Sally Pugh offers safe yoga classes designed for large women. A Certified Ananda Yoga Teacher and Certified practitioner of Body Mind Centering™, her teaching is grounded in the wisdom of the body, the power of the heart, and the joy of discovery. Here students share how practicing yoga has changed their lives.

Creating More "Yes" in My Life
"Before yoga, my internal voice would tell me, 'No. No, you can't do that. You're not flexible enough. Your knees aren't strong enough. Your body will fail. You'll embarrass yourself if you try.' But in the supportive atmosphere of Sally's class, in the safety of being with other women similar to my size, I have learned to open to attempting something totally new, to gather my energy, concentration, and my body to move in new ways and, most of all, I have learned that I can succeed. This positive attitude has had a meaningful effect on my life, far beyond the yoga class itself. This internal willingness spills over into my everyday life. I'm more likely to tackle a physical challenge rather than protect myself from failure by not trying."—C.B.

C. B. is a professional fundraiser. Two years ago, at age 50, she began doing yoga for the first time.

Every Week I Discover More About Myself
"Yoga has been the best gift I have given myself in the last few years. When I began Yoga for Large Women, I was in so much chronic pain I could attempt only the barest forms of the asanas. I was amazed how quickly I progressed. Little by little my pain diminished as my range of movement and strength increased.
"Sally creates a safe, supportive, and collaborative environment where there is freedom to explore adaptive yoga postures and learn what works for each individual.
"In her class, I discovered beauty, grace, and strength within and in the women around me. After our sessions I feel relaxed and energized mentally and physically. Every week I discover more about myself and look forward to improving my strength and stamina."—C. W.

C. W. has been taking yoga classes for two years.

I Can't Imagine My Life Without Yoga
"I didn't intend to like yoga. I knew from my brief forays into Kundalini Yoga and interpreting for a Bikram class, where I was so hot the clients suggested I leave for my own good, that yoga invited participants to be in their bodies in an acute, moment by moment way. As a survivor of a prolonged period of physical and sexual torture in my early teens, I had spent my life working hard NOT TO BE AWARE of my body.
"Still, I knew on an inner level, anything I was resisting so strongly was most likely in my best interest. I decided to go to a yoga class, just to prove I wouldn't like it. I knew the teacher would have a yoga standard none of us with fat bodies could meet. I walked into Sally's class with my blanket and my neckties and was wildly suspicious. My arms and legs were mentally crossed, and not in a spinal twist kind of way.
"We sat in a circle in chairs and warmed up. Surprising myself, I found I could follow the warm-up. Women were doing it in individualized ways and alternatives were being offered by her without judgment. I liked the stretching, peacefulness, and acceptance, meaning, I WAS OK WHERE I WAS.
"We were not doing some dumbed-down asana adjusted for fat bellies. The class was challenging, yet at the same time, calming and comforting. I fell in love with it.
"Nearly two years later I can't imagine my life without yoga. My practice has changed me in profound ways. I am inhabiting my own skin now—and finding it 'a fine place to be.'"—Ari-Asha Castalia

Ari-Asha Castalia is a SF sign-language interpreter and consultant, who commutes to classes three times a week.

I Wish this Lovely Feeling for More Fat Women Like Me
"I'm a 36-year-old fat woman who is healthy and fit, eats well, and enjoys being a fat rights activist. I resisted doing yoga because it has become so trendy, and I often see very slim, fit, young women carrying yoga mats around, looking (to me) terribly virtuous.
But I was eager to enjoy physical activity in a fat-positive, body-loving setting, so I attended a yoga class offered by Sally Pugh.

During the first two-hour session I started feeling a bubbling kind of glee, that was out of proportion to the simplicity of the postures. I found myself tensing in some body part or shaking with effort, and this amused me, in part because I viewed it as part of a learning curve and because Sally's approach was so non-judgmental.

"I felt sure-footed, planted on the ground. It was a delicious sensation that I continued to enjoy during the week after the Saturday class. After my first try at yoga, it seemed easier to stand. I had fewer twinges of lower back pain and soreness. My legs felt bouncy and not as likely to lock at the knee. Now, when I climb stairs, I feel more vertically in alignment and rise up and descend more readily.

"I trace these differences to the integration, balance, and awareness I feel after doing postures. How is this possible? I don't know, but I'll keep going back for more. I can only wish such a lovely feeling for more fat women like me." —Marilyn Wann

Marilyn Wann is a writer and speaker on weight diversity and fat liberation.