Dana Falsetti is a plus-size yogi who is inspiring many people across the country via her body-positive Instagram. Whether it is through her yoga poses or pictures of her daily life, Falsetti is the perfect example of body image acceptance while constantly striving to reach personal goals.
Falsetti reached her peak weight of 300lbs in college. She later realized that the weight gain was the result of binge eating and depression. Having been overweight for a good portion of her life, she felt pressured to lose weight. She left college in New Orleans and transferred to a school closer to her hometown of New Hope, Pennsylvania.
She reduced her portion sizes, frequented the gym, and was able to lose 70lbs! Even though she lost all that weight, she didn’t feel happy. Falsetti wondered what the point of her health journey was, if she still felt the same as she did before losing the weight. Then she took a yoga class that would ultimately change her life.
Since she was exercising frequently, she thought the yoga class wouldn’t be difficult. Downward dog is supposed to be a resting pose and she felt like she was working to prop herself up. Some people might want to give up after struggling through an exercise, but not Falsetti. That sparked her to want to better herself and prove that she could do yoga, despite her weight.
Her motivation to do yoga later shifted. Yoga is an exercise that is about personal limitations. You don’t have to overexert yourself, but the more you do it, the more you want to accomplish advanced poses. Yoga is also about accepting where your body feels comfortable. You have to accept what your body can and cannot do, and then find a balance between the two to get better.
Falsetti refused to let her body hold her back in yoga, and in life. She now travels the world teaching yoga with a focus on body-positive fundamentals. She has over 80,000 Instagram followers that are continuously inspired by her ability to be courageous, strong, and accepting of her body.
