I was interviewed for a piece on curvy women and yoga.

I find it interesting that a few people who read my book excerpt in the January issue of Yoga Journal took away from it that my desire to lose weight meant that I believe that curvy (or fat — call it whatever you like) — people should not do yoga.

I can honestly say that in 20 years of practice, that thought never once has crossed my mind. If I believed that, I wouldn’t have started doing yoga two decades ago, nor would I be doing it today. I believe yoga is for every body, but not all yoga is appropriate for every body. This goes beyond weight, to also include age, physical condition, and temperament. Straps, chairs, blocks, blankets can be used to modify poses, while some are simply contraindicated. No. I wanted to lose weight to feel more comfortable in my skin, not because only skinny people do yoga.

On a separate but interesting note, in yoga class today, one of my wonderful yoga teachers, Jason Crandell, took us through various asanas that focused on the lateral breath — expanding the body from side to side via the breath. It was an interesting and satisfying class.