Jessamyn Stanley has a good heart for everyday feelings and expresses them beautifully. While the yoga poses are a great reference for bigger girls, like myself, to see what the poses are really like, that is really only a small part of what this book is. Her journey is awesome and while I still don't take to the "spiritual" part of yoga, I can see why she does and how that works in her life. The only criticism I would have is that the language in some parts is just a little too much. Everyone says fuck and shit, but there were a few pages in the beginning where it began to hinder her language rather than help it along.

FINALLY a yoga book for people who are not skinny bitches. Not that that's wrong, but scrolling through Instagram feeds looking at perfect poses, cellulite free thighs and a BMI of 0 is depressing. Stopping at Jessaymn's account is a joy and a pleasure.

And the book. Lemme tell you, opening it up to the table of contents and two things immediately popped out that made me shout "Yaaassss Queen!"

1. "Is this a cult?"
2. "What the fuck is the eight-limbed path?"

The profanity, honesty and deep-rooted desire to be accepted, popular and well, normal are very familiar feelings. Jessamyn pulls no punches. The book is part-memoir, part-yoga for kinda beginners, and part-love thyself. This isn't a "do yoga and lose weight book." It's not even a "yoga will get your life together" book. It's a book that says that yoga—all of it, not just asana—is a mainstay that will help through the best of times and the worst of times.I cried a bit, I laughed a lot, and I even learned something.

While some of the posture cues aren't ones I'd typically use (then again, while I've been practicing inconsistently for 15 years I've only been YTT trained since September and am not actively teaching), the asana parts aren't the gem here. There aren't too many modifications and the "basic" poses aren't really basic enough for a raw beginner without more props and modifications (yoga is hard, people). Her explanation of the history of ancient yoga and modern yoga is clear, humorous and downright refreshing. But the real gem is Jessamyn herself and the message she brings.

Yoga for everybody. Yoga for EVERY BODY.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I did enjoy the author's open and engaging style. I was initially looking for something with more of a tutorial feel. I am bigger girl and I was amazed at the confidence Ms. Stanley displays in who she is and what she represents. A pretty good read.

I loved how Every Body Yoga was partly instructional, partly autobiography. Yogis and aspiring yogis of all backgrounds will love it.

This is a book that is sure to be inspiring for everyone who thinks that yoga isn't for them because they aren't thin enough or in shape enough. Jessamyn's blend of memoir and introduction to yoga shows that anyone can do yoga, if they have the have a willingness to learn. I know when I first saw Jessamyn's photos on Instagram that I was amazed at her yoga abilities.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book.

I enjoy the juxtaposition of tips for doing yoga, personal story, and body positive/you can do it message the book contains. It isn't a book to read if you just want a routine for yoga. But it is a book to read if you're interested in Jessamyn's story (which is told with a lot of humor, but still tackles difficult issues). It is also, I think, a good introduction to yoga for skeptics. I appreciate that she includes details of the philosophy of yoga in addition to the physical aspects, as those are just one facet of yoga (something I learned from this book!). And it's a good book for shutting down the shaming and nay-saying that many perpetrate against themselves.

I'm looking forward to returning to the book to see the layout and pictures better.

This is a good blend of memoir and how-to. I thought it was a bit lacking in explaining how to modify for specific body injuries, just lots of encouragement to try and keep trying to the best of your ability, expecting falls and fails along the way. I appreciated the encouragement to do yoga for improving your mental state and to help in coping with the many emotions of life, without expectation of a huge weight loss or sudden extreme life change.
I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book. I offer my honest opinion in response.

This book is for anyone who looks through Yoga magazine and feels clumsy for trying out the recommended poses because no one can be as skinny as those models. Jessamyn intermingles her story of discovering yoga and learning to love herself with yoga poses, with real people photographed in the positions. Great read, and great yoga primer!

Jessamyn is an inspiration to everyone who doesn't look like the typical yogi. Yoga is for everyone but in most studios you find the same smaller framed women and not many women of color. Jessamyn shows that you don't have to be skinny or white to find your peace on the mat. Yoga is about YOUR experience not what everyone else in the room is doing but it can be intimidating.

I love Jessamyn's easy to read prose and her down to earth style of writing. Her stories of growing up made the book easy to relate to and her yogic history was at a level that even the most novice person can understand. I loved that she used models of all different sizes to illustrate different asanas, it really made the book accessible and proves that these postures are obtainable by anybody!

As a yogi with injuries and a Kundalini yoga teacher I applaud Jessamyn's book and hope that her story will inspire more people who may not fit the stereotypical yogic mold. Anyone can get on the mat and get something from their practice.

Every Body Yoga is amazing! Jessamyn Stanley shows that you don't have to be a skinny blond fitness freak to help yourself through yoga. I loved reading about her journey from scared girl to fully accepting herself and reaching to help others. If you are looking for yourself in fitness, this is the book for you - a non-traditional fitness/self-help/memoir/yoga manual complete with photo tutorials for complete yoga workouts. I love Every Body Yoga - this will be my go-to gift this year!

