Once in a while, an Instagram hashtag like #myyogabody will come along making us triumphantly flip the bird to all the stereotypes about what we "should" look like. We teamed up with Lots of Yoga to bring you these 21 inspiring women who are proudly defying all those "yoga body" stereotypes.
1. 'You never know what strong is until strong is your only option.'
2. 'There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, then a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty.' - Steve Mariboli
3. 'Loving your body only when its in perfect shape, is like loving your kids ONLY when they're well behaved.'
4. 'This morning I woke up with one thought... #NoExcuses.'
5. 'I've got moles and scars and dimples and a belly and you know what?! My kids and husband think I am beautiful.'
6. 'I [do] all the 'do not do this' parts... But hey, we learn from our mistakes, right?'
7. 'Your curves are beautiful and those stretch marks are your story... Own that!'
8. 'You don't have to learn how to love yourself. You just have to remember that there was nothing wrong with you to begin with.'
9. 'Study me as much as you like, you will not know me, for I differ in a hundred ways from what you see me to be.' - Rumi
10. 'Did it at work 'cause #thuglife.'
11. 'How's your #buttbalance?'
12. 'I didn't want to do this today because I feel bloated and I'm not having a great hair day. But then I saw all these beautiful women and words of love about their bodies. So fuck it.'
13. 'I was going to chicken out on this as I'm still not comfortable upside down, but...after 4 days of inner turmoil, here it is.'
14. 'As a woman, sometimes it seems like we're set up for failure. Growing up, I was incredibly insecure. Once I started loving the person I was, I started loving [my body] and started appreciating it for the first time.'
15. 'Uh. Guys I did a handstand. Major fear barrier breakthrough.'
16. '6am yoga before a busy day at the university... #nevergiveup.'
17. 'In all of its glory, with all of its fat, and all of its stretch-marks... Everyday I get on my mat with amazement of what my body can do, with the shapes it can make, with the the power it holds.'
18. 'I still struggle with my new body, but I am coming to terms with it through yoga and the daily reminders that my new body is what it is because I survived through many battles.'
19. 'Your life is your message to the world. Make sure it's inspiring.'
20. 'What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it is supposed to be. [This is] what it looks like to be a stage 3 ovarian cancer survivor.'
21. 'I have [doubted] my body, its beauty, its appearance. I don't mind the scars from the 2 ostomy surgeries I begged for that saved my life. I wear them proudly... This body is strong and can practice yoga... That puts it all into perspective.'
So, what exactly are you waiting for?
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.