Show Notes
This week Marc Settembrino joins Jivana for a powerful conversation about living in a larger body, reclaiming the word "fat," righteous anger, and the disconnect between capitalism and the yogic teachings. Marc is a fat-queer educator, researcher, and yoga facilitator based in Hammond, LA, who envisions a world that celebrates diversity and promotes dignity. In 2018 Marc created Fat Kid Yoga Club, a supportive yoga community for folks with larger bodies to explore joyful movement and celebrate what is possible in their bodies one practice at a time. Marc describes their experience living in a larger body, how fat folks are often objectified simply for existing, and how asana helped inspire their teaching philosophy: to hold space for people to move their bodies freely and experience them in a way that is not attached to shame. Jivana and Marc also take a deep dive into the harmful impact of diet culture in Western or "American" yoga and discuss the problematic nature of our modern-day yoga mat.
Learn more about Marc. Learn more about McMindfulness by Ronald Purser.
Learn more about Yoga Revolution by Jivana Heyman.
Order your copy of Yoga Revolution at Shambala, or wherever books are sold.
Also by Jivana Heyman: Accessible Yoga: Poses & Practices for Every Body (2019, Shambala) The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body (2024)
Connect with Jivana: www.jivanaheyman.com @jivanaheyman facebook.com/jivanaheyman www.accessibleyogaschool.com @accessibleyogaschool facebook.com/accessibleyogaschool
More from The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga
In this final wrap up episode, Jivana offers an overview of his book, The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and highlights a few topics that are of particular importance to him. Whether you’ve read the book or not, this episode addresses many key elements in making yoga accessible for yoga teachers and yoga therapists.
How does being a student of yoga translate into teaching yoga? Loving the practice and wanting to share it with others is at the heart of becoming a teacher. As a teacher, you also continue learning and evolving, deepening your own understanding and practice. This journey of teaching and learning is a continuous cycle that enriches both teacher and students.
“All we're doing is preparing for that moment, where grace just drops in." - Tracee Stanley
According to the yoga teachings, pranayama is among the most powerful practice we have. Yet, many of the common breathing practices are taught in ways that are not accessible or trauma-informed. How can teachers make pranayama more accessible to their students?
Initially, Shavasana may seem like a simple posture. But, when we approach the practice with a little more depth, we can discover a powerful restorative practice with profound and multifaceted benefits.