Episode 28
57 mins
Sarah Harry - Fat Yoga
Sarah Harry is a Psychotherapist, yoga teacher, researcher and university lecturer. Sarah Harry is one of Australia’s leading specialists in Body Image and Disordered Eating. She appears regularly in the news on TV and in print as both an expert and a fat yogi. She is also the author of the book Fat Yoga and teaches workshops on the subject of accessible yoga - teaching yoga to people in larger or differently abled bodies.
In this episode, we learn how Sarah moved from the world of high fashion to becoming one of Australia’s leading experts in Eating Disorders and Body Image. We learn about the challenges that Sarah faced while training to become a yoga teacher. We also learn how we as Yoga teachers can make yoga classes a more welcoming space for people in larger bodies.
We also have a signed copy of FAT YOGA by Sarah Harry to give away! Follow the link to enter the competition: https://podcast.flowartists.com/fat-yoga-competition/
Links:
Sarah Harry - https://www.fatyoga.com.au/
This Girl Can - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiplV7r554M
Body Peace - https://body-peace.teachable.com/
Body Positive Yoga in Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bodypositiveyoga
Picks of the Week:
Sarah Harry - Body Peace cards - https://www.fatyoga.com.au/body-peace-cards-i/
Highlights
Click on a timecode to play from that time in the recording.
3:25 Sarah’s Background growing up traveling and settling back in Melbourne4:00 Working in the world of Fashion
4:57 Sarah talks about her experiences with Body Eating disorders
5:50 From High Fashion to becoming an expert on eating disorders and body image.
7:25 “I was sick and tired of being sick and tired”
9:00 “If I recover, how can I help, and what degree should I do?”
9:50 On being an activist.
10:44 “Shame is dissolved by empathy”
11:30 How Sarah discovered yoga
13:06 Yoga and Sarah’s recovery journey
15:00 Eating disorders and interoception
16:20 Creating her ideal yoga space.
17:30 Why Sarah Teaches Yoga
18:14 Negative experiences in yoga studios: “The dirty towels are over there”
21:20 All the facets of a beautiful thing - all the parts of Sarah Harry’s work.
22:50 Binge eating disorder
24:37 Helping people settle into their bodies - Body Peace
26:30 How a haircut and sound problems caused a reshoot of Body Peace
27:06 Starting Body Positive Australia with Fiona Sutherland
29:10 Sarah would like to hear from yoga teachers with bigger bodies
29:35 “A lot of people didn’t like the way I used the word Fat”
29:45 “And I said to Hannah ‘Take off your clothes!’”
31:29 “You have no right to be a Yoga Teacher”
31:59 “The first two Yoga Teaching places I approached made me cry”
32:30 Training with IYTA. “They were super welcoming”
34:40 Being an ambassador for Kellogs and Body Positivity, and for Vic Health
36:17 I had to learn to walk again
37:10 Being an accessible yoga ambassador
37:24 Why Sarah loved being a Vic Health ambassador
38:50 Why don’t the bodies in the average yoga class represent the average Australian body size?
41:20 Scope of practice and nutritional advice
43:45 Accessible Yoga Training
45:10 Rehab practices and contingency plans - multilevel teaching
47:18 “Stop listening to rules, and start listening to bodies”
48:50 There is no good pain in Yoga
51:06 Do it if it feels good, don’t do it if it doesn’t feel good
52:15 Parting thoughts from Sarah
53:01 Picks of the week
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