I really enjoyed this. It was easy for me to follow and I especially liked that it wasn't a bunch of super skinny women doing yoga.

My favourite lines from the introduction are "I wrote this book for every fat person, every old person, and every
exceptionally short person. I wrote it for every person who has called themselves ugly and every person who can’t accept their beauty. I wrote it for every person who is self-conscious about their body".

Every Body Yoga is, as it promoted, a Yoga 101. It covers 'Questions asked by (literally) every beginner yoga student', kicking it off with questions about motivation. It uses no-nonsense language (with a smattering of down-to-earth and audience-appropriate swearing). It discusses the clothes, mats and props you will need.

Parts 1 and 2 are information dense. I didn't really expect that. Part 3 contains Jessamyn's ABCs of ASANA - and here is when the pose images start (page 64). Each image is accompanied by an explanation of its key elements. Poses take up approximately 60 pages in Part 3, before restarting partway through Part 4 and continuing intermittently.

Jessamyn is very down to earth and honest about her story and what led her to yoga. If you're looking for a way to get 'into' yoga or hoping to be inspired to start yoga...give this book a go.

I heard about Jessamyn long before I heard that she was writing a book, and I knew that I had to get my hands on it. There is no denying that Jessamyn doesn't fit your typical yogi mold (long and lean) because as she described herself, she is fat. But because of that, Jessamyn was able to write a really amazing yoga book.

I'll admit to the fact that this is definitely a text-heavy book. Jessamyn dives deep into her personal history to explain how she found yoga, to eventually becoming an instructor. Jessamyn has managed to create a book that is both instructional and inspirational, and most importantly, for the average person. I especially loved how she highlighted various flows and poses for every fitness level, and how she showcases various body types throughout.

I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a real, raw and inspiring story, with a hint of yoga. I'll definitely be picking up a copy of this when it hits bookstores.

I am so thankful I was chosen to review this book. She is a positive role model for all women. I have been wanting to do yoga for a long time, but afraid to go to a studio. I have since found out that I need to have both hips replaced and I can't wait until I am healed to try some of the poses that Jessamyn shows. Thank you so much Jessamyn for being an inspiration and giving me the opportunity to try yoga.

I thought I may not want to continue reading this book in the very beginning. Jessamyn started out talking out her first yoga class and how miserable it was. I was not feeling it. Fortunately, I knew that this book would not continue to discuss how much she did not like yoga and so I continued.

The first half of the book was mostly about yoga and gave a lot of background information on yoga. I was expecting more about Jessamyn. This was remedied in the second half of the book, where Jessamyn started talking about her life as a young girl and woman. This half of the book was much more memoir style than the first part of the book, but still incorporated yoga, and was more of what I had expected going into it. I enjoyed her stories and her “lessons learned” at the end of each one. I also enjoyed the yoga poses added after each chapter that she associated with the story. It was a great format.

The eight limbs explanation, descriptions of different types of yoga, and ABC’s of Asana were all interesting and helpful.

There was a lot of swearing in this book. I don’t have an issue with this. At first I thought it was nice to read something where she felt free to be herself and let the cuss words fly, but after a while I felt she was throwing them in unnecessarily. It didn’t feel natural. If felt as if she was adding more emphasis where it wasn’t needed and didn’t come across as genuine. Maybe she was just nervous writing the book? Whatever the reason, this feeling cleared up for me in the second half of the book. There was still some swearing, but it felt like she was just being herself.

There were a lot of great poses in the middle in the middle of the book with explanations on how to do them. Additional tips and even examples of supported poses were given. This part I wish I had a physical copy of the book just for this reason. It was a great section, particularly for anyone just starting their practice or wanting to start practicing at home on their own, which Jessamyn is a big proponent of. I think I may have to start an at-home practice myself.

Recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about yoga and interested in reading personal stories related to yoga.

This book was amazing! I loved the voice the book was written in - raw, real and funny. Easy to read along with.
As a fat person I adore how asanas are given modifications un-begrudgingly - making it extremely accessible for a person with a bigger body to get into a practice that can benefit them on a wide range of levels - not just as a weight-loss pitch.




*Thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

This is a great book for folks who are new to yoga. Stanley does a good job of giving a basic outline of the 8 fold path, but didn't fill in the gaps. There are some suggested sequences for home practice, rooted in the vinyasa tradition (flowing from one pose to another). A great book of encouragement for folks who vary from the young, female, flexible and thin image of yoga practitioners. But, for those who have been practicing for even a short while, the information is a bit basic. I enjoyed Stanley's candid sharing of her yoga and life path.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

I enjoyed this book, but When I tried some of these poses they actually hurt me lol. But I did enjoy this book.