In this week’s episode of the HerMoney podcast, we dive into all things body positivity, self-love and health, with Jessamyn Stanley, an internationally acclaimed voice in the wellness space. She’s the author of two books: Every Body Yoga and the recently released YOKE: My Yoga of Self Acceptance which explores issues of body positivity and race. Jessamyn is also the founder of streaming wellness app, The Underbelly, which has made a name for itself as a home for the “wellness-curious” who may feel displaced, discouraged, or overlooked due to not seeing themselves reflected in the health and fitness community. Jessamyn is also host of the sex and relationships podcast, Dear Jessamyn, and she is an award-winning social advocate.
Listen in as Jessamyn shares her messages of body positivity, and discusses how the wellness space and corporate America have a chance to intersect. We talk about her new book, YOKE, which delves into the intersection of capitalism and yoga, as well as guilt & greed.
We also discuss the pandemic’s impact on Black women, because it has disproportionately impacted Black women in the workforce. (Black women have experienced a 6% drop in employment overall since the start of the pandemic, while white women saw just a 2.9% drop.)
Jean and Jessamyn also tackle the intersection of health and money, the factors that can contribute to our inequity, and what Jessamyn has done to ensure greater access for more women. (Hint: The Underbelly is a big part of it!)
We also dive into impostor syndrome, which impacts women of all sizes and at all socioeconomic levels, and discuss how we can combat those feelings of unworthiness, of not being good enough.
“Every day is going to be different,” Jessamyn says. “There are going to be ups, and there are going to be downs, I learned to body shame myself from a very early age. I would say it’s one of the first things that I learned how to do, and I learned how to do it very well. And so now, in my adulthood, I’m just in recovery from it.”
Jessamyn also gets real about self care, and making sure we prioritize our own health: “If we’re going to take care of everybody else, we gotta take care of ourselves first. But it means that you have to believe that you have worth, and the way that can happen is by taking a couple of minutes for yourself every single day, to remember that you do have worth, and that you are important.”
In Mailbag, we hear from a listener who is curious about how to prioritize contributions to her student loans, 401(k) and emergency fund, and we also check in with a woman who is wondering how to invest the $130,000 profit from the sale of her home. And in Thrive, how to save money on every vacation — even international travel.
You can find out more about Jessamyn at her website, and follow her on Instagram here.
We’re taking so many of her pieces of advice with us this week. Our favorite? “Be easy on yourself.”
