Yoga For Everyone

Hey you, YES YOU! Don't just lurk around in the shadows, PLEASE SAY HI!

In this section of the forum you're invited to share your story.

Simply start a new thread with a title like "New Member: Dianne Bondy from Windsor Canada" and tell us:

Who you are?
Where are you?
Where are you at in your yoga practice? Brand new? Returning after a while? Consistent Practice?
What's your background? Any cool stories to tell?
Why did you join Yogaforeveryone.tv?

We want every individual to feel like they're joining a family, and now you're part of the family you can help us by welcoming others into this community too. Once you've introduced yourself we'd really appreciate it if you say "hi" to someone else that's just become a member. A friendly hello is always appreciated.

Cheers!

Dianne

I'm Kimberly! I'm from Bristol, TN/VA (remember the Geicko commercials?). I am beginning to create more ritual around my yoga practice which is easier now that I have this resource. I am in recovery from an eating disorder and have gained a great deal of weight (I never weigh but I have gone up 7 clothing sizes) and being in a fat body has caused many challenges including movement and because Dianne has created yoga that is accessible, I am able to create a practice where I feel empowered again! This is also supporting my belly dance practice (Goddess Life with Kimberly). I joined this program because I don't have this resource in my area. Only one yoga studio in my area and they don't offer accessible practices...well not where I feel welcomed/comfortable. I'm happy to be a part of this community, this family! THANK YOU!

Thank you! So grateful you are finding this helpful. Grateful to have you in our community

Hi everyone! I'm Lotte from Australia! I grew up around yoga, as I was pretty small when my mum was doing a yoga teacher training (and she'd had a consistent practice for years before), but I didn't really get into it myself properly until I was about 13 and was informed that I would need to do some form of exercise because my life was too sedentary so I went to yoga classes locally once a week. I was sort of in-and-out throughout university, but have in the last few months committed to daily or almost-daily practice for myself. I'm really passionate about accessible yoga though, and really want to spend time in yoga environments where accessibility for everyone is prioritised, I love yoga and want everyone to feel like it can be for them, and I LOVE that your whole platform prioritises that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart <3

Welcome to the family! So glad you joined us

Hi everyone, my name is Annie, I am a New Zealander living in San Diego, California. I am a mother, sister, daughter, womxn recovering from diet culture and Nurse Manager. I am returning to Yoga after a LONG absence. I sustained a shoulder injury following a fall over 2 years ago and have not found it comfortable to do traditional yoga. I have heard you Dianne on my favorite podcast - Food Psych and though then, that is a yoga teacher I can relate to! Thanks for having me here! Looking forward to slowly re-introducing my body to yoga.

Hi Everyone!

I’m Jen and I’m in San Francisco, California. I returned to my yoga practice earlier this summer when I discovered an Outdoor Yoga class at a beach near my home. I was returning after a pretty long break and was getting a consistent practice going at home and on the beach. With the weather changing I’ve found myself indoors more for the winter season AND wanting to learn more about how to move in my body.

Before the pandemic I was super active at local gyms and running obstacle course races. As I find myself wanting to get back active the yoga was there AND it was at the beach. I have a feeling I’ll get back to racing as that becomes available again AND have fallen back in love with this way of moving my body, especially on the beach!

I wanted to find a yoga teacher who offered accessible practices for human beings in all types of bodies and my search kept leading me to Dianne Bondy. I’ve felt so welcome in my outdoor yoga community AND I am wanting to learn more about how to move in this body.

I’m here for the winter, maybe longer as I learn to move just as I am.

Hi. I’m Andrea from Wisconsin, USA. I was a member at a yoga studio and proactively regularly for around 15 years. Due to various circumstances, attending a studio became a problem and I stopped going around 8 years ago. In that time, I have not been able to get a daily home practice going. I’ve started and stopped at least a dozen time. To make it worse, during those 8 years I somehow got old LOL. It is shocking how well yoga kept me in shape. I never realized how much strength I got from yoga! Now my body doesn’t move like it used to, I’ve lost much of my strength, and I’ve got aches and pains just like my mother always talked about 😁. When the pandemic hit and I was working from home I decided it was the perfect time to get going again. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find an online instructor who really resonated. The classes are either aimed at complete beginners, or they’re aimed at in-shape yogis. And forget it if you want an instructor who uses and recommends props. Don’t get me wrong, I know how to modify on my own but it would be nice to have an instructor who supports and encourages the use of props. I’ve seen some of Dianne’s FB posts and decided it was worth checking out. I truly hope to find my sangha here.

