While a woman was attending a yoga class with her friend, the instructor approached her and inquired about their medical condition before participating in the class. Then I looked at the woman’s belly and asked how far it was.
The woman is not pregnant and has not been pregnant before.
The woman says she has a “belly,” prompting the yoga teacher to ask the inappropriate question, assuming she is pregnant.
Sarah (@sarahinyellow) is a body image trainer who takes part in exercise classes, including yoga. However, a particular incident during one of her semesters left her feeling “ashamed”.
In a TikTok video Viewed more than 2 million times, Sarah revealed her yoga instructor asked her “how far” she was in her pregnancy after she looked at her belly and assumed she was expecting.
After Sarah informs the coach that she is not pregnant, she claims her coach was horrified and deeply apologetic. “I was like, ‘It’s okay, some bodies look like that,'” Sarah assured her trainer. However, the instructor’s assumptions remained constant throughout the class, making it difficult for her to focus.
“I got really frustrated with her during the semester because she really put me on hold,” Sarah admits. “I found myself all class keeping thinking about it, Having some negative thoughts about the bodyto notice the shape of my body in the large mirror.” She began to feel especially self-conscious. “I was counting, ‘How many times have you exercised this week? “
Eventually, Sarah came to the important realization that negative inner thoughts would cause her to doubt herself and her body.
She added that she is not angry at her yoga instructor, but rather at the societal expectations placed on women. “I’m just crazy In beauty standards and all that stuff Which makes us feel there has to be an explanation as to why you have a tummy, and if it’s not due to pregnancy or a health condition, then it’s something to be ashamed of.”
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Photo: TikTok/sarahinyellow
“I take really good care of my mental and physical health and it’s still what my body looks like, and that’s okay. I have a belly, and that’s okay.”
Sarah shared a photo of the outfit she wore to yoga class, admitting that she initially fiercely debated whether to wear it again. Now, she said she will “not overthink it” and will continue to do everything she can to take care of herself. “Now if you need me, my baby and I are hungry, so we’ll honor some cravings without guilt,” Sarah joked.
In a follow-up videoSarah documented herself surfing with a friend and shared an important message with viewers. “Yesterday someone openly assumed I was pregnant and it hurt,” she wrote in the video’s overlay. “Today, I still go about my body unapologetically and live my best life. This is what my body looks like when I’m happy and healthy. No explanation needed.”
Related: 15 Ways Women’s Bodies Change As We Age (Nothing To Be Ashamed Of)
Other TikTok users thanked Sarah for her important reminder and complimented her on embracing her physical appearance. “Thank you for sharing! This has happened so many times and now I’m already trying to get pregnant so it stings a little more than it used to,” one user commented.
“It was so nice of you to bring up this experience to share. You look so good, you’re not pregnant. You’re beautiful!” wrote another.
One woman added, “I’m a fellow girl who has a tummy and I struggle with this a lot, but seeing other people with my body style gives me comfort.”
Others revealed their own experiences Strangers make assumptions about their bodies, asking them how far they were in their “carry”. “I get this all the time because I carry all my weight in my midsection. It’s so frustrating when people say that,” one user said.
“This happened to me once from a receptionist at a doctor’s office. I was in the best shape I have ever been and it still took me a little bit!”
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People should refrain from making assumptions out loud about someone’s body.
While Sarah’s yoga instructor expressed remorse for her mistake, one shouldn’t assume or ask a woman if she’s pregnant or how far along she is unless she’s 100% sure she’s expecting. These assumptions can lead to negative perceptions and poor body image in some women.
“It can really hurt a woman’s feeling if she assumes she’s pregnant when she really isn’t,” OB-GYN says Dr. Lisa Wilson of Novant Health Providence. “Even patients still recovering from a recent baby have told me that there were people who assumed they were still pregnant. When in doubt, don’t ask.”
Even those promoting body positivity like Sarah can be hurt by these assumptions. It’s best to keep your comments to yourself unless you want to give a nice compliment.
Related: What does the ideal female body look like all over the world
Megan Quinn is a writer for YourTango covering entertainment, news, psychology, love and relationships.
This article originally appeared YourTango
