The Spring 2013 issue of Yoga International Magazine has a great article entitled "When Life Gives You Curves," and it's all about learning how to modify your practice to suit your body. The author does a great job of talking about some of the common issues in practice (for any body), like knee (alignment, pain), leg position (under hips vs. feet together), shoulder (flexibility), wrist (sensitivity), booty (position and size accomodations), belly (accomodating and LOVING it), breasts (accomodating and LOVING them), and in general, FEELING your yoga poses rather than concentrating on some perfect picture or even a mirror (or worse, trying to look like an instructor or neighbor in class).
Yoga knowledge, yoga experience, yoga skills, comes from the inside - from listening to your body, from really tapping in to your inner wisdom (and allowing it to make mistakes, to learn and most importantly to be nutured).
Whether you are 3 or 93, 30 pounds or 230, there is a way to modify a (physical) yoga practice to encourage you to be at peace with your body, to understand it, and to love it.
The article isn't up online yet, but I will provide a link when it is availabe. In the meantime, check out the rest of their website www.yogainternational.com for the winter/spring issue. The magazine is published by the Himalayan Institute, one of the foremost schools of yogic study (and the traidition of which is followed by my school, YogaWell). It's a little bit less commercial than some other yoga mags out there, and has a lot more content about holistic healing, yogic lifestyle, home practice, and media reviews.
Enjoy, and remember, whatever you body, Yoga is For You!
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