't do that probably IS trying to dupe you.

2. Yoga can be therapeutic, it can improve your mental and spiritual state, it can provide you with at least some level of enlightenment (depending on how you define enlightenment), it can help you lose weight (or gain weight if that is what your body needs)....I could go on. BUT...for better or for worse (probably for better), yoga is not a panacaea. It cannot solve all your problems, although it can help you see those problems that won't seem to go away as "less problematic".

Thanks for the great topic. Can't wait to come back later and tackle this!

YC