In 2018, not long after I had started teaching, I got introduced to a photographer called Alan Thomas (whom most of you know by now) and hired him to take some photos for my new business as a yoga teacher. This is him on the other side of the camera below -
It quickly became a creative partnership, involving yoga, photographs, videos, music and guided meditations.
Just after the first photos we took, I wrote a blog called Human Doing Yoga where I explained how I had been looking for inspiration and had initially felt inadequate in comparison to the lithe figures in advanced postures that I saw on Instagram. I realised then that I am perfectly happy simply being a human who does yoga, and that I was just trying to encourage people to come to yoga, not to make people marvel at my body and the positions I could get it in.
Alan and I decided then that we really need to see more images of people like us doing everyday yoga postures. We both teach yoga, and the people who come to yoga regularly are generally a representation of the people we see walking about on the street every day. Most of them are not acrobats, they are not all naturally flexible, they are of all different ages, and they have all different body types. We love to see all bodies doing yoga – thin and acrobatic as well, we just don’t want that to be all that we see and we don’t want people to think that you have to aspire to look like that to practice yoga. We also think everyone deserves to be in cool photographs.
And so, the idea for Humans Doing Yoga was born. Our intention is to create a wonderful collection of images, videos and stories about the lovely humans (that’s you) who come to yoga classes every day. We believe that yoga has the power to transform how you see yourself and how you see the world and we want as many people as possible to open up their bodies and minds to the peace of mind and self-acceptance that yoga can awaken in you, as it has for us. We want to share your favourite postures, pets, and spaces. We want to show people the joy that we all experience in practising yoga. These images will be shared on our website, on social media and in a book. Please don't worry about alignment in the photos. This is another area where we are seeing change in the yoga world. People have all different bodies - and they are not, nor do they need to be, perfectly in alignment. There will be a yoga teacher there during the photoshoot, who will encourage you to feel the best position for your body, irrespective of whether it looks perfect. Many of you may be a little shy (as I was) but we are asking you to join our project to change the way the media portrays yoga by sharing your favourite yoga posture, your yoga story and allowing us to take your picture. Alan and I know quite a few public places that are very quiet and suitable for taking pictures outside in Ayrshire, but we are also happy to come to your garden when that is allowed. For those of you who would prefer to be photographed inside a studio or inside your home, we will arrange that when possible too. We envisage this project taking around a year for completion, so we have time to plan it and work around covid restrictions. We want you to feel comfortable and at home in your surroundings and posture. If you have a pet that usually practices with you on Zoom, we would be happy to include them. If you are a yoga teacher, we would love you to be photographed, but we are also asking you to forward this request on to your people, and maybe even encourage them to get involved. Can you please confirm if you would be willing to be photographed and if so, Click here and fill out the form.
We hope you will consider being involved in this fun, creative project and help us to change the way we see humans doing yoga.
If you don't want to be photographed, look out for the #humansdoingyoga, follow us on Instagram @humansdoing.yoga and like and share the posts. We will also share other people's posts so that we can spread images of humans doing yoga all over the world.
Om Shanti
Vhairi and Alan.
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