Cultivating Your Natural Body Shape Through Yoga
Based on the book 'Natural Body, Natural Shape' by Barbara Moroney

Like most women I know, I have struggled with my body image for most of my life. I was not born with the waist-size and flat stomach that I wanted. No matter how much I dieted and exercised, I could not change that fact. Yoga practice has turned my focus in a new direction. Instead of wishing I could mold my body into a shape it could never be, I have learned the satisfaction and joy of cultivating my body's natural shape.

What is a natural body shape? I recently saw Katie Couric interview supermodels Cheryl Tiegs and Christy Brinkley. Both women, now in their fifties, are enjoying a resurgence of their modeling careers because of the number of older women who want to see women their age modeling the products they buy. When asked about aging gracefully, Christy Brinkley replied with a comment that applies to any age. She said that we look fabulous when we exude energy, and good health and interest and compassion. I felt she was referring to an inner glow that radiates from a sense of inner poise and peace.

Wishing for a Barbie waist

If you think about a time, maybe even the present, when you felt great about the way your life was going. Was it easier to eat healthy, find time to exercise, get enough sleep, wish the best for everyone, and have a smile on your face? These characteristics make a person attractive, whether their natural body shape is thin or stocky, whether their figure tends to resemble a pear, an apple, or an hourglass.

You and I, and all women have a unique and natural body shape we were born with. For example, we are a certain height, have a natural waist, hip and thigh size, a natural hair color, and an intrinsic proportion between our upper body and lower body. When we cultivate this natural shape and focus on making it the best that it can be, we look and feel our best.

Yoga practice helps maintain this focus so we develop an inner poise and peace that leads to more energy, better health, and more compassion. Yoga nourishes the inner spirit as well as the physical body and helps bring our bodies back to its most natural state, like when we were a baby.

Having good posture, maintaining a natural, healthy weight, and being strong and flexible are physical characteristics connected to emotional and mental well-being. Yoga practice works on all three levels to make your natural shape the best that it can be.

We dedicate this website to the many ways in which yoga cultivates your body's natural shape for a strong self-image, good health, and ageless grace and beauty.

Based on the book 'Natural Body, Natural Shape' by Barbara Moroney