Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies

Introduction

1. Adho Mukha Shvasana
2. Ardha Matsyendrasana
3. Balasana
4. Bhujangasana
5. Chandrasana
6. Dandasana
7. Dhanurasana
8. Garudasana
9. Janushirasana
10. Jathara Parivartanasana
11. Matsyasana
12. Padahastasana
13. Parvatasana
14. Paschimotanasana
15. Salabhasana
16. Sarvangasana
17. Sasamgasana
18. Savasana
19. Setu Banghasana
20. Siddhasana
21. Standing Backward Bend
22. Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)
23. Tadasana
24. Trikonasana
25. Ustrasana
26. Utkatasana
27. Vajrasana
28. Viparita Karani
29. Virabhadrasana
30. Vrikasana

Halasana
The Plow Pose

I don’t personally teach this asana because my neck won’t allow me to perform it (yet).

However, difficulties I can foresee for the fat person are twofold: First, as always, finding room for the tummy is hard. Practicing the asana by bringing the feet over onto a chair seat instead of onto the floor will largely solve the problem, allowing the student to breathe more easily.

Second, although the torso is out of the way of the upper arms once one is up in the asana, it can be difficult to get the arms into position. I suggest holding on to a strap with both hands to allow the arms to be slightly further apart without strain.

One can also tie a strap in a loop and bind the arms just above the elbows so they won’t slide apart; however, it’s awkward to get the arms into and out of the loop, as well as awkward to get up into the pose. (For large-breasted women, there is a third issue: it might be even more difficult for them to breathe in this position than for a man or less well-endowed woman. A sports bra may help if it doesn’t dig in to the flesh too much.)

A note on blankets: The “fat pad” on a fat person’s back acts as a blanket, helping preserve the cervical curve; therefore s/he may not need as many blankets under the body in this pose (and in Sarvangasana and Viparita Karani) as a thin person.

However, if the person has a widow’s hump, as many fat people eventually do, they may want those blankets — not for preserving the cervical curve, but for padding the sensitive area of the hump. Whatever blankets are used for a fat person should have the folded edge farther above the shoulders than for a thin person, because the greater bulk of the shoulders means rolling farther backward when coming up into the pose.