I'm not Staying Silent About this Anymore
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2024
- In this vlog style video I am finally sharing my story with you about “yoga for weight loss” across my 22 years of yoga teaching, 15 of them on UA-cam. It has been quite a journey and I have a lot I haven’t been saying about it over the years. It is time to speak my truth about this. I’m ready!
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Yoga with Melissa recommends consulting your physician or other healthcare provider before starting any yoga or movement program. You should understand that there is a risk of injury associated with participating in any physical movement. This is not medical advice and should not be taken as such. By voluntarily participating in this exercise program or using the information provided, you assume all risk of injury to yourself and release and discharge Yoga with Melissa/Melissa West from all claims or causes of action, known or unknown, arising from use of this video or information therein.
#yogawithmelissa #yogaforweightloss #strongnotskinny - Навчання та стиль
Melissa, I think this may be one of your most important videos. Thank you so much for posting it! ❤
Oh wow! Thank you Jo!
Melissa, you are more authentic & BEAUTIFUL in this moment than ever before. So much so you don't need the filler pics/videos as enhancement...You doing YOU is just PERFECT!
NAMASTE Sister💕🙏💕
Aww, you are so sweet, when I was editing it, I was thinking, "what was I thinking?" I should have showered, put on a better outfit and done my hair and makeup! lol! But I guess I was ready to talk about it!
You've always been so beautiful inside and out! I love your holistic way of teaching yoga, and how real and authentic you are! Keep up the great job :)
Thank you for honouring authenticity and speaking my truth, I appreciate you!
Totally agree with you, I've always been drawn to you cos of your style of yoga and your teachings not cos of what you look like. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say here, not feeling very eloquent today. ♥️🙏
Totally follow you! I love my ride or die, there from day one savasana superstars!
I so appreciate your perspective
I am so thankful for what you have said in this video. You are the Real Deal for Yoga!
Awww thanks, I was so nervous about speaking my truth, but I was guessing that others have felt this too.
Such wisdom and truth in what you shared- very thankful that you shared your experience so openly. It is validating. Bless you!
Thanks Sharon!
Thank you for posting this. It touched me deeply and I feel so much grief that we have to tell people that weight has nothing to do with expertise. Listening to your talk I could feel so much shame, anger and hurt coming to the surface, due to my own experience with eating disorders. I have chronic illness and am on a lot of medication which affects my metabolism. I am overweight even though I starve myself most days. I am working on it and I am in therapy, but it all comes crumbling down when every doctor I see tells me to stop eating so much and when the people in my life joke about it or jokingly ask me to eat less. I want to cry and break down in front of them and say "Please see me! Please understand I am starving myself and still am not losing weight. I don't want to make my value about weight so please see me.". I won't say more about it because I don't want to write a big message and be a burden, but something in me shifted as I watched your video and I felt deeply touched by your story. I think you are an amazing teacher, especially for people with health issues like myself, and I want to thank you for offering everyone of all sizes, shapes and levels of health a way to regain agency and solidity in their bodies.
I'm so sorry and also angry to hear about what you are going through with the doctors you are seeing. They are missing the boat. I pray that the medical community you are interacting with has a huge raise in consciousness and starts to see you with clarity and compassion. With love, Melissa
Thank you so very much for sharing such profound truths. You walked into my life in 2016 and have been one constant that brings me back to myself...tears are surfacing as I type. You have inspired me to consider sharing something even more raw than usual on my channel today. Love you Melissa, thanks for your message.💖
This means so much to me! Thank you for letting me know. I'm glad we could be honest, authentic and vulnerable together.
OMG!!! LOVE THIS SO MUCH! You know me - this is a daily battle and, as a health coach who has been really thin and am now struggling with weight during this season, I TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS! I am having my own struggles as a health coach right now, discovering as I live day-to-day, what health is outside a number on the scale. I am SO PROUD OF YOU and I am so proud to be your student. What your teaching has given me is strength to to fight some incredibly difficult and challenging battles in my life and honestly, skinny would have nothing to do with serving me in those battles - physical and spiritual and energetic strength is what gets me up every morning as I face my inner and outer demons. You are a light and a model and I ADORE YOU!
