My Name Is Jessamyn

Yoga Enthusiast and Fat Femme

[mynameisjessamyn]

Thank you for reminding me that today is #internationalsexworkersday. Sex workers are at the heart of the body pos/ self love revolution. Sex workers have been some of my most important self-love educators. The resounding influence that sex workers have as educators and activists is deeply underrepresented and I feel grateful to be in community with so many strong willed radical brave af beings. Thank you for what you do. I learn from you and I am grateful for you. Also, to the person who said that it’s “black out” Tuesday and not “ass out” Tuesday, I’m gonna stop you right there. First of all, it is always ass out Tuesday at my house. Second of all, What is more radical than the liberated ass cheeks of a black queen? When we’re barely allowed to express our emotions without being put in a box? You can take your patriarchal bullshit to someone else’s feed bc I am here for nothing less than the Revolution. I’d tell you to kiss my ass but i think you’d like that too much. Baby wedgie in my @calvinklein (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8pYSlHb1n/?igshid=1xy9z7e7zdmtv

[mynameisjessamyn]

....yeah, I ain’t blacking out shit today. Yes, my yoga studio, my cannabis initiative, my podcast- they can all black out. Frankly, my team consists of a lot of white people & non-black POC so I’m glad to see that they’re following the principle of “keep your mouth shut if you have nothing to say.” I feel that. But that ain’t me. I been silent long enough. My people have been silent enough. Silence will not save us. If you are silent, they will kill you and say you liked it. And bitch, you better believe I’m not going out like that. #blacklivesmatter (@theunderbellyyoga, please post that Angela Davis clip. It’s inspo time & a bitch is bout to get active.) It’s time to use your white privilege for good. Don’t waste this opportunity for radical self reflection. You are the key to our collective future. Photo is by @tenderfiremedia (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8JsigHP0a/?igshid=wvhuko84b3u0

[mynameisjessamyn]

Grandchild of slaves with multiple grandfathers and uncles murdered by white people within living memory. This shit ain’t new. This is what our world has always looked like. At this point, the only resistance I know is to live my joy as loudly and freely as I can. This is how I honor their memories every day. I Am My Ancestors Wildest Dream. My joy is my rebellion, my resistance. It is my birth rite and my glory. #blacklivesmatter #blm All Cannabis Use Is Medicinal. @wegohighnc #legalizeit #normalizeit These are @theunderbellyyoga signature leggings- shop the link in my bio #supportblackbusiness (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA36GyiHHqG/?igshid=1v13ku1p564h9

[mynameisjessamyn]

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A word on this transition- stepping forward from downward facing dog to a lunge pose is hard as fuck. It took years for this transition to feel normal in my body. If you are currently falling flat on your face instead of stepping smoothly into downdog, know that I am right there with you because this shit is hard and you are allowed to fall down. Falling down doesn’t make you a bad person, it makes you a fearless bad bitch. I go into way more detail about this in the air track classes on @theunderbellyyoga so I’m not gonna beat a dead horse here- if you want to begin or continue your yoga journey, try our free trial and get your life. But right now I’m way less concerned with “teaching yoga” and more just desperate to express how much I identify with anyone who finds it hard to practice this transition. This is hands down one of the most common questions y’all ask. Falling on your face in yoga is just like falling on your face in life. And honestly life is just a series of banana slips on repeat and all that ever happens is we get better at finding a smile when our ass hits the ground. Also shout out to my @theunderbellyyoga team for curating these clips and celebrating the fuck out of the air track this week. Mad love to all of you who are out there slaying your journey and learning how to breathe and be with yourself. I honor you, I love you, I am grateful for you. #ubyoga #everybodyyoga All of @theunderbellyyoga classes are shot & cut by my loves at @bigdoglittlebedproductions (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAgMXCFnvFt/?igshid=1phj6zdln1r24

[mynameisjessamyn]

