In a sea of thin, blonde, yoga moms, to say that Jessamyn Stanley is the odd woman out would be an understatement.

As a fat, black, queer woman, she is the polar opposite of not only the yoga stereotype, but also the media representation of a “fit woman.” And yet, in a radical move, the 30-year-old yoga instructor, author and social media maven loves herself anyway.

“The idea that you would be showing this body that society has deemed unacceptable in a way that’s actually glorious, people were thrown [by it],” Jessamyn said.

But she also had the savvy to realize that it wasn’t just A “body that society has deemed unacceptable,” it was that everything that made HER body what it was – skin color, size, and sexual orientation – was all outside the boundaries of what our society calls normal, let alone celebrates.

She’d become a regular yoga practitioner back in 2011, and when she started taking pictures of her poses to check her form, she figured she’d post them to her Instagram for a little social accountability. She wasn’t prepared for the huge response those pictures would get. She’s now just over 400,000 followers, many of whom identify with less visible communities – from plus-sized women, to the elderly and those with disabilities as well.

Jessamyn’s yoga resonates with so many because she practices what she calls “body liberation,” a theory that goes beyond body positivity to recognize that the body each of us has – whatever the race, size, gender, ability, or age – brings us joy, takes us through a lifetime of experiences and is capable of being used in whatever way we channel its energy.

“The point of wellness is that you take care of yourself so that you can be of service to others and be of service to the universe. We can’t even have that conversation because everyone is so obsessed with the way that we look for each other,” she muses.

It’s a message that’s still in stark contrast to the image-obsessed social and digital age we live in, but one that’s incredibly relevant for everyone, and especially those who already don’t “conform.”

In 2015, her blog and Instagram began catching media attention and by 2017, she’d collaborated with the The New York Times in a series to help regular people confidently break into yoga practice, and even won a Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award “celebrat[ing] disruptive innovation across the full spectrum of traditional and non-traditional domains…at the intersection of technology and culture where frequent clashes and resistance to change impede social progress.” All of that recognition for her message, but Jessamyn didn’t see that energy paying off where it counted.

One of the premiere yoga magazines still hadn’t even had a person of color on the cover. She still didn’t see her skin color or body type featured in yogawear ads or retail stores. The yoga retreats were still largely inaccessible in so many ways. And if someone like her who’d been practicing for years felt uncomfortable navigating that landscape, how would anyone outside of the norm ever start to love yoga too?

“We have this massive visibility issue because the media only puts attention on white, slender, cisgender, heteronormative bodies. I’ve always felt as though I’m representative of the majority and not the minority….get your eyes open, boo,” she quips.

And so represent, she did. Last year, just 2 months before her 30th birthday, Jessamyn’s “Every Body Yoga” became the book version of her digital presence, with step-by-step images of her poses, tips for how to practice yoga with a non-traditional body, and encouragement to give the body you have the grace to do what it can, rather than what you (or others) think it should.

Whether she’s teaching a yoga class, posting to her Instagram, or speaking worldwide, Jessamyn encourages her audiences, and especially women in a constant battle with society about image: “Don’t feel like you need to make excuses for your body or who you are. Your body is not standing in your way. Only your mind is.”

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