I realized that not speaking about this, I was actually not speaking about the important message under the culturally imposed message to stay thin. Sometimes you gotta speak about the thing to get to the thing.
Back to when I found you years ago, I remember I had so many mixed feelings inside, my world was going upside down… it was when I found your videos about emotions… anger, was the one I resonated with then… I felt like somebody was hearing me and helping me to accept my feelings, no matter what, each and everyone were important. So Melissa, your yoga goes much beyond “body issues”, you’re right!… it goes straight to the heart. My love and kindness to you 🙏🌈🙌🎶 and my gratitude for having found you and your beautiful work. 🌹
I admire the courage with which you have turned towards your emotions and fully processed them. This is huge.
Beautifully said, Melissa! ❤
I love everything about this video! Screw fragility! I’m so glad you aren’t dealing with migraines anymore and are able to step into all the badassery that is so inspiring. You are joy. 💓🧘🏻♀️🙏🏻
Ha ha! Love your response to this Stephanie!
Melissa, I love that you shared this, it is wonderful!!! Strong not skinny :)))))
Body judgment is not only done in the yoga arena but in life! So proud of you for speaking out. I hope your words are heard globally!
For real Edith. I wanted to speak about my experience with it. I shared it with my sisters and one of my sisters said something similar ... about how it reaches into all corners of womens lives.
Thank you so much for your sharing your life experience with us and being up front about the empowerment of yoga and the danger of being too thin, especially as we age.
I'm so glad it resonated, it is a relief to share this truth.
Made me cry! Yes to all of this❤️
Awww, so sweet, I'm glad it resonated.
@@YogaLifestylewithMelissa Also, my sister who is grossly overweight recently tried a yoga class. How perfect you made this and I was able to send it to her🙏
@@3ColoradoPeaches Thanks so much for sharing it, I appreciate your generosity
Thank you so much for this video and this statement! I am totally with you! Well done!
I appreciate your support!
This why I have been a student of yoga with Mellissa for over 10 years. This is yoga for acceptance.
Love you Linda.
This is such an important message and you articulated it so well! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for joining me for it Savannah!
Thank you for this Melissa! I come back to your yoga videos because I love your instruction and your empathy. Let me please add that body size does not determine health. I was very ill for a long time (and complimented for my thinness). Now I am in a large body and take excellent care of myself because I want to be well and mobile for as long as I can. And contrary to what outsiders looking at me may think, at almost 50 I am the healthiest that I’ve been in my life. I’m even more flexible! Much love to you. ❤
100% You are right about that!
Thank you for this video!
I've been overweight most of my life, and a couple years ago I starved myself into being almost underweight. I think I had a very similar experience to you with peoples reaction to it and lack of understanding I was actually my unhealthiest. And now I am overweight again, and I love my body and love feeling like I would never starve it again, and that I will always work to love myself better and better no matter how much I weigh. I've worked a lot on my internal anti-fatness and it has paid off. I am heavier than I've ever been and feel more beautiful than I ever have.
Hello Elizabeth, I think this is profound, overcoming the cultural imperative to be thin for the much more important ideal of self love is definitely worthy of our effort. Thank you for taking the time to share this.
First off, I was somehow unsubscribed from this channel! Secondly, this was wonderful! I love the message and I'm so glad you shared!
Welcome back Kate!
Such an important topic! Great video! 🙏
Hi Kerry! Thanks so much!
Great wisdom put forth.😊
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing! I've never been thin/slim, and I worried how I would be perceived when I started teaching yoga 8 years ago. I'm now in my mid-50s and have definitely gotten a bit fluffier, but I'm striving to be healthy and strong.
Strong over slim! You are modeling that for your students! :)
Thank you for sharing your truth.
Thanks for witnessing my truth Sabine.
Thank you❣
I appreciate you watching.
Thank you Thank you Thank you 🙏
You are brave and magnificent teacher
I have been following you for twelve years
You helped me to connect with my true nature and to accept myself as I am
💖💖💖
Love you so much! Missing you this week (these weeks) that I am taking off!
