Teaching Body Positive Yoga, Donna Noble's new book is a wonderful resource for all teachers. Whether you label your classes as body positive or not, this book is recommended reading for all yoga teachers who want the skills and resources to facilitate a positive class experience for everyone. 'True body positivity is when everyone is welcome on the yoga mat. You can do this by creating a space where people feel empowered to let their practice accommodate their body and do yoga in a way that feels good for them, so they have agency over their body.' The tone is welcoming and informative, Donna Noble keeps it real and kind as she shares about how size, race, body image, trauma can impact someone's experience in class, and how we can support individual needs as teachers. This is vital information for yoga teachers today, yet is sadly lacking from many teacher trainings. Teaching Body Positive Yoga introduces these topics providing a foundation of knowledge as well links to further educational resources from a diverse range of experts. It really is a fantastic resource for new and established teachers.

She begins by honouring the Black Femme originators of the Body Positivity movement, and the cultural roots of Yoga itself, as well as sharing her own journey as teacher and practitioner of yoga - this approach is both respectful and welcoming. Some of the topics discussed like unconscious bias, sensitively navigating trauma, touch and language around size and gender could potentially be challenging or confronting for teachers - especially if it was not covered in their initial training, and therefore hasn't been an aspect of their classes. This book is not about shaming anyone - rather to thoughtfully share insights and resources to help us all grow. As well as the philosophical aspect, she grounds the book in the reality of teaching yoga today. There's a great section on using props in class, but also marketing, navigating working within a studio versus hiring a space and growing your business ethically. Donna Noble's love and respect for her community shines through this book - she honors and uplifts the people she has learned from, as well as sharing that knowledge so we can all benefit. 'Real yoga takes place off the mat and is integrated into our lives: it is how we interact and support others - it is yoga in action, it is being the change we wish to see in the world.'.