Welcome Everyone to the platform. So excited to have you here

Hi! :) I'm Dana from Tacoma, Washington (nearish to Mt. Rainier/Tahoma). I'm originally from Southern Oregon which is where in highschool I remember getting a book and beginning to learn about yoga. So, I guess it's been about 25 years that I've been a yogi. :)

My practice grew through classes in different studios (Bikram, Jivamukti, Anusara, Hatha, Vinyasa, yadayada). It's been such a powerful force in my life --- and it's also something that can feel so off if I'm in the wrong classroom. There are so many environments that can be triggering and feel harmful, conveying that the body is bad as it is. (E.g., Must be thin and get to the peak pose.) Conversely, some of those environments and instructors have been fundamental in my journey to integrate healing from trauma into my body.

About 10 years ago, I took a workshop to learn how to have my own at home yoga practice which gave me so much consistency and freedom because I feel safe practicing at home in a way I don't in most yoga studios. But there's this deep need to expand my practice, grow my edge, and be in community that feels mutually beneficial.

In 2016 (or around then) I took an online class from Dianne Bondy and I remember it being so powerful. Dianne, you invited us to create an intention. From that embodied intention, I embarked on two years of learning about something that totally transformed my life. I've found myself returning to Dianne's classes because of her voice, energy, intentionality, and the resonance I feel when she says what's true for her.

Since then, I've used classes on Yoga International to expand my practice and to learn about different styles of yoga. I was excited to find "Yoga for Everyone" because it expands "Yoga for All" into a very curated, inclusive environment. The instruction is so powerful here because in each moment, we're considering how different bodies are orienting to the pose --- and providing choice and information to support that. There is language of how our bodies relate to social justice and how we can be a part of embodied healing of structural inequity. The language used and the intentionality are monumental.

It's so beautiful!!!

Thank you for creating this community!!!!!!

Welcome to the family! You are very kind. Your comment brought me to tears. I am grateful to be in community with you. Thank you for being here and sharing this heartfelt and Heart FULL message

Hi! Brand new to this site and trying to get a rythmn going with practicing regularly.... Any advice?
Also, I wanted to find out if the session you did on Jan 1st will be available to view again?

Thank you so much for creating a community for all to feel safe and learn/do at their ability.

Lynda

Hi everyone!
I’m Lisa from Tecumseh, Ontario and although I never actually met Dianne, one of my best friends did her teacher training under her and she always talked about how much she loves Dianne. I also first learned about Dianne after she made the iconic Pennington’s commercial here in Canada! That’s when I really felt a connection with her and stopped feeling shame about my size while doing yoga. I’m a full time social worker at a local agency and a part-time therapist/life coach/business owner specializing in women’s issues- primarily anxiety/life transitions, self love/self compassion and dietless weightloss (emotional/cognitive/behavioural therapy). My favourite part of my life is that I’m a wife, mom, and soon to be grandma. I’ve been on and off the mat for about 15 years but now that I’m focusing on my own wellness, I chose to get back on the mat with Dianne as my teacher. I’m loving it! Thank you ❤️ 🙏🏻🕉

Welcome welcome welcome! Thanks for joining the family. Now I am curious who your bestie is! Thanks for the love. We are neighbours I am sure. I might see you on the trail a Lakewood part. Thanks for sharing a little piece of yourself here!

Hi Dianne, Melissa Williams is my girl. I told her I signed up with you and she was pretty happy about that 😆

Hello Everyone
I'm Lynne, originally from England, and living in Ontario Canada for the past 4 decades, where does time go!
I have practiced yoga previously with a local to me studio and at one point even ventured, and yes ventured is the right word, into Ashtanga yoga, as my teacher was practicing with an individual in Toronto at the time. That practice stopped several years (may be even 10) ago and I've been struggling for a few years into getting back into any form of self care. I found Dianne on Instagram and did an Instagram live practice with her and SunnyBee, also sometime ago, hoping it would spur me into a practice. Life gets a hold of you at times, and it has had many difficult turns, lots of stress and lots of body change. I am exhausted everyday. Being in my early 60s I told myself well it is what it is and why bother doing anything for yourself. Finding Dianne again and listening to body image messages I realised that I have an extremely negative thought process towards myself. SO HERE I AM - hoping to bring some change into my life with more movement, strength and flexibility and being kind to myself to recognise that my body is not what it was and be ok with that. I want to thank Dianne for being a presence on social media, because otherwise I would not have found her or this platform where I can feel safe and not judged.