❤@@YogaLifestylewithMelissa
Suzanne deason already has a comprehensive video on yoga for weight loss. I appreciate your approach as well.
So many great supportive comments that I agree with. When I started yoga, you were my teacher. Calm matter of fact. Yes you were slender and I wanted that. However, reality is I am short and stocky. I knew I would never look like you. Little did I know how you were suffering. I do know migraines as I had them since I began puberty. I kept doing yoga because I wanted to maintain functionality of my body and to me , that seemed to be what you were teaching. I have learned so much from you and gained strength and flexibility also. Did I see the changes? Yes but also I know bodies change with menopause and medications also cause changes. However you remained ever the steadfast teacher and the change did not alter your abilities. You took that horrible spill and jumped right back into filming and sharing your journey with us. I am sorry you were so sick and we didn’t know. What is astonishing is that you were able to give us so much throughout your trials. Truth is we don’t know what others are going through. A profound and sincere thank you. As the youngers say, “You go girl!”
Thanks for holding so much compassion and acceptance for me through all the changes. I appreciate you!
This is my story. ♥ In the process of healing now ♥
❤
@wisewomanuk4761 so pleased you enjoyed the video :)
100% agree. All the teachers I follow practice yoga for the truth of who we are- asana is just a tool to help remember this truth. On a side note -Do you have any information on why and how to use creatine or protein supplements when you strength train?
Thanks for watching. Tell me more about your strength training and interest in creatine and protein supplements! I've been experimenting with them more heavily this year and I would love to share my experience with them.
My amish clients use the dandelion stuff!
So good! Love it!
Oh. My. Word! This resonated with me soooo much! I think people keep coming to my chair yoga classes because I am a “chubby” yoga teacher. We learn to love who we are and find strength in body and mind, not trim the tummy! Thank you! Namaste’ ❤
This is so powerful Cheryl, to accept ourselves as we are and find strength in our unique authenticity. Thank you.
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Thank you so much for talking about this important topic. I am not thin at all, so I really appreciate this video. Do you have a video for osteoporosis, by the way? 💛
Coming soon!
@@YogaLifestylewithMelissa Oh, thank you so much. I am looking forward to it. 💛🌷
@@maiyapercy here is my UA-cam video for bone health: ua-cam.com/video/YzHEdj6heFI/v-deo.htmlsi=dZB5umu3AAPE8TdH I also have a video for bone health in my membership community.
@@YogaLifestylewithMelissa Thank you so much Melissa. 💛🌸
@@maiyapercy my pleasure, let me know how it goes
hola, lamentablemente quienes no tenemos conocimientos del idioma inglés, no podemos acceder a esta charla, ojalá pudieras transmitirla en español, somos muchos quienes te seguimos, abrazo!
She's right. You have put on weight. Yes? No harm. Just honest observation. I have put on weight too. I'm happy and I am healthier and look better. I got my boobs back too 😂
For me it is the context, it has nothing to do with the yoga class or the teaching. It is not something I asked an opinion on. So that was my point later in the video, that there is no co-relation between body weight and yoga and yoga teaching, so my question is, why bring it up?
I'm so happy you are happy :)
@@YogaLifestylewithMelissa I understand. I think, it's an opportunity to be the teacher on an even larger scale. Just observing one's own reaction. When there's hurt feelings, I usually sufi grind to drop into parasympathetic nervous system to explore, simmer and dwell in the pain to find resolve, peace and compassion for myself.
It helps 100 % .
The world is always going to hurt us and attempt to rip us apart. But using our pain to heal/resolve is truly great. 🙂😘 I think when something bothers us, it's because a part is us believe it's true. Otherwise it wouldn't hurt us.
When we have found peace and resolve, we are able to come forth empowered in love rather than victimized in reaction.
There's a big difference. 🥰
I love you so much. I've been following you for the last 10 years.
@@LineaFaerylightMoonsisterGinn Thank you for your wisdom.
PLEASE dont take this as anything, I LOVE this video, but those interruptions kind of made watching this video to the end, hard work, and just a little jarring. It's just, as it's important for youtube creators to have people watch until the end. I thought I should tell you, just in case your stats are low with people watching all the way through. ❤
The editing of the video is horrible, sorry. But I will listen to your message anyway. :)
Maybe just shut up if you don't have anything nice to say
@@saumyasharma7436 that's not how the world works, as you might have noticed.
