Wishing you a Body Positive New Year

​We hope that people will participate in yoga as a way to celebrate their body, rather than trying to fix or change their appearance so we are wishing you a body positive new year! 

At this time of year, so many people are contemplating the past 12 months and wanting to make themselves better for the new year to come. There is nothing wrong with wanting be a better version of yourself that you were yesterday. Particularly at this time of year, (New Year's Resolution time!) there are many messages from media and culture and even our own heads about our bodies and how they are not good enough, or about what we should or should not eat. About how we should look or what to wear. All of these focus on appearances which can cause a lot of unneeded stress and the gate way to shaming ourselves and our body for not being good enough. 

Being Body Positive is going beyond your physical appearance and reconizing how amazing your body really is and considering what ways your body allow you to experience the world. Body Positive can also mean a practice and a process just like yoga that is sometimes not in a straight line and it may take a lot of getting up, trying again, and some back and forth as we consider and re-consider what beliefs we have about our bodies. 

At our studio you may have noticed that our teachers speak to turning your awareness inward and this practice can help us keep present and focused to truely experience ourselves. By sensing the body, energy and emotions open a person up to be curious about what they are truly experiencing and to see the truth of the matter.

How can we reframe how we think and talk about our bodies in an appearance focused world? 
What positive things has your body given you? Can you focus on different parts of your body and be grateful for it? What can you celebrate about your body? What else can you enjoy?

We think bodies are amazingly fantastic in all the ways and that they are perfectly imperfect - not flawed or needing to be fixed, simply great, just the way they are. We want to know how you would complete this sentence...

My body is wonderful because.....

"...It created my child(ren)."

"...I have feet and legs to take me for a walk."

"...It is strong."

"...My heart beats everyday."

"...it's curvy and beautiful."

"...it can pick up my loved ones for big swinging hugs."

We invite you to add your body reflection to the chalkboard in the SUN STUDIO at Yogadown!  We believe all bodies are great: tall and small bodies, disabled and able bodies, thin and round bodies, athletic and not so athletic bodies, female or male, and everything in between. Tell us what’s wonderful about your body!


From all of us at Yogadown studios, we wish you a Body Positive New Year. We hope our yoga practices might help us all shift our body focus from appearance to celebration, function, enjoyment and growth.

Jerusha Francisco is the creative director of Yogadown Studios. She loves writing, painting and going for walks in the woods. She also loves her chi puppies, warm scarfs and camp fires.