Every Monday features a tip, activity, inspiring quote or some other tidbit that helps boost your body image, whether directly or indirectly — and hopefully kick-starts your week on a positive note!

Got a tip for improving body image? Email me at mtartakovsky at gmail dot com, and I’ll be happy to feature it. I’d love to hear from you!

Moving our bodies is a wonderful way to practice self-care, boost our mood, alleviate anxiety, feel empowered and just have fun. (For me, exercise is non-negotiable.)

A few months ago Mara Glatzel and I debuted our interview series on self-love. Mara is a self-love coach and blogger who helps women close the gap between the lives they deserve and the lives they’re currently living. (She also regularly inspires me with her stunning and powerful writing.)

Our goal with this interview series is to make the concept and practice of self-love as accessible and feasible as possible. That’s why we’re sharing stories and insights from women who embody self-love.

Today, I’m thrilled to present my interview with Anna Guest-Jelley, who I’m honored to call my colleague and close friend. Anna is the founder of Curvy Yoga, a beautiful, safe and empowering space for practicing yoga at all shapes and sizes and accepting and celebrating ourselves.

{via etsy by Michele Maule}

Sports offer many physical benefits. They also teach leadership skills, teamwork, discipline and life lessons. Kids who participate in sports even tend to do better in school. And sports are fun.

But participating in a sport can also become a slippery slope to unhealthy and dangerous behaviors. And they can trigger eating disorders in individuals who are already genetically vulnerable to EDs.

I had the pleasure of talking with Doug Bunnell, Ph.D, vice president and co-director at the The Renfrew Center Foundation, about why the athletic environment can become harmful and what parents and caregivers can do.

So what is it about sports that can serve as a slippery slope?

{You can download the Matifesto here; it’s so empowering!}

When I first read these words in Anna Guest-Jelley’s ”Matifesto above, “It is possible to love your body, even on days when you don’t like it,” I was taken aback.

There’s no way, I thought. How is that possible? I have to like my body in order to love it…right?

But then I considered how we love others — our parents, siblings, friends, kids — unconditionally. No prerequisites. No musts or shoulds. We might disagree with their actions, and honestly not like them very much sometimes. But we still love them.

Why can’t we do the same for our bodies? For the very vehicles that carry us?

Below, in part three of our interview, Anna Guest-Jelley explores the idea of loving our bodies even on the days we don’t like them.

{Anna Guest-Jelley helping a student in class}

For many of us, self-kindness is hard to come by. Somehow it’s so much easier to be nicer to everyone else and so much harder to be nicer to ourselves.

That’s one of the reasons I love Anna Guest Jelley’s work on Curvy Yoga and her new e-book Permission to Curve: Inspiring Poses for Curvy Yogis and Their Teachers: She helps us reconnect with our self-compassion. She empowers us to listen to our bodies and treat ourselves with respect and care.

Below, in part two of our interview, Anna explains what self-kindness means to her and how we can be more compassionate toward ourselves. She also shares why yoga is important along with her favorite yoga pose.

And don’t forget that we’re giving away TWO copies of Anna’s book Permission to Curve. All you have to do is comment on part one of our interview. (The details are there, too.)

{The gorgeous Anna Guest-Jelley teaching yoga}

I’m super excited to share my interview with Anna Guest-Jelley, founder of Curvy Yoga, where she inspires people of all sizes to practice yoga and love and care for their bodies. It’s truly a beautiful, invigorating and positive space.

Recently she’s released a stunning and comprehensive e-book called Permission to Curve: Inspiring Poses for Curvy Yogis and Their Teachers. In it, you’ll find an empowering how-to on practicing yoga, including simple instructions and photos of the 60+ poses and sun salutations.

Permission to Curve is about using yoga as a vehicle for self-acceptance, body positivity and self-care. Anna focuses on honoring your body, being kind to yourself, finding the joy in movement and having fun.

Below, Anna shares what inspired her to write Permission to Curve, how yoga helped to heal her self-image issues and what Curvy Yoga means to her.

We’re also giving away two copies of Permission to Curve, so be sure to read the details at the bottom! Stay tuned tomorrow for part two of our interview where Anna talks about listening to our bodies and practicing self-kindness.

{via etsy by Emily Reiter}

Lately, in addition to going to Pilates classes at my gym, I’ve been doing cardio kickboxing and TRX, which are pretty intense (and very fun). They get my heart rate up, and I can feel the negative energy, thoughts and ruminations just ooze out of me.

For me, exercise is also a great myth-buster. That’s because ever since I was little, my automatic assumption has been that I’m weak and can’t do A, B or X.

With a few exceptions, I’m not sure that I’ve really ever thought to myself, “Oh, yea, I can totally do this.” It’s been more like a hestitant, “Umm, OK, I’ll give a try, but don’t expect something spectacular.”

{via pinterest}

I haven’t worked out in weeks. I was hit with the flu and a few bad headaches, then the holidays happened and I went to NYC, and then my boyfriend got really sick. Yesterday morning was the first time that I’d gone to my Pilates class.

It was tough to go back. For days I contemplated going. Every morning I’d set my alarm. Then I’d inevitably ruminate about how excruciatingly hard each exercise will be since I was absent for so long. How exhausted I’ll be all day. How upset I’ll be getting into my already tighter workout gear.

And then yesterday, I finally went. I pushed aside my negative thoughts, and made it to the class. I was sick of feeling uneasy, sluggish and stressed.

Before the class, I was tired. I was grumpy. I was dragging my feet.

{via pinterest; originally from here}

Yesterday we talked about the sinking feeling of not belonging, whether it’s at the gym, a new fitness class or anything we might’ve tried a few times.

I remember distinctly that when I felt like I didn’t belong, I’d blame my body. Why wasn’t I thin enough? Then I’d surely feel better. Why couldn’t I run that fast? Then I wouldn’t feel so out of place. And so on.

When we get consumed with insecure thoughts, we forget just how amazing our bodies are and the many things they’ve done for us. So today I wanted to remind you (and me, too) about the many beautiful stories our bodies tell. I wanted to celebrate our bodies and all they are. That’s why I’m reposting this poem from April. I hope you enjoy it!

{via pinterest}

Before college, I’d rarely worked out. So when I finally walked into my university’s gigantic gym, I instantly felt like I had rookie exerciser written all over me.

I felt completely out of place.

I’m not an athlete, I’d say to myself. I’m too big. I’m totally not muscular. I can barely run a lap without my shins hurting and my lungs losing too much air. My clothes are all wrong. And I’m certainly not as cute and slim as these other girls. I can barely make it to seven minutes on the elliptical.

I dreaded going to the gym, but I still went a handful of times. (I was convinced that I needed to be skinny in order to have the perfect life, and working out would certainly get me there.) I had this sinking, in-the-pit-of-my-stomach feeling every time I’d go. I just knew that other people were naturally judging me and my disgraceful newbie ways.