Jessamyn Stanley, acclaimed yoga teacher and body-acceptance advocate, joins us to discuss overcoming decades of dieting, healing from oppressive beauty standards, learning to accept her size and stop pursuing weight loss, the "yoga-industrial complex" vs. real yoga, her new book Every Body Yoga, being an Instagram sensation, navigating people's expectations of her as a yoga teacher, and lots more!

Jessamyn Stanley is the author of Every Body Yoga, as well as an internationally recognized yoga teacher, award-winning Instagram star (@mynameisjessamyn), and body-positive advocate. She has been profiled by a wide range of media, including Good Morning America, TIME, New York, Glamour, Shape, People, Essence, Lenny Letter, and many others. When she’s not on the road teaching, she lives in Durham, North Carolina. Visit her online at JessamynStanley.com, on Twitter at @JessNotJazz, and on Facebook at MyNameIsJessamyn.

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We Discuss:

Jessamyn’s relationship with food growing up, including experiencing food scarcity
Coping with family stress and engaging in emotional eating
The impact of yoga on Jessamyn’s relationship with food and her body
Self-taught intuitive eating
Non-judgmental body awareness
Veganism, yoga, and classism
Trauma and eating disorder awareness in yoga practice
The intersections of capitalism and diet culture
The perils of pursuing weight loss
Educating children about Health at Every Size and body positivity
The intersections of fatphobia and racism
Challenging the urge for assimilation
The benefits of sharing our struggles publicly
The role of photography in Jessamyn’s body image journey
Self-compassion vs. shame and self-judgment
The yoga-industrial complex
The spiritual component of classical yoga practice
Size diversity in yoga