Yoga, Diversity and Empowerment

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courtesy Jessamyn Stanley

A close-up of Jessamyn Stanley.

Jessamyn Stanley

No two people are alike; why should physical and mental health needs all conform to one ideal? Wellness advocate Jessamyn Stanley is working to change institutionalized definitions of fitness with books like Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get On the Mat, Love Your Body and instruction through virtual yoga studio The Underbelly (which Stanley co-founded). Stanley will discuss inclusive wellness approaches and more during this WUD Distinguished Lecture Series talk.

media release: Entrepreneur and yoga instructor Jessamyn Stanley will share her thoughts on inclusive wellness approaches and intersectionality at Tripp Commons in Memorial Union Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. as part of the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) Committee's free lecture lineup.

The event, titled “Yoga, Diversity, and Empowerment: A Journey with Jessamyn Stanley,” will feature a 60-minute lecture followed by a 30-minute audience Q&A. No tickets are necessary – admission is free and open to the public, with live captioning and American Sign Language interpreters provided. 

Co-founder of The Underbelly, a virtual yoga studio focused on creating authenticity and approachability within the yoga community, Stanley believes in transforming wellness from a universal idealized look to an approach that adapts to the unique needs of each person and body.

Her books, “Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get On the Mat, Love Your Body.” and “Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance,” have reached global audiences and provide perspectives on a body-positive and inclusive approach to yoga, wellness and loving oneself.

“Yoga peels back the edges of your mask, pushing you to the edge of who you’re pretending to be, introducing you to the luminance that lies beneath,” Stanley said in a 2021 interview with CNN. “You can find the answers to life’s biggest questions within that light inside you.” 

In addition to her video and outreach content, Stanley was also the host of relationship podcast “Dear Jessamyn” and was on Essence’s Future 15 List in 2020.

This event is supported in part by the Ed Garvey Lecture Fund.

The WUD DLS Committee brings engaging and influential people to the UW–Madison campus to encourage thought-provoking conversations. WUD includes 12 committees and six Wisconsin Hoofers clubs that program thousands of events each year.

            University of Wisconsin–Madison students interested in becoming a leader of WUD DLS – or any WUD committee or club – during the 2024-2025 academic year may apply online. WUD student leaders may be eligible for reimbursement of the equivalent of up to 80% of in-state tuition. Applications for WUD officer positions close Feb. 9 and applications for WUD directors and summer coordinator positions close March 1.

Patrons can learn more about the upcoming free talk featuring Jessamyn Stanley here.