Who says plus size women shouldn’t do yoga? Certainly not clothing brand Pennington’s.
Pennington’s recently released this ad with DOYOU’s very own columnist Dianne Bondy, showing the world that plus size women can do anything, and look fierce while doing it.
We were so inspired by this ad, that we had to talk to Dianne about her own journey with yoga, how it helped her confidence, how she works yoga into her busy life, and how it was to be the star of a film set for a day. Read the interview below, and make sure to check out the video!
You radiate confidence. Have you always been confident, or is that something you learned along the way? What do you turn to when you need a boost?
I haven’t always been this confident. It has taken me a minute to get here. Confidence is something I learned along the way through my yoga practice.
Yoga taught me truth (satya) and discernment. As I continue to deepen my yoga practice, it helps me continue to build my confidence through compassionate self-study. The more I practice asana and yoga philosophy, the more connected to myself I become. It deepens my connection to source.
I used to let people steal my power, put me down and criticize me, and I took it to heart. I let it limit my life, until the one day I said no more. Yoga taught me how to connect with myself and love myself no matter what. Through my practice I have learned people’s opinions of me are none of my business.
My tribe and my family boost me up. When I am feeling down I reach out to my community. I am blessed to surround myself with amazing and inspiring people. My tribe is my sense of support, and they are everywhere. I am supported by my husband and my sons, and I have an incredible online community that lifts me up. My goal is to serve others and help them feel empowered and in-turn, that feeds my soul.
As a yoga teacher, writer, activist, mother, and much more, your life must get pretty hectic. How do you find time for your personal yoga practice, and how does yoga help you to manage when things get stressful?
My life is pretty hectic. I have lots of support from my family and friends who believe in me and my work. I am leading my authentic life so my children can learn from example to do the same.
I make my yoga practice a priority. It is part of my self-care, self-love practice. It starts my day out with intention. I schedule it on my calendar like I do all important events in my life. Yoga is my medicine and yoga gives me strategies for navigating this life effectively.
I am a morning person, so I set my alarm for 4:30 am and I start my day with 10 minutes of intention and goal setting, 15 minutes of meditation, and then 30 minutes of asana inspired by my meditation. I need my practice to keep me focused, to teach me compassionate self-study. It helps me navigate my busy life.
The video looks like it was a lot of fun to create. What did you enjoy most about the shoot?
It was fun and a lot of hard work. I have a new respect for models and actors. It was a long day. I was working with a knee injury, so I was focused on my form so I could keep my body safe. I worked with an incredible production crew who took great care of me. The energy on set was amazing. I felt pampered.
Truth; I loved having my make-up and hair done. It was fun to feel like a celebrity for a day. It fed my ego. The entire shoot I keep thanking the universe for this opportunity.
Thank you so much to Dianne, keep rocking your yoga, and share your thoughts on the video with us below!
