Photo credit: WHOA Travel
Hi, I'm Andrea(she/her). In 2015 an accident triggered a slow transition in the way I viewed my own body and others that didn't fit the traditional "outdoorsy" or "yoga" body type. In 2017 I started Ample Movement as a local hiking group for people who didn't see themselves represented or felt intimidated by other hiking groups. I have expanded Ample Movement to include other forms of outdoor adventure as well as yoga. I earned my teacher certification so that I could offer yoga to these same marginalized communities. Yoga played a big part in my personal body acceptance journey and I wanted to share it with others. I consider myself an adventure seeker and a social justice activist looking to learn and end all forms of oppression and to work towards liberation for all.
In March 2019 I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa with the Curvy Kili Crew (CKC) and WHOA Travel. (They filmed a documentary about us, called Kili Big which has won several awards and will be available to stream on Crackle in October 2022). The CKC is a group of 20 plus size people who attempted to summit Mount Kilimanjaro on International Women's Day. Doing that trek really changed my life and I recognized even more the need for community and the representation of fat folx doing adventure travel. Because of this trip, WHOA Travel decided to start WHOA Plus and I was hired to be a GAL (Group Adventure Leader) for these trips. I went to Peru to hike the Salkantay Trail with WHOA+ in July of 2019 and I will be returning to Peru in July of 2022 to lead another group of plus size women along the incredibly beautiful Salkantay trail. In September of 2022 I'll lead a group in Iceland. (Go check out www.whoatravel.com/whoa-plus for info on those trips).
YOGA
I am a yoga instructor with my 200 hour level teacher training through The Himalayan Institute of Buffalo (2019) and my 300 hour teacher training, The Path to Yoga, Justice and Equity with Dianne Bondy (2022) . I am also a Yoga For All(tm) certified instructor (2019) and an Accessible Yoga(tm) teacher (2019).
I believe that equitable yoga is accessible to all. I truly welcome all levels and all bodies. If you can't stand or aren't very flexible, these classes are for you. If you're very flexible and fat, these classes are for you. If you are breathing...these classes are for you. If a pose doesn't work for you, we will work together to find a variation that does, or an alternative pose that is similar. The pose should fit the body, not the other way around.
In March 2019 I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa with the Curvy Kili Crew (CKC) and WHOA Travel. (They filmed a documentary about us, called Kili Big which has won several awards and will be available to stream on Crackle in October 2022). The CKC is a group of 20 plus size people who attempted to summit Mount Kilimanjaro on International Women's Day. Doing that trek really changed my life and I recognized even more the need for community and the representation of fat folx doing adventure travel. Because of this trip, WHOA Travel decided to start WHOA Plus and I was hired to be a GAL (Group Adventure Leader) for these trips. I went to Peru to hike the Salkantay Trail with WHOA+ in July of 2019 and I will be returning to Peru in July of 2022 to lead another group of plus size women along the incredibly beautiful Salkantay trail. In September of 2022 I'll lead a group in Iceland. (Go check out www.whoatravel.com/whoa-plus for info on those trips).
YOGA
I am a yoga instructor with my 200 hour level teacher training through The Himalayan Institute of Buffalo (2019) and my 300 hour teacher training, The Path to Yoga, Justice and Equity with Dianne Bondy (2022) . I am also a Yoga For All(tm) certified instructor (2019) and an Accessible Yoga(tm) teacher (2019).
I believe that equitable yoga is accessible to all. I truly welcome all levels and all bodies. If you can't stand or aren't very flexible, these classes are for you. If you're very flexible and fat, these classes are for you. If you are breathing...these classes are for you. If a pose doesn't work for you, we will work together to find a variation that does, or an alternative pose that is similar. The pose should fit the body, not the other way around.