Ok so I definitely almost forgot about this one. @fatsausagedogpottery created based on this photo of me and it reminded me that life is meant to be spent swimming in rivers. Namely mine. I need to get in the river pronto. The rain has finally let up in Durham County and @halagearsup sent me an incredible new paddle board but it’s still boxed up in my entryway because it’s been too chilly and rainy and I’ve been too tightly chained to my laptop to get out on the water. But it’s gemini season and this cancer bitch needs to submerge ASAP. Shell’s on too tight 🦀 🦀 🦀 Photo by baby @tenderfiremedia for @_myplusone on the banks of the Tar River at @respiteintheroundnc, fat rolls by me (at Rougemont, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAgCvUDnj0F/?igshid=1g7ju9oz9k71u

[mynameisjessamyn]

And another thing: I both have fat and I AM fat. Being fat is part of who I am. It is part of my identity. I cannot be #bodyneutral. My body has been politicized since the moment I got here and it is my responsibility to own every inch of it. Even the bad parts. Even the hard parts. ESPECIALLY THE BAD AND HARD PARTS. Body liberation is not pretty or happy or fun but it will surely set you free and that’s good enough for me. Nobody said it’d be easy. Wearing the new @theunderbellyyoga collection- shop the link in my bio 💜💜 (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CALzEUKnRJJ/?igshid=m1r511jsg8vu

[mynameisjessamyn]

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I’m not bothered by gaining weight during quarantine because my weight is not the sum total of my identity. And even if it were, being fat is basically one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Idk which one of you heifers made this meme but it gave me life. #fatvanity (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CALvb7tHl5Q/?igshid=1l5h6ndmx3t9

[mynameisjessamyn]

My next free @theunderbellyyoga IG live yoga class is tomorrow at 3pm EST! Class will be live on @mynameisjessamyn & we’re taking donations for @nationalbailout’s #freeblackmamas campaign bc nothing says #mothersday like using your Saturday yoga class drop-in fee to help reunite families. Class will be about an hour long and you can use a beach towel as a yoga mat or wear your birthday suit instead of leggings. It’s all good because it’s all #yoga. See y’all tomorrow ✌🏿 ✌🏿 Never forget paint bukkake c/o @lisa_lisa_creative, shot by @justincookphoto #ubyoga #everybodyyoga (at Durham, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_8dfaCHIJh/?igshid=twlrbaqbhs61

[mynameisjessamyn]

A few great things: 1. I did my first FaceTime photo shoot w/ @__mephoto & it was oddly liberating. 2. @jenniferweinerwrites shouted out my book #everybodyyoga in @nytimes + a character in her new book Big Summer name dropped me. 3. My mommy just sent me the cutest selfie of her new @theunderbellyyoga sweatshirt and it sent my cancerian heart straight into the bowels of the emotion ocean. She says her sweatshirt is comfy, roomy, and she loves it. I am very happy. I only ever want to be a vessel of your legacy, @tangelabaldwin. Get yours at the link in my bio. 4. I taught multiple live @theunderbellyyoga classes, one with my @the.wing family and one with @bet- I’m teaching again tomorrow right here on my IG Live at 3pm EST to benefit @nationalbailout #freeblackmamas 5. I finally figured out that the best way to make @lairdsuperfood Matcha is to put a blender ball in my giant @yeti that @weedmaps sent as a 4/20 present. I also added @medicinemamasfarmacy CBD honey, @silk oat milk creamer, & a bit of @heatherannecook’s wandering weed tincture. Literally drinking this shit right now and it is fire. Tastes like bougie gentrification and I LIKE IT. When they kill us, joy is the most powerful ammunition I can muster. Rest In Power, #ahmaudarbery (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_75-6CHD3y/?igshid=15ufs40ccba4c

[mynameisjessamyn]

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To the person who asked if it’s cool for your belly to touch the ground in upward facing dog- it may not be traditional but my belly DEFINITELY still brushes the mat even in my deepest updogs. I think it’s a fat kid thing but I’m no expert. I don’t think it really matters what your belly meat does because belly meat doesn’t negate the presence of a strong core- as long as you’re lifting through your core, I think the benefits of the posture still stand. #yogatutorial #upwardfacingdog Thought I was too auntie for tiktok but here we are- actually, probably still too auntie but I fuck with it. Follow me on tiktok @mynameisjessamyn Also I’m teaching two live yoga classes today and Saturday- I’m teaching on @bet’s FB Live House Party TODAY at 1pm EST & then on SATURDAY I’m teaching a free IG Live class on @mynameisjessamyn at 3pm EST to raise money to #FreeBlackMamas for @nationalbailout- check my IG story for class notifications ❤️ ❤️ #ubyoga #bethouseparty #everybodyyoga (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_49F_DHlJl/?igshid=shofjrutovao

