I recently had the opportunity to be in conversation with Helen of the @mindfulcity podcast. I don’t mind being interviewed, but I would always prefer to have an interactive dialogue about the things I care most about. I was glad when Helen said she felt the same way! We got to talk about #yoga, #mindfulness, my journey and experience in yoga spaces, and some of my thoughts on agency, power, and access. Thank you to Helen and Mindful City for having me on for what I too hope is the first of many conversation! Listen now, link from bio.
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#Repost @mindfulcity with @get_repost
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I’ve stopped myself from trying Hatha Yoga many times when I did not see representation and ability to modify poses for my size. My interview with Melanie highlights the slow but steady change in yoga towards accessibility and adaptability. LINK in BIO #accessibleyoga #adaptiveyoga #agencyyoga #agencyandaccess #wellness #healthy #love #healthylifestyle #motivation #selfcare #selflove #wellbeing #instagood #healthyliving #yoga #mentalhealth #healthylife #mindfulness #positivevibes #mindfulcity #foundspaceyoga #bodypositivity #bodypositiveyoga #fatyoga #queeryoga #representationmatters #fatliberation #transliberation #nonbinary
SWIPE FOR A V-DAY THROWBACK
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I’m looking at this recent headshot by the talented @cinlife next to the second photo, which was taken on Valentine’s Day during my sophomore year of high school—I must have been 15. Vampire. Fangs. The rectangle taped to my chest is a valentine that I altered to say “Happy ANTI-Valentines Day.”
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There’s so much going on there. I remember telling everyone who asked that I was protesting the ways that capitalism co-opts everything and sucks us all dry, but I know there was a lot of other hurt and confusion I was hiding under the costume.
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I was spending every day uncomfortable in my body, my clothing, my assigned roles. Most of the time, I felt unsure of whether or not I existed at all, or if all of life was just a play I was cast in, reciting lines. When I couldn't identify with my assigned character anymore, I identified with my self-loathing. The idea of celebrating love in any form made me recoil. I didn’t think I could be loved by anyone, least if all myself, and I didn't feel like I could fake it for show.
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So the day this photo was taken, I broke character. I'm proud of that. But this picture also makes me so sad. Systemic oppression kept that 15-yo from knowing that happy fat people existed. The lack of diverse representation in media and history books kept that 15-yo from knowing that #trans and #nonbinary people existed. It breaks my heart that I felt like it was more plausible to be a VAMPIRE than to explore a different gender expression. But hey, I've been looking at depictions of vampires since Sesame Street was my jam, and it took me until last year to see a non-binary character on TV.
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Y'all, REPRESENTATION F-U-C-K-I-N-G MATTERS. You can have the most powerful spaceship in the world and you still won't be able to explore a galaxy that you don't know exists.
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I'm putting the more recent photo out there as a long-overdue Valentine to my 15-yo self, who would have killed for a taste of the freedom I'm beginning to embody, and to all the queer/trans/non-binary beings alive right now who are just waiting to see their reflection so they can know they exist. You're real, and you're loved.
