Thursday, February 19, 2009

Yoga & Big Breasts


Bikram Yoga is an addiction for me...and an amusement. It amuses me to see how far I can push, twist, stretch & bend my body. I love the challenge and keep going back for more...to see if I can make a breakthrough each day.


One thing that almost always gets me chuckling to myself in the middle of class is attempting to do the poses which require you to put your forehead on your knee. I don't care how flexible you are, if you have breast that require anything larger that a C-cup for support - IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT IT IS GONNA HAPPEN FOR YOU...without actually suffocating on your own breast tissue.Seriously.


I'm a 42D on a good day and no matter how much I try to...


  • Strap these puppies down

  • Tuck my face in between them - yeah in the cleavage

  • Tuck my chin, suck in my stomach so hard that my intestines are shoved down into my cervix, and rolling one vertebrae at a time down

  • Pull on my heels, the ball of my foot or any other part of my body till I'm crunched in half

I'm not going to be able to get my forehead on my cotton picken knee. I keep trying. I keep almost passing out from lack of air. Yes, Yoga Torture Instructor (aka - my Bikram crack supplier) I am cutting off the supply of blood to my brain. Practice will make perfect. *SMH*



I've looked around and my fellow big breasted yogi's are all having the same issues. Occasionally, I catch the eye of one of my BBY's and we share an amusing smile and keep on truckin.I'm off to another class today...I may not get my head on my knee, but I'm gonna try to stick toe today (at least on my left side). Nothing but my fear in the way of that pose. Fear I can get rid of...the 42D's...not so much.

12 comments:

a. said...

I was just thinking today that yoga would be easier if my chest was smaller!!! :) I've been hating rabbit lately because I feel like my nose ends up basically in my tank top and then I start to think that I can't breathe. NOT FUN! But overall, Bikram is great, isn't it? :)

Anonymous said...

I'm a 32D and have problems getting my boobs to move out of the way to get deeper into poses...it is funny and sad all at once. I see the smaller busted ladies doing just fine while I'm manipulating my body to get out of the way of my boobs. if only I had a C cup!

undercover vixen said...

wow. i have that same problem. And like MP said, I keep feeling like i'm going to suffocate. I feel validated and I'm going to stop trying to kill myself. How did the 30 day challenge go? you stopped writing on day 3.

TravelDiva said...

@Undercover Vixen...I probably should shut this blog down as it doesn't get updated much. All of the yoga posts are on my main blog at www.traveldivastories.com

Just click on the Bikram Yoga in the topic cloud and they are all there from my last challenge.

YogaSupplies said...

I have a problem of big breasts and stomach. I nearly choked myself to death when I was doing the plough.

Avalon Rose said...

I'm a yoga teacher and although not a skinny minny, I'd struggle to fill a C on a good day. Looking for advise regarding a woman with a very large bust that comes along to my drop in class that can't lie in savasana due to a lower back prob so I thought advasana would be OK (lying on front with chin resting on hands) but her bust makes this really uncomfortable. Sitting or chair relaxations are ok but would like any tips/advise on props or anything that would mean she could lie down and enjoy letting go with feeling squashed. Thank youxx

Lisa Steptoe said...

@AvalonRose I'm certainly no where near an instructor, just a yogi wanna-bee with a side DD chest. I have had a lower back injury that Bikram help with immensley. Sometimes I have had to modify my savansah by laying on my back with my knees up just enough till my back is flat on floor until I was strong enough again to keep my back flat. All of my instructors were very accomodating to allowing me to modify to my injury.

As for advasana, my instructor recommends doing a modified savasana - kinda like the same positions of someone was pregnant. OR lying on your side - another modified svasana. Modify as you would someone pregnant.

I hope this helps. I have been remiss on updating here. But all of my Yoga post are on my main blog www.traveldivastories.com

Anonymous said...

This actually makes me feel better -- everyone in my class is small chested and I'm a 38D and feel like i'm suffocating in rabbit pose and that my boobs constantly get in the way when the instructor tells us to touch our head to our knee. I feel better knowing it's a big boobed thing rather than a i'm not flexible and can't do the pose thing

spoons19 said...

Thanks for this. I went to my first ever yoga class today. I'm an H cup (did you know they even went that big?) and was definitely struggling. I was googling for some advice for next week and am glad that I'm not alone. I'm trying to get more active, but "the girls" seem to get in the way of everything I try! (My golf instructor is flummoxed!) Oh well, we can only work with what we have! Thanks for the post!

Rhey said...

I just googled "yoga with large breast" and was comforted by all of the comments. So far I am loving Bikram, but now i'm getting frustrated with these 38G's... Glad I'm not the only one.. but still have not found any really good modifications... This this curvy lady will keep searching, keep it up ladies!

Rose said...

so on the subject of big boobs n bikram. What tops have ladies found that work well for this dilemma?

Anonymous said...

Thank you!!! Glad to read that I am not alone! Every time my bikram instructor says, 'it's called head to knee, you have to make that happen,' I giggle inside...sorry my friend, but I'm doing my best! Love Bikram yoga, I've found my niche and can't imagine going back to 'cold yoga.' Creating new goals each week, and meeting them -has been very rewarding, I've been told to keep an open mind about head to knee, if I say never, it won't happen...so I've got my third eye open and will continue to hope for miracles! 42D - your comment could be me!! :)