Jessamyn Stanley on Body Positivity, Yoga, and Learning to Love Yourself
Why Yoga is for Every Body
Yoga has often been portrayed as an exclusive practice—one that requires a lean, flexible body, expensive leggings, and a flawless downward dog. But celebrated yoga practitioner and body positivity advocate Jessamyn Stanley is here to challenge that notion.
In a powerful conversation on Heal Squad with Maria Menounos, Stanley dismantles the stereotypes surrounding yoga and explains how the practice can be a gateway to self-acceptance, emotional healing, and personal liberation.
From Resistance to Revelation: Jessamyn’s Journey to Yoga
Stanley’s introduction to yoga wasn’t exactly love at first pose. When her aunt first invited her to a hot yoga class in high school, she walked into a suffocatingly hot, sweat-soaked studio and promptly decided: Never again.
Fast forward a few years, and a friend convinced her to try yoga again—this time, using a Groupon. What started as an uncomfortable, sweat-drenched experience soon became transformational. Through yoga, Stanley realized she had unknowingly constructed mental walls around what she thought she was capable of.
“I had decided the kind of person that I was,” she explained. “Here were my walls, and I wasn’t going to step outside of them. But yoga forced me to challenge myself and just try—even when I thought I couldn’t do it.”
Shifting the Narrative: From How Do I Look? to How Do I Feel?
One of the most profound lessons Stanley learned from yoga wasn’t about physical flexibility—it was about mental and emotional freedom.
“Our society is obsessed with how we look rather than how we feel,” she explained. “We’re taught to judge our bodies instead of appreciating them for what they do.”
Stanley’s philosophy of body liberation centers on the idea that instead of chasing the ‘perfect’ body, we should focus on gratitude for our bodies’ capabilities. She encourages people to shift their perspective from appearance to function, asking questions like:
- How do I feel when I move?
- How does my body support me every day?
- How can I appreciate what my body does for me instead of criticizing how it looks?
Yoga as an Emotional Release
For many people, yoga is simply another form of exercise. But for Stanley, it’s an emotional and spiritual practice.
She explains that our emotions—especially pain, grief, and trauma—get stored in our bodies, often in places like the hips and shoulders. When we stretch and open these areas, we’re not just increasing mobility—we’re unlocking emotional tension.
“If you allow yourself to feel everything, including the discomfort, that’s where the real transformation happens,” she shared. “Pain is the greatest teacher.”
Overcoming the Fear of Judgment
Many beginners avoid yoga because they feel intimidated or self-conscious. Stanley understands this struggle firsthand.
“I was often the biggest person in the room, the only Black person, the one not wearing designer yoga clothes,” she recalled. “It was alienating at first, but I realized that yoga isn’t about impressing anyone—it’s about connecting with yourself.”
She emphasizes that you don’t need to be an expert to reap the benefits of yoga. Even if you struggle with basic poses or feel awkward, what matters is that you show up and try.
Healing Through the Hard Parts
Like any worthwhile journey, yoga comes with its frustrations and setbacks. Stanley is the first to admit that progress isn’t linear.
“It took me three to five years to get into some of the more advanced poses,” she said. “But the real breakthroughs? Those happened within seconds. Sometimes, you’re holding a pose and a flood of emotions hits you out of nowhere. That’s when the real work begins.”
Yoga and the Power of Slowing Down
We live in a culture that glorifies busyness and constant motion. But yoga teaches us the power of slowing down.
“The universe is constantly asking us to slow down and just be,” Stanley noted. “The pandemic was a prime example—forcing us to pause, reflect, and turn inward.”
Yoga isn’t about rushing toward a goal—it’s about learning to be present with yourself. And that, Stanley argues, is the key to true self-acceptance.
The Takeaway: Yoga is for YOU
Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or someone who has never touched a yoga mat, Stanley wants you to know that yoga is for every body—not just the flexible, thin, or physically ‘perfect’ ones.
“You don’t have to look a certain way, wear fancy clothes, or master difficult poses to practice yoga,” she affirmed. “All you have to do is show up for yourself.”
For those looking to start or deepen their yoga practice, Stanley’s online platform, The Underbelly, offers inclusive yoga classes designed to make everybody feel seen, empowered, and at home in their body.
For more insights on healing, self-acceptance, and body liberation, listen to the full interview with Jessamyn Stanley on Heal Squad with Maria Menounos.
For more healing and wellness tips, be sure to subscribe to the Heal Squad with Maria Menounos podcast via YouTube or Apple Podcasts.
