019: Who Are You When You Stop Letting the World Define Your Body? Body Image, Yoga, and Living Your Truth in Midlife | Alia Khan

What happens when the system meant to protect your health is the one that plants the seed of shame in your body?In this episode of Eat the F*cking Food, Kristin sits down with body-inclusive yoga instructor and studio owner Alia Khan. Alia was told she was obese at seven years old by doctors using BMI as gospel. That early message shaped decades of shame and comparison. As a curvy South Asian woman who entered yoga spaces not built for her body, she turned that frustration into a mission: making yoga accessible for every body, not just the slim, flexible ideal modern Vinyasa was built around.This conversation is for every woman who has ever told herself yoga is not for her. Because the practice was never about the pose. It was always about coming home to yourself.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why being called obese at seven set off decades of body shame and what Alia found when she looked back at photos of that little girlThe truth about BMI and why it was never meant to be used as an individual medical standardHow modern Vinyasa yoga was designed for a preteen boy's body and why that explains so much about why curvy women feel excludedWhy yoga props are not cheating and how Alia teaches so every student feels like they belongThe moment she joined Yoga with Adriene's teacher community and was brought to tears by people who finally felt seen on a matWhat the Yoga Sutras actually say yoga is and why touching your toes has almost nothing to do with itHow ego and comparison rob us of joy and the Sanskrit principle that connects body image to living your truthThe questions to ask before walking into a yoga studio for the first timeWhat ahimsa (non-harming) has to do with the way you talk to yourself in the mirrorWe talk about:00:00 Introduction to Alia Khan and what brought her to body-inclusive yoga02:00 Being called obese at age seven and the body shame that followed05:00 The truth about BMI and why it's the "bullshit mass index"08:30 From lawyer to yogi: leaving the path she was supposed to follow11:00 Living your truth and what it actually means beyond the wellness cliche14:00 How modern yoga was designed for a preteen boy's body and what that costs curvy women17:30 Using props in yoga: why it's not cheating, it's intelligent practice22:00 The Yoga with Adriene moment that made Alia cry and why belonging on the mat matters25:00 How to find a yoga studio that's actually right for you28:00 What yoga is actually for: calming the mind, not perfecting the pose33:00 Ego, comparison, and how much joy we lose paying attention to other people's standards38:00 Ahimsa: the yoga principle that applies to the way you talk to yourself41:00 Alia's full offering: studio, on-demand library, Zoom classes, and where to find herConnect with AliaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliajkhan Substack: https://aliajkhan.substack.com/ Website: https://yogawithalia.vhx.tv/ Personal website: https://www.aliajkhan.com/ Connect with meInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinrcollins/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristin.collins Website: https://kristincollinshealthcoaching.com/ #BodyInclusiveYoga #CurvyYoga #BodyImageHealing #YogaForEveryBody #MidlifeWomen #BodyConfidence #IntuitiveMovement #BMIMyth #LivingYourTruth #YogaBeginners #BodyDysmorphia #SelfTalkMatters #AhimsaInAction #YogaWithAlia #EatTheFuckingFood #KristinCollins #AliKhan #InclusiveWellness #BodyNeutrality #YogaSutras