Yoga & Body Image

What research says & my own experience

A friend who had attended a zoom class with me came to visit us a few days ago. She was surprised that my hair is actually grey (especially when I’m in the sun) because I look quite dark-haired on zoom.

I have no idea why since I didn’t apply any filter but zoom seems to make us look younger, less wrinkly, less grey. Some days it feels a bit weird looking at myself on zoom and then on the mirror. Does it influence the way I feel about myself? I guess it does but so does practising yoga.

Dark-haired on zoom vs as grey as my dog in reality. Both photos were taken this week.

What research says

A few researchers looked at this topic in the past and they all agree that doing yoga not only contributes to enhanced mental serenity and physical well-being but also fosters a more positive body perception. The latest research, carried out in 2020, involved 114 women in the Netherlands.

These women were selected at random to either participate in a weekly yoga program for 10 weeks or be placed in a comparison group on a waiting list. Based on this study, the researchers concluded that doing yoga helps women:

• view their body less in terms of how it looks and more in terms of what it can do

• feel positively connected to their body.

Taken together, it means that yoga can help us feel less preoccupied with our appearance and feel more positively connected with our body.

What it feels like

I completely agree with these results. Yoga has helped me reconnect with my body, especially after the MS diagnoses when I felt that my body had ‘betrayed´ me. I am now very thankful to my body for allowing me to do yoga, run, move with only occasional pain. It is a privilege.

This however doesn’t mean that I think my body is beautiful. In fact this week, a student of mine asked me why I don’t wear shorts to do yoga since it is so hot where I live right now. I spontaneously replied ´that I don’t like my legs. Why? I guess how beautiful we consider ourselves is based on our upbringing and culture…

Neither does it mean that I like seeing wrinkles on my face or witnessing the changes in my body as time goes by. Why don’t I dye my hair then? To be completely honest, I’m too lazy and/or I don’t care enough… I dyed my hair for so many years not to hide grey but to get a bit of red in and I cannot face it anymore.

More importantly, the older I get the better I feel in my body as it is. I don’t think I’m the only one. I feel home in my body. I feel safe. I feel free. At least as long as I shield myself from the pressure to look younger. And there is pressure, especially for those of us who are facing groups of people. Luckily so far, I haven’t felt that the pressure was too strong. Fingers crossed.

Why do I feel better in my body? Is it yoga? Is it breathwork? Or is it just ageing? Or is it the knowledge that after all, I’m not just this body? Probably a bit of everything at different times. I hope you feel the same. I sincerely hope that getting on your mat allows you to connect with your body and feel safe.

With love,

Veronique