Yoga with Boobs - Suggestions To Lift Vs Squish Your Soul

I am a yoga enthusiast, a certified teacher and busty lady. I am seriously  contemplating a line of videos for modifications for mammaries. On a recent business trip, I popped into a very popular yoga franchise because it was heated and next to where I was staying. The instructor could be described as a modern day Twiggy who was very passionate about inversions. Do not get me started on how Instagram has killed yoga! The dialogue went something like this:

"Lying comfortably on your belly with your forehead and chin on the mat."  Pause here - there is nothing comfortable about my breasts being smashed against me on a hardwood floor. I try to breath into it but the pressure does not feel relaxing or therapeutic. She goes on "gently slide each arm underneath with palms and elbows facing down. Now, I am more flexible than the average person from 25 years of practice but there is literally no where for an arm to slide into. A massive roadblock on each side is preventing entry and I am starting to feel like a beached whale. I roll over to the right and try to yank my left arm arm into the cleavage as I flop back onto my front. The right arm is trying to make its escape but I wrangle it underneath. Oh dear. My lungs feel like they will be a casualty. Work them in closer towards one another. There is literally no room for movement and please send reinforcements. Pull your elbows into your rib cage and press up from there. One elbow is pressing into my nipple and it hurts, the other arm is losing feeling. Pain, frustration, embarrassment kick in. The inner yogi reminds me to leave ego outside and breath into it. The inner voice, however, decides to give a few poses a modern once over.

(Lotus pose - shown below- is one that I just say skip:))

(Yeah right!)

Child�'s Pose (Balasana) or Knee To Underboob Crusher

Knee caps do not make good breast massagers. Taking the knees wide and letting the chest melt between the thighs is an excellent modification. This is a cornerstone pose of yoga and a great hip opener.

Shoulder Stand (Salamba Sarvangasana) or Chin Rest pose

Lift your legs up to the sky. Using your elbows, press your hips up and catch your lower back. Watch out for your chest which is about to crush your chin and smother you. It is like Cirque Du Soleil to avoid this trap. My suggestion is to press more into your hands and pull your legs away from you vs. moving them towards. This activates more core but also will be way less aerodynamically challenged

Cobra (Bujanghasana) 

Gentle backbends are so amazing for you especially if you are like me with lower back pain. Walk your hands out beyond the corners of the mat and press your fingertips down. There should be no pressure in lower back and your gaze should be down in front of your mat.  Stop if you feel pinching and come back down.

Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III) 

This pose is also called balancing stick which always makes me giggle. I would hold my upper body steady but gravity disagrees. My hack on this one is to use blocks. They will help you to figure out your weight distribution. Do not worry if you never let the blocks go. Puff up your chest and let the girls fall between your arms.

The last one that I would like to bring up is where do you put the girls in a chair twist?This pose is so good for releasing toxins, building thigh and glute strength, and finding focus.Unless your tatas are tangled up in your top-heavy twist. The best advice I have to not cause a big scene is to pull your elbows forward twisting with an arch in the back. No one wants boobs as a chin rest.

I could go on for hours but I will leave it there. Obviously get a sports bra that is breathable, comfortable, movable and without hooks. Bloom Bras is the solutions I will suggest of course.