Redefining womanhood in the west : how yoga helps women transcend damaging and limiting perceptions in western society

Abstract

Western society often subjects women to damaging perceptions and expectations. For instance, there is a deeply unhealthy focus on women's physical appearance; also there are normative roles and ways of behaving that are very limiting. As a consequence, women suffer repercussions that are often severe, such as body image issues and gender stereotyping. Through true stories intertwined as a métissage, this study aims to shift the ways in which Western society negatively views women and the ways that women are conditioned to perceive themselves, using yoga as the catalyst for that change. Focusing on the lived experiences of four female yoga practitioners who are the study's participants, this study illustrates how the physical and mindful practice of yoga helps women transcend to more positive perceptions about their selves, lives and bodies in a society that has otherwise contradictory beliefs about women.