A review by itsmeamethyst
Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance by Jessamyn Stanley

4.0

Jessamyn Stanley is unabashedly fat, Black, and gay. These essays describe her journey to accept herself and find a place within spaces that historically (and often currently) exclude people like her, including the yoga community (and industry) and the Baháʼí Faith.

I appreciate how she not only makes practicing yoga accessible for every body but outlines how yoga goes far beyond movement and the mat. Her definition of yoga is more about continually evolving and acknowledging “the light and dark of life”. Also grateful that she raised her voice about how capitalism and cultural appropriation erode what yoga is meant to be.

It has prompted me to re-examine my own values, relationship with my body, and understanding of the purpose of yoga and meditation in my life.