Taking up Space: A Yogi's Attitude

Last week, I went to the first Lila yoga class I'd gone to in a while. And while it was nice to stretch my limbs out and re-learn how to breathe and chant, the most important thing I got out of that class was not the hip-opening stretches, nor was it seeing my first lit candle since I got to college (although that was rather pleasant). It was realizing that yes, we as humans take up space, and that we should be proud of it, rather than constantly apologizing.

During our wall stretches, I remember feeling distinctly awkward when I heard the teacher say, "Kira, you're taking up space." My first instinct was to curl up into a ball and to try and take up less space, to hide from the yoga class. Why do we encourage inhibiting ourselves, rather than celebrating that yes, our bodies are here? There are so many art forms--dance, gymnastics, every sport known to man--that require confidence, which first requires admitting that our bodies are physical beings that are not only useful when shrunken.


We live in a culture that advocates small-ness: We are bombarded with images of diet pills, skeletal models, and ads that tell us this product will help us lose those ten pounds that will change our lives forever! This "small equals success" driven world seems to disregard the energy, productivity, or happiness level of these disappearing people: It only matters that we envy them, that we would do anything to become them.

This is not a correlation...

of this

The other side of the pendulum is by no means healthy either, and that's not what I'm advocating. Many people fall into depression when they're too far on the other side as well. But those who are happy and healthy still act ashamed by their existence. How often, in the course of a day, do we hear "I don't mean to bother you," or "I don't want to impose..."? We're quick to conclude that "Oh, you blinked an eye, you must not want me here, I'll just leave."

There's decorum, then there's shame. Sometimes it's a fine line. But we seem to shy away from BAM moments where we can just throw caution to the wind and admit, "yeah, I'm feeling pretty darn sexy and fabulous today." Taking up space is not always a bad thing. It's not always interfering.

Even Twiggy took up space. Remember that. And people love that chick.

Namaste.