Yoga: Just My Size With Megan Garcia
Yoga for plus-sized women? Why not, especially when it's presented clearly, simply, and utterly without condescension, which is the case withJust My Size Yoga. Instructor Megan Garcia, a large woman herself, knows that self-consciousness and limitations due to shape and size keep many would-be yoga practitioners from attending actual classes; hence this 45-minute program designed to introduce new students to yoga's many benefits. Garcia promises that a regular yoga practice will promote not only physical well-being (including energy and flexibility) but also confidence, calm, and what she calls "an inner sense of self"--ambitious goals, to be sure, but also attainable ones. The practice consists of three parts. The warm-up focuses on the breath, along with arm lifts, spinal twists, and such; the "workout" section includes some reasonably demanding poses like Warrior 1 and 2 and downward-facing dog (after demonstrating each pose separately, Garcia repeats them as one continuous, flowing sequence), and "deep relaxation" consists ofsavasana, the so-called "corpse pose." Other elements ofJust My Size Yogainclude a "special tips" section (with suggestions about using a wall, chairs, or other props to modify the poses) and an interview with Garcia. All in all, this is a gentle, easy, yet effective introduction to yoga.--Sam Graham