A blogger has revealed how practising nude yoga has helped her overcome body-shaming and find body confidence.
Jessa O’Brien, who posts under the name The Nude Blogger, said nude yoga has allowed her to “love [her] body more”.
“Yoga is all about connecting mind, body and spirit. Doing it nude in a safe environment only enhances those feelings,” she told the MailOnline.
“Learning to accept and love yourself is invaluable. Yoga is not what you see on Instagram - it’s not all perfect bodies and downward dogs.
“I’m quite a slim woman, but when I bend over, I have rolls. Nude yoga has helped me to accept myself and love my body more.”
O’Brien, 28, has amassed more than 54,000 Instagram followers for posting her artistic shots from the east coast of Australia.
She uses her account to spread body positivity and has spoken about her own experiences of body-shaming.
“For years I have become accustomed to people so freely and mindlessly commenting on my weight, and doing so without even batting an eyelid,” she captioned one image.
″‘Eat a roast and you won’t feel so cold!’ ‘Have a steak’, or one from a lady at a café the other week, ‘Oh did you stop training because you’re too skinny already?’ I mean, imagine the outrage and disgust if it were the other way around.
“I believe society has created a double standard when it comes to body sizes, all because industries glorify and promote a certain body type over the other. ”
She continued: “Body-shaming, in any form, is unacceptable. No one should ever be made to feel inferior or excluded in any way, because of their size….skinny or fat.”
She challenged her followers to “try to take the focus off of body types and features”.
“When you stop and observe your thoughts, there is a whole lot of internal dialogue going on that, most of the time, you’re probably not even aware of,” she said.
“When you look at somebody (yourself included), try to make the effort not to criticise or even praise any of their physical attributes. Try to stay neutral to their exterior. Focus on your connection with that other person, on the energy that is your exchange (however intimate, thorough, quick or seemingly unimportant it may be).
“We need to work on polarities here. I believe that in order to become aware of and work on body-shaming, we must also become aware of and work on how much we are praising, idealising and aspiring toward something other than our own acceptance and contentment. Let’s stop body-shaming…in all its forms.”
We couldn’t have said it better. Check out more of Jessa O’Brien’s photos below or follow her on Instagram to see more.
Men And Women Who Inspire Positive Body Image
James Corden(01 of17)
Open Image ModalHe stripped off in an underwear advert spoof alongside David Beckham. The message: "Beauty is skin deep, it's underneath that counts."He also wrote an open letter which was published by Glamour magazine in which he asks people to accept themselves for who they are. "Respect your body. It is what it is, so embrace it," he wrote. "Love every scar, ripple, and imperfection, and you won’t need others to do it for you." (credit:FOX via Getty Images)
David Beckham(02 of17)
Open Image ModalDavey B stars alongside James Corden in the underwear spoof for D&J briefs to promote healthy body image and the idea that beauty is only skin deep. (credit:J. Countess via Getty Images)
Serena Willliams (03 of17)
Open Image ModalLupita Nyong'o(04 of17)
Open Image ModalMatt McGorry(05 of17)
Open Image ModalThe Orange Is The New Black star spoke openly about his body concerns during his first shirtless scene on OITNB. He told Yahoo: "I was obsessively dieting, and when I saw that scene before the show ever came out, I thought I had blown it. I was like, 'Oh no! I didn't get as lean as I could've'. But then the show came out, and no one said anything negative about it, and it's funny because from one perspective you could say, 'Oh, he's letting himself go,' but from another perspective, I just don't need that validation I once did."I still love working out, and I think it's good for my health, and I feel good doing it. But I think with mental health, allowing myself to be who I am naturally in terms of my body, I think that's sort of practicing more self-love that way." (credit:Jennifer Lourie via Getty Images)
Prince Fielder(06 of17)
Open Image ModalFielder is a baseball player for the Texas Rangers who was featured on the front page of ESPN magazine, naked. The photograph of him was attacked on social media. The baseball player has since spoken out and said that just because a person is plus-size, it doesn't mean they can't be athletic.In an interview with ESPN.com, he said: “A lot of people probably think I’m not athletic or don’t even try to work out or whatever, but I do. Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you can’t be an athlete. And just because you work out doesn’t mean you’re going to have a 12-pack. I work out to make sure I can do my job to the best of my ability. Other than that, I’m not going up there trying to be a fitness model.” (credit:Ronald Martinez via Getty Images)
Tess Holliday (07 of17)
Open Image ModalGok Wan(08 of17)
Open Image ModalThe presenter is an advocate for body confidence in both men and women. He has been incredibly open about his struggles with obesity growing up. He presented a show called Gok's Teens: The Naked Truth, which looked at body image in young people. He also launched a campaign to get body image classes taught in schools across the country. (credit:Dave M. Benett via Getty Images)
Chrissy Teigen(09 of17)
Open Image ModalBen Cohen(10 of17)
Open Image ModalKate Winslet (11 of17)
Open Image ModalRobert Pattinson(12 of17)
Open Image ModalThe Twilight actor has been open about his struggles with Body Dysmorphia (BDD), an obsessive anxiety disorder which is characterised by the individual's preoccupation with flaws in his or her appearance which are unnoticeable to others.In the process, he's helped raise awareness of the disorder among men. (credit:Jason Kempin via Getty Images)
Demi Lovato (13 of17)
Open Image ModalAshley Graham (14 of17)
Open Image ModalAmy Schumer(15 of17)
Open Image ModalJameela Jamil (16 of17)
Open Image ModalAlexa Chung (17 of17)
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