This Photographer's Project Reveals the Real Faces of Yoga

When we often see people posing in yoga postures for the camera on social media, their state seems rather passive yet the sex appeal is in your face. But when you're deep in a pose, or being told by your instructor to just let it all go, do these expressions really match up? Photographer Jonah Sargent, who is from Minneapolis, Minnesota, wanted to capture the discomfort associated with practicing hot yoga for a new book. His hope was to change people's perspective of what sweaty pain actually looks like, therefore debunking the myth that people always look sexy and relaxed, as they seem to on Instagram. His coffee-table book will be called Faces Of Yoga, which he is using the crowd-funding site Kickstarter to raise money for.

"When I first started yoga, I was constantly distracted by how I looked and felt during class and I think that’s why a lot of people don’t try it," he said on his Kickstarter page. "People are worried they’ll look or feel stupid. In the era of Instagram profiles devoted to 'sexy yoga poses on beaches,' it's important to remember that we all look bad when we do yoga, so we should immerse ourselves in it and forget the rest."

Of the project, Jonah said it's him "taking uncomfortable photos of people in strange poses." He continued to say, "Why am I making a book of sweaty people? It's not because I'm a die-heard 'yogi' or anything."

He hopes his own distraction during yoga classes can open people's minds to the truth: no one looks wonderful while getting deep in their practice.

Of the shots the photographer took, he kept the ones that made him feel "the most uncomfortable." From strange faces to a man with his legs over his head, it doesn't look all that sexy, but they're experiencing a variety of emotions, from euphoric and aloof to being in the zone, sweating profusely.

Jonah has one week to reach his goal of $2,500, of which he has currently raised $899.

What are your thoughts on this project?

Source: Daily Mail

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