Plus it wasn't meant bad or anything. It was just an honest opinion and a feedback. Which I hope one can share. And if that's not allowed in your bubble, I'm sorry for you and your development as a human being.
@@djVania08 nah I'm sorry for your development as a human. Life must have been hard for you, definitely no one wants to be around someone so toxic. Keep feeding your cats btw, i guess mute animals are your only friends
@@saumyasharma7436 Okay. We can agree to disagree and move on with our lifes. :)
But I hope this is the highest level of "toxicity" you will ever experience. Frankly.
The same problem exists in the Pilates community. The concept of a Pilates body, the idea that Pilates will totally transform your body, is frankly utter garbage. I mean, yes, you will develop strength in many areas, but not necessarily in a visible way. There are a number of Pilates teachers that I know who refuse to pander to the Pilates for weight loss or what they eat in a day. I have many larger bodied friends who are working hard to make size inclusivity more visible in the industry, which is hard when you consider the lineage of Pilates and how he worked with a lot of dancers, and the dancers are who helped keep contrology alive before it became pilates and increased in popularity. On the subject of weight loss, I lost 20 in 2021 because I was sick, and the unsolicited comments were frankly triggering, and I totally understand where you’re coming from with that. Navigating menopause, I am the heaviest I’ve been, which is hard for someone who has been tiny their entire life, but I am also stronger than I have ever been.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this. I taught pilates too. To hear your talk about the "pilates body" just made me gulp. There are as many bodies as there are people in the world. And as you've so beautifully echoed my experience, our bodies change throughout our lives depending on what we are experiencing. I so appreciate you acknowledging this experience and letting so many women know that we are not alone.
@@YogaLifestylewithMelissa I had no idea that you taught Pilates. I came to Pilates from a rehabilitation perspective because of growing pain from my hypermobility spectrum disorder, and safe movement to build strength (particularly with the small/deep stabilizers) was my aim. I had no idea that people were doing it for weight loss or whatever, that it was a system of exercises, that there was a body image associated with it…none of it. Frankly, I was totally naive about it when I first started doing my lessons with my teacher. Once I started having lessons with my teacher, I started to realize how much I needed it in my life. It was more than movement. My teacher holds space, encourages me, guides me, makes me laugh and smile, and so much more…these qualities have absolutely nothing to do with what her body or my body looks like. The narrative is changing…there is a strong movement of people who say that a Pilates body is a body that does pilates end of story. It truly is for everybody and every body (same as yoga). Larger bodies are putting themselves out there to educate the masses about how to adapt and use language to cue that’s more inclusive. Anyway, I am still in my training and working to test out by June for mat and then start working on reformer in the fall, but the core principles behind my teaching include inclusivity, accessibility, and trauma informed approach. I can go on and on but I won’t, lol. Bottom line is that we don’t get to comment about other people’s bodies. We don’t know what their stories are. Diet, fitness, and wellness culture have a toxic trait of making people feel inadequate in order to motivate them to do whatever it is that they are pushing (especially at the holidays and new year) and it’s wrong. Eat to nourish your body and mind, create movement habits that you truly enjoy and want to do. Even movement snacks here can be better than nothing at all. The industries are changing, but slowly.
@@etain.pilates yup, I came to yoga through group fitness, then pilates, then yoga. I am so thrilled for you to be a pilates instructor and bring all of this philosophy and experience to your teaching. You are going to be FABULOUS!
@@YogaLifestylewithMelissa thank you. To say that it’s been a journey is an understatement. It’s been a lot harder than I expected it would be, but it’s super rewarding to have my practice clients give me feedback that they feel so good after a lesson. I have a lot to overcome being a highly sensitive, introverted, overthinking, semi perfectionist. 😂
@@etain.pilates I've had a lot of people say that to me, it is a lot more work than it looks. There is a lot that goes into good teaching that people do not see. I can just tell you are going to be one of the good ones!