SuperWoman of The Week: Jessamyn Stanley

Jessamyn Stanley is a SuperWoman in her own right. She is a body positive advocate, yoga instructor, and writer. She gained popularity through her Instagram page found HERE. Her posts highlight her doing yoga as a plus size woman of color. Her videos have encouraged thousands of people around the world (myself included).

How Did She Fall Into Yoga?

Jessamyn didn’t start out loving yoga or even liking yoga for that matter. She tried yoga as a teenager and had a less than desirable experience. After dealing with depression in her twenties, she returned to yoga and found that she enjoyed the practice. Yoga was able to challenge her in a way that was helpful in overcoming depression. Around that time, Jessamyn began sharing her videos on her Instagram page to get feedback on her technique. Her following began to grow through her inclusive outlook of the yoga practice. She is not one to shy away from challenging society’s notion that plus sized individuals are slow, weak, or lazy. She believes that “strength comes in different shapes and sizes.” She speaks passionately about loving the body you are in and what that looks like.

Trailblazer Much?

She has crushed the stereotype of the “traditional yoga body.” Jessamyn believes that, “yoga is for everyone.” She believes there is something in the yoga practice that will make anyone feel good. She is a daily inspiration to over 466K Instagram followers and her over 48.7K YouTube subscribers. Her social media platforms have reached influencer status which has led to partnerships with commercial brands including U by Kotex Fitness, Motrin, and Lane Bryant. Quite recently, she was on the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine’s February issue as found below.

What's Next?

She is the author of the book, Every Body Yoga: Let go of Fear, Get On the Mat, Love Your Body. Jessamyn is scheduled to release her second book, Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance in June 2021. Find out more about Jessamyn here!

Love,