[mynameisjessamyn]

Free Live Yoga TODAY on @bet’s House Party FB Live at 1pm EST/10am PST- ~40 min of @theunderbellyyoga followed by Q&A- so honored to join the party and looking forward to practicing with y’all! (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_44AZpn7FC/?igshid=mvejbnjm5y9z

[mynameisjessamyn]

One of y’all asked for guidance on updog v. cobra pose and it seemed like as good a time as any to fuck with tiktok. I’m bout it. Follow me on tiktok @mynameisjessamyn (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_3mTwpnag5/?igshid=srvyz33ql08s

[mynameisjessamyn]

One of y’all asked about the difference between cobra pose & updog & it seemed like a good reason to finally fuck with tiktok. I see why y’all are obsessed with this shit. Swipe for the original question, find my yoga classes on @theunderbellyyoga & follow me on tiktok @mynameisjessamyn (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_3jlKqncC4/?igshid=1cy4kfmxbh0kc

[mynameisjessamyn]

I’m ashamed to admit that when I saw the latest photo of thin Adele, my first thought was “I miss fat Adele.” I felt betrayed. I’d given this woman my love years ago, the first time I ever saw the chasing pavements video on VH1. There was a little promo video about Adele that preceded the music video and I fell head over heels for this shamelessly fat English girl. I saw myself in her, in every part of her. I’ve memorized her songs, sung them for auditions and for lovers, and I thought we would be fat together forever. But when the dust settled, I thought, “Bitch. Why do you think a stranger needs to live for you?” “Why are you living your life through a celebrity?” Then I felt what (perhaps) should’ve come first- shame. At myself. Shame at myself for not being enough for myself and expecting someone else to be me for me. I’m not beyond or above this feeling, this is where I am right now. And if this makes no sense to you, that’s ok, too. Shame isn’t the final destination. Nothing ever is. #yoga I will always love you, @adele. No matter what size. You helped me find the confidence to love myself. Speaking of being fat, my latest @selfmag column is live and it’s called “Do I Need To Lose Wright To Start Practicing Yoga?” TLDR: Hell naw, yoga is for everybody. Click the link in my bio to check it out 💜 💜 Throwback to cleaning out litter boxes and lounging on the couch in my @thirdlove bra & @savagexfenty undies. Photos by @justincookphoto w/ creative direction by @lisa_lisa_creative (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_20pJpHY8b/?igshid=1avolspqceu1r

[mynameisjessamyn]

Coming out as a cannabis user was one of the scariest decisions of my professional life thus far but being interviewed by the goat @pot_properly for @leafly makes taking the leap feel extra sweet. We do this work to get people out of jail. When some people get to make bank off cannabis and other people are locked up for the exact same reason, something’s up. No one is free until we are all free. Follow @wegohighnc to get involved & pass the message with our “No One Should Be In Jail For Weed” tshirts- link to buy in my bio 💚 💚 (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_yDGDFnF24/?igshid=375afrp3c8gb

[mynameisjessamyn]

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Life is asking that I be stretchier, more flexible, more liable to break and as usual I’m being a little bitch about it. But if I stop whining long enough to see from another perspective, it becomes impossible to ignore how desperately I need to be pushed. I’m more than these bullshit boundaries I’ve created for myself. I know it to be true and yet it feels easier to stand on the edge of darkness than to bask in the light. This is the @healthmarkinc yogacise & it’s a staple of my home yoga practice- find it + this @adidaswomen jumpsuit in @theunderbellyyoga’s shop, link in bio 💪🏿 Song is the goat @leikeli47 “Elian’s Theme, Based on a True Story”- @queenplz, this one always makes me think of you 💜 (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_nTroWnFyu/?igshid=13d3jss2mlm6w

[mynameisjessamyn]

Do you know why weed isn’t legal in North Carolina, U.S? @wegohighnc (at Durham County, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_kMMCgHZ3O/?igshid=1f1a9d00iakot