Plus-size African-American yoga teacher, writer, social media influencer, and podcast presenter Jessamyn Stanley. She identifies as a “fat femme” and is attempting to dispel beauty myths in the yoga community. She travels the world to teach yoga and is associated with the Durham Yoga Company in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. She also conducts online yoga courses through the CodyApp.com platform. In 2017, she released “Every Body Yoga: Let Go Of Fear, Get On The Mat, Love Your Body,” and she’s presently working on the sequel. At national conferences, brand market research sessions, and university speaking engagements, she also presents lectures on body politics. She recently served as the host of a Stitcher Premium advice podcast where she discussed the reality of leading a “yoga lifestyle” in the modern age. She has participated in national advertising campaigns for Kotex, Lane Bryant, and Motrin as their brand ambassador. By creating her own namesake plus-size athletic wear line, she also hopes to fill the “gaping stylistic deficiencies in the plus-size apparel business.” She won the “Healthy Living” prize at the “8th Annual Shorty Awards” in 2016. She now has more than 365k followers on Instagram.
Become a Star
Jessamyn Stanley’s interest in yoga was sparked by a few events in her life. For instance, after her high school sweetheart dumped her, she was deeply depressed and turned to yoga to feel better about her body. She was given a Groupon pass to her neighborhood Bikram yoga studio in 2011, which she loved because there wasn’t much size discrimination there. Her father didn’t care about her love for yoga or her interest in social media, but he did pay for her yoga sessions when she walked out of school without getting her diploma.
After moving, she found it difficult to pay for her yoga lessons in 2012, so she chose to practice at home and post updates on Instagram to obtain advice on her form and technique from the online yoga community. Although she never imagined that her large frame would prevent her from practicing yoga, comments from shocked on her photos of herself performing challenging poses shocked her at first and inspired her to start a new trend by more assertively demonstrating what she was capable of doing despite being ‘fat.
She claimed that despite her appearance, she felt strong and that her body-positive approach to yoga gradually inspired more and more individuals from all over the world. After receiving the “Shorty Award for Healthy Living” in 2016, she was finally acknowledged by the online community.
Since then, the majority of major news organizations and TV programs have featured her extraordinary and empowering story, including “Good Morning America,” “The Daily Mail,” “New York Magazine,” “The Sunday Times,” “New York Times’ Women In The World,” and “People.” She is now well known for her innovative teaching style and has taken on the role of an advocate for body positivity. She frequently shares her opinions in the pieces she writes for magazines like “Mind Body Green,” “Wanderlust,” and “Elephant Journal.”
Why Jessamyn Is Special?
Jessamyn Stanley is careful to note that practicing yoga alone will not necessarily result in body positivity. Researchers have discovered that yoga practitioners are more aware of and accepting of their bodies, but one’s sense of self-confidence should come from within.
She exhorts her students to change their focus from “How do I look?” to “How do I feel?” and to ask questions about their bodies that they had not previously asked. She teaches her pupils how to overcome mental and emotional obstacles by utilizing high-intensity vinyasa flow. She also says that, based on her personal experiences, yoga instructors frequently believe that obese individuals need aid with exercise and, in an effort to help, discomfort the students.
She makes sure to give instruction after identifying the particular student’s need for it and is now a trained instructor herself. She commented on the development of separate “fat” yoga studios, stating that while it may be consoling for some to attend classes designed exclusively for those who are overweight, such discrimination may lead individuals to label themselves as belonging to one group or the other.
Jessamyn’s Individual Life
In Dunham, North Carolina, on June 27, 1987, Jessamyn Stanley was born. While she left school before receiving her diploma, she took a yoga class taught by Kimberley Puryear as part of the 230-hour Teacher Training Program at the Asheville Yoga Center and went on to become an instructor.
Contrary to popular belief, she continues to be a member of the Manhattan co-working space The Wing. However, she really chooses not to relocate there because of the city’s high cost of living and lack of access to fresh air.
Estimated Net Worth
As of 2022, Jessamyn’s projected net worth is $2 million. This includes her possessions, funds, and earnings.