by Joan Brasher
photo by John Russell

For the past decade, Anna Guest-Jelley has practiced yoga for its alignment and restorative benefits. But in the beginning, she found her practice frustrating.

“There were so many times that I left a yoga class discouraged about my body,” she said. “For example, under typical instruction, I can’t go fully into a seated forward bend. This isn’t because I’m not flexible, but because I run into my belly. After trial and error, I realized that there are ways to get around this – literally.”

Guest-Jelley, who serves as associate director of the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center, found that most yoga teachers simply haven’t been trained to accommodate curvy bodies. So she developed her home practice and went on to become a certified teacher. Two years ago, she launched Curvy Yoga – a blend of Iyengar, Ashtanga and Viniyoga, which she teaches biweekly at Nashville’s East Park Community Center.

“People think yoga is only for thin, pretzel-like people,” she said. “Because of that, practicing yoga with a curvy body can feel very isolating. Many people aren’t sure how to get started or are intimidated to walk into a class not knowing if there will be other curvy people there.

“I want my students to experience the pleasure of yoga in a way that is welcoming and safe. There is a great sense of freedom and community in my classes. We’re all in there, rocking our curves, and it’s fabulous!”

For more information, visit www.curvyyoga.com.

Posted 02/01/11