From the Kay Erdwinn’s Post Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies Most likely the fat person will prefer Ardha Siddhasana, in which one foot is placed in front of the other rather than on top of it. As with any cross-legged position, the fat person may not be able to fold the legs as snugly (i.e., get as much knee flexion) as … Read More
From the Kay Erdwinn’s Post Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies The difficult aspect of this asana for a fat person is the position of the arms. Ideally, the elbows are shoulder-width apart, but a fat student may have too much bulk in the upper arms and back to accomplish this. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that s/he may have … Read More
From the Kay Erdwinn’s Post Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies Half-Spinal Twist is a nightmare for fat people! It’s usually the knee that’s pulled up to the chest that’s the problem. The fat student usually can’t even find out how supple they are in this asana, because the belly gets in the way. Difficulty breathing, and a tendency to lean … Read More
From the Kay Erdwinn’s Post Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies Keeping the arms close to the body and the legs together are the challenges here for the fat person. I generally let my students put their arms in an abducted position like airplane wings. The legs can be strapped together — not too close; allow a few inches — or the … Read More
How can a yoga teacher help overweight students feel safe and accepted? How can he or she help overweight students to adapt an asana if needed, and still maintain good alignment and safety? This guide is unique. Written for yoga teachers, but also useful for overweight students of yoga, it can help you find the answers to these questions. Please … Read More
From the Kay Erdwinn’s Post Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies Downward-Facing Dog is hard for most beginners no matter what their size. Because of having greater weight, the fat student may prefer a wider stance in both hands and feet for better balance. The dolphin variation, where the forearms, not the hands, bear weight, can be used if the person … Read More
From the Kay Erdwinn’s Post Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies This asana is usually not harder for fat people than for anyone else. However, there are a couple of items to keep in mind. One, usually the hardest part of the asana is lying prone with the head on the ground. It’s hard for a fat person to breathe that … Read More
From the Kay Erdwinn’s Post Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies The only caveat here is that when fat people place their arms at their sides, their arms are not hanging down perpendicular to the floor. Consequently, when a fat person supports him/herself in this asana, the angle of the arms makes them less efficient in strength for the task. This … Read More
From the Kay Erdwinn’s Post Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies Unless there are knee problems, most fat people are comfortable with the first phase of this asana. The second phase is harder for everyone, of course. The fat person performing this asana must be sure of his/her leg strength and knee health, since s/he must carry more weight. The most troublesome … Read More
From the Kay Erdwinn’s Post Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies A fat student will not be able to bend forward as far as a comparatively flexible thinner person, again due to the size of the belly. Bending the knees aggravates this problem, so be on the lookout for locked knees in your fat students. Another related problem is difficulty breathing. Taking … Read More
