Teaching Yoga for Round Bodies

Introduction

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

Sarvangasana
The Shoulder-Stand

I don’t teach this asana for the same reason as I don’t teach Halasana. However, the primary difficulty for a fat person in this asana comes in placing the hands on the back and the elbows close enough to the body to provide proper leverage. The strap-around- the-elbows strategy mentioned for Halasana may be helpful.

Other than that, the difficulties for the novice fat student would be similar to those of a thinner one, and therefore practicing with a chair or against a wall might be appropriate. As in Halasana, the caveat about large-breasted women having difficulty breathing also holds true here, as does the note on using blankets.