For the past year or more, the yoga community has come together to lead a pivotal crusade, helping to reshape the false image of what a yogi is supposed to look like. At the forefront of this movement is a broad spectrum of yogis — eclectic, inspiring, dedicated and fearless — transcending what it means to be healthy and empowered. There are many strong voices behind this rising acceptance of diversity in yoga studios. Here are 12 of them. Her yoga practice has been crucial to her healing — allowing Yulady to see herself as a pure and perfect being. She recognizes the beauty in everyone. Yulady beautifully demonstrates her personal power in Tree Pose (Vrksasana), as photographed by @robertsturman in New Jersey. Her Instagram page is visible proof that every type of body can achieve every kind of yoga pose. Jessamyn is strong, flexible and inspiring — her love for yoga is an extension of her love for herself. Holding a Forearm Stand (Pincha Mayurasana) on the sand is no easy feat, but Jessamyn shows that with patience and practice, fear can be overcome and anything is possible. Now the plus-sized (role) model is on a crusade to encourage women to “go topless,” by not being afraid to take their shirt off in a yoga class. The mindbodygreen contributor is also one of Athleta’s “100 Women To Watch In Wellness,” sharing her personal story around with world and inspiring self-confidence in women through her message and with yoga. With her shirt proudly off in Tree Pose and palms at her heart, Emily’s authenticity is evident. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, Lockey underwent chemotherapy, bi-lateral mastectomies with saline implant reconstruction, and radiation. She saw yoga as a path toward healing and realized the practice can be a tool for other recovering cancer patients do the same. The Newark, N.J., yoga teacher and founder of the “Let It Go” workshop helps other cancer survivors in rehabilitation regain control over their bodies after the arduous treatment of chemotherapy. Lockey’s scars are a powerful, beautiful reminder that no matter what life has in store for us, it’s what shapes us into who we truly are. Portrait by @robertsturman. And while the founder of River City Yoga in Missoula, Montana, admits that while the path toward self-acceptance isn’t easy, it has changed her life for the better and filled her with love. “The biggest lesson I have learned through my yoga practice is that I can not let others determine my practice or what I should or shouldn’t do,” she writes on her website. Standing tall and proud in this expansive back bend captured by @robertsturman, Cami opens her heart to infinite possibilities. After multiple surgeries, partial kidney and lung failure and lower extremity ischemia that resulted in the amputation of his left leg, his optimism remained. During Tommy’s long road to recovery, his continued passion for yoga led him to a remarkable feat — a recently completed 200-hour yoga teacher training. “I did not survive all of this to go back to being who I was before, or doing what I did before,” he said proudly of this accomplishment. “My yoga practice has provided harmony to my life and allowed me to let go and fly.” Tommy takes flight in a headstand (Sirsasana) in the Santa Monica Mountains with his friend @robertsturman, in his first hike since losing his leg. In an interview earlier this year with ABC News, he said, “I could feel and hear the truck disintegrating around my body. When I opened my eyes, I realized that I was ejected from the vehicle, but my legs were caught around the twisted and burning metal that used to be the floorboard and undercarriage of the truck.” He is part of the Wounded Warrior Project, and yoga has been integral to his healing. The Baptiste Yoga teacher will also attest that the loss of his legs could be the greatest lesson for his students. “You don’t change the world to change your life,” he said. “You change your life to change the world.” During Yoga Journal LIVE! in San Diego last month, Dan showed @robertsturman that he can stand tall and proud on his hands in Adho Mukha Vrksasana. But in her sophomore year of college she finally hit a turning point, and began a leading a healthier lifestyle. Yoga found her shortly thereafter, initially as a source for “working out.” So she forced herself to go almost every day for three months, until suddenly, she found that she no longer had to force it. She writes on her website, “Through my practice I have accomplished more with my physical body than I ever imagined, but more importantly I feel like a completely different person inside.” She’s also teamed up with @mynameisjessamyn and is leading yoga workshops around the country. On a beach in Firefly Pose (Titthibasana) this New Orleans native is looking strong, happy and aspirational. And though she’s strong and healthy, and considered a normal body size and type, that doesn’t mean she hasn’t dealt with the same harsh narrative that plays over and over again in the minds of many women. But as she shared during this year’s revitalize event, she’s a real woman, just like everyone else, and there’s no body type that is better than anyone else. “Any scar, or ripple, or imperfection — this is your meat suit, my friends. This is your body,” she said. At Wanderlust in Vermont last month, Kathryn looked fierce with blue tribal markings and a powerful Eagle Wrap. The Bay Area yogi believes that with enough determination and patience, anything is possible. Her practice is an exploration of knowing when to push yourself, and when to back off. As an ambassador to the Colorado body positive clothing company @fractal.9, Valerie is on a fast rise in the yoga world. With one hand on her heart as a symbol of genuine love for herself, Valerie’s One-Legged King Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) is effortless and poised. Her blog, “Adventures In Fat Yoga,” has more on self-love and learning to let go, offering advice to other women who are on a similar healing journey. “There are no bad foods,” she writes in response to a reader who asked about oil and fat. “Associating emotions with foods go hand-in-hand with disordered eating.” As an update to her progress of achieving Pigeon Pose, she uses a block to deepen the hip-opening effects of Sugarcane (Ardha Chandra Chapasana). “Though I was unsteady and looking for balance today, this felt delicious in my hips,” she wrote. The campaign, “This is What a Yogi Looks Like,” is a celebration of the diversity of yogis everywhere. As a yoga teacher and contributor to mindbodygreen, Yoga Journal, Mantra Magazine and more, Gigi Yogini’s philosophy fosters confidence, courage and compassion, both on and off the mat. She’s also deeply immersed in spreading her empowering message, hosting Love YOUR Yoga Body around the country because, “Every body is a yoga body.” In this Crescent Lunge variation, Gigi Yogini holds her head up high and lifts her heart, a clear indicator that her inner light is indeed shining bright.
