Embracing Comfort in a World of Yoga Pants
Last week, I read a New York Times Op-Ed, Why Yoga Pants are Bad for Women. On behalf of many middle age women, Honor Jones makes the argument that we don’t need to look sexy in yoga pants in order to get fit. I couldn’t agree with her more.
If you’ve been following my blog and Facebook posts, you know I’m trying to be intentional about self-care. I’m eating healthy, walking every day, swimming a few times a week, bike riding as much as I can, doing memory exercises, and practicing yoga and meditation. It’s not easy; and for me, it requires a lot of time and discipline. However, I know it’s good for my brain, body, and spirit.
It’s hard enough being less balanced and flexible than everyone else in my yoga class; it’s hard enough giving up wheat and sugar; and it’s hard enough getting my 12,000 steps and 1 hour of aerobic exercise a day. But to worry about how I look while I’m doing it – that’s really unfair and too much to ask.
I agree with Honor Jones – yoga pants and tops are for the birds or women who eat like a bird. I hate spending half of my class or exercise time adjusting my clothes, pulling up on my bottoms and down on my tops. Unless you’re in great shape (both top and bottom), yoga pants and tops (you simply can’t call them shirts) are not attractive; in fact, they emphasize all the wrong aspects on a middle-aged body. And, to add insult to injury, they are overpriced.
Recently, I heard a funny song by Micah Tyler, “You’ve Gotta Love Millennials,” where he jokes about young women changing the world while wearing yoga pants. Last week, I realized that I’ve handed over the torch of trying to change the world to my millennial friends. So, I don’t have to wear yoga pants. I also don’t have to wear business suits and high heels. In an effort to mark this transition, and to simplify my wardrobe, I packed up bags of professional clothing and donated it to Dress for Success, a wonderful organization that helps women enter and/or re-enter the workforce. I also packed up a bag of casual clothing that I had intended to take to a local thrift store. After reading Honor Jones’ Op-Ed, I opened the bag and pulled out my old sweat pants and a favorite T-shirt, put them on, and went to a yoga class. I might not have looked sexy, but I'm becoming more and more comfortable striking a pose on my mat of humility. - Tracey