We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Antoinette Webb a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Antoinette, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
When I first began my yoga practice, I didn’t see hardly anyone who looked like me. It took a LOT of digging on the internet to come across the likes of Dana Falsetti and as a plus size girl, my heart smiled. I then felt the need to find signs of Black people within the yoga community. After finding Renee Watkins, Tie Simpson, and Neo St. Remy, I FINALLY stumbled upon the amazing Jessamyn Stanley.
Jessamyn has been pinnacle in me trusting my body as well as sharing my yoga practice. I figured that if it took all of that deep diving to find ONE Black, fat individual that practices yoga, I’d throw my hat in the ring too. I wanted to be that second face someone could see and possibly be inspired by as I was and still am by Jessamyn.
As my practice grew deeper inside and out, the way I was feeling gave way to me wanting to help others feel some wonderful feelings within their own practice. As creative as I am coming up with different ways to express different asanas in my body as it is, I wanted to be able to hold space for others to do the same.
I am currently attending Yoga With Carson Academy to receive my instructor’s certificate. I have also attended Three And A Half Acres Yoga Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher Training to add that to my tool box when holding space for people to practice with me.
Antoinette, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Antoinette, I am a mother of two and I am a home/self taught yoga practitioner and instructor. I came into my yoga practice in 2015 after having my first baby.
Coming into motherhood, I no longer felt at home in my new body and that didn’t sit well with me. I have always been a fairly active person and I kind of lost that part of myself in motherhood. Regular workouts weren’t something I was interested in at the time as I didn’t feel the freedom I was looking for. It randomly dawned on me one day that yoga might be an option.
My mom introduced me to yoga when I was about 12 years old. She would wake up early and record this older white woman who had a show on PBS or something at the time. She did here best to follow what the lady was doing and I did my best following what she did. My mom has always been a “hippie” at heart so yoga was right up her alley. We would spend time falling over and laughing while trying to “stay present” and it was genuinely amazing to bond in this way.
As those moments came back to me, I began to search for current inspiration and informational videos on YouTube and Instagram. I didn’t want to only practice along to white women, it didn’t feel right to me. That’s when I began typing in very specific keywords to find my community.
It felt like my whole world opened once I found the likes of Dana Falsetti. They were one of the first plus size practitioners I saw. I felt that maybe I could do it to. The little doubt I had left washed away after finding Jessamyn Stanley. She was the FIRST BLACK AND FAT yogi I saw. Ever. I knew that if she could make these beautiful curves and lines and stand strong in who she was in an industry that is extremely white-washed, I could practice yoga as I am, too.
From that moment I decided to go for it and begin my movement practice. Before finding their inspiration, I wasn’t sure yoga was for me in the body I have. I didn’t see anyone practicing it that looked like me. It was discouraging at first and when I found said inspiration, I chose to hold myself accountable to practice by sharing my journey online. I created an Instagram specifically for my body movement journey, be it yoga, dancing, walking or working out in a gym.
I wanted to share my journey for myself first and then if anyone came along and got inspired, then great! I wanted to be another person they could possibly relate to if they were thinking to start yoga or just needed a little more inspiration along the way. I still didn’t know where to start really so after following the amazing Kino MacGregor, I joined in my first yoga challenge.
It indeed was a challenge and it set a fire in my spirit. Looking at yoga poses, they can be quite deceiving. I learned that the hard way but it was a refreshing and welcomed experience. I joined many challenges along my journey and have connected with some amazing individuals and have learned so much along the way.
As a mom of two now, my practice has changed some. I’ve been in the process of learning myself and my needs all over again. While I was pregnant with my second child, I had my yoga practice to keep me grounded, which was something very different than my first pregnancy. It opened my eyes to how much more in tune to my body and spirit that time around and it felt special to share my practice in that way as well.
It has also been an interesting transition into being a public inspiration for so many people and I feel that something that sets me apart is that no matter how many followers I gain or lose, I am still me. I’m still the silly, clumsy creative yogi that I was back in 2015–just with more confidence and belief in myself. To be able to be a face of representation for others in this space means so much to the little girl in me. Had I seen someone like me doing amazing things, I may have come out of my shell sooner. To be that for other women and little girls is so rewarding.
Yoga and sharing my practice has opened up so many doors. From being in not one but TWO ATHLETA|GAP The Power of She campaigns as a yoga model is something that I never would’ve dreamed of. Connecting to people in a way that not only feeds my soul but feeds theirs is a blessing. I truly feel like I’ve found my purpose in life and that is to help others along their journeys by way of yoga and body movement.
Becoming a yoga instructor is important because representation matters. I happily cross many margins and I want all those who see themselves in me to feel welcomed in the spaces I cultivate. I’m all for using variations and especially yoga props to create magic in the body. Not once it changes and can “fit” a pose or fit a societal standard. We are worthy NOW so why not bask in that and enjoy a fulfilling yoga practice just as you are, you know? That’s what I aim to remind others to do.
As I finish my YTT (yoga teacher training) I am open to holding classes via Zoom and even on Instagram as I cultivate a separate space where people can playback previously recorded classes of all types but more specifically based around a mix of vinyasa, creative yoga prop usage, plus size friendly classes, beginner friendly classes some restorative yoga and more.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
It honestly always feels like it comes out of nowhere when I gain followers. The main thing I’ve realized is by being yourself, your audience will find you. There are people all over the world that have found my little corner of Instagram had it not been for the internet, we would’ve never crossed paths. Certain yoga clips and videos of mine have been shared on various “big name” yoga pages and people have gravitated my way from there and from different hashtags that pertain to the audience I’m sharing to.
Whatever you choose to do, be open to sharing as authentically as you feel comfortable and know in advance that people who don’t understand you WILL have something negative to say as well. It shows more about who they are rather than who you are and what you share. Correct them if you feel moved to, or block them and retain your neutral or positive energy without exchange.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
My goal is to continue to show and share that yoga and body movement is for EVERY BODY. If your heart is open to it and it calls out to you, that means it’s for you. There is no one size, no one way to practice yoga. There are so many amazing people who have dedicated time to creating spaces for all who want to practice.
I aim to be one of those to always remind people that props are not crutches and a different variation outside of what may be constantly showcased as a “full expression” does not mean one’s practice is less than. That honoring your body where it is as you are on your journey elsewhere is the best thing you can do for your current self and future self. That expressing yourself through movement is a form of therapeutic release that can grant a seriously amazing breakthrough if you allow it to. That your body is worthy of practicing and doing what you love in your own beautiful way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Journey2Antoinette
- Other: https://linktr.ee/Journey2Antoinette
Image Credits
Kwame Gillison I Myself (Antoinette Webb)