“You don’t have to punish your body with aggressive exercise. You don’t need to sweat a lake in your house or never eat solid food again to achieve a healthy strong body that comes with a feeling that you can conquer the world!”
This is what Erin Motz, the co-founder of Bad Yogi and the Perfect Body Yoga Program strongly believes in and we couldn’t agree more with her. Take a look at the interview we did with this amazing woman.
Who is Erin Motz?
I’m the co-founder of Bad Yogi and the Perfect Body Yoga Program. I’m a different sort of yoga teacher in that I totally forgive you if you don’t know your asana from your elbow, I think an occasional burger is totally fine, and I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like chocolate ;)
I created PBYP because the world needed this! It’s the first program that values health over vanity and that fuses yoga with fitness. I always hated that fitness programs advertising 6-pack abs and “bikini bodies” are just perpetuating the stereotype that says there’s one version of “healthy.”
Shaming isn’t inspiring, and that’s why I created PBYP: to help people discover the healthiest versions of the bodies they already have. It’s not to try to look like your favorite fitness model or celebrity, it’s to uncover your own version of perfect and find your own strength and abilities you didn’t even know were there.
Why did you name it the way you did?
I think that the word “perfect” is stigmatized because it’s always associated with one unattainable beauty ideal. We wanted to redefine what Perfect meant to people, because I really believe that it’s possible for anyone to find their OWN version of “perfect” when given the right tools. This program isn’t about making your body look like anyone else; it’s about discovering that you’re perfect exactly as you are.
There’s a ton of fitness programs out there already; what makes this one different?
Definitely the philosophy and approach. This is 100% focused on increasing strength, flexibility, and mindfulness. You don’t need to sweat a lake in your house or never eat solid food again to achieve a healthy strong body that comes with a feeling that you can conquer the world.
This is an 8-week program that you’ll actually look forward to doing, AND it incorporates rest and meditation/mindfulness which is completely overlooked in many other high intensity programs.
Entire program is set to 8 weeks. Why 8 weeks?
This is a good amount of time to change your body, your approach to health and wellness, and build a habit that you actually want to maintain well after the 8 weeks are over.
Mainstream media are bombarding us daily with photos of perfectly shaped models making us to believe that having this “bikini bodies look” is the most important aspect of our body. Many women find this quite frustrating and put themselves down because they can’t achieve such “perfection”. Is this really most important thing or there is something more valuable when we talk about our bodies? Are we obsessed with our bodies in wrong way?
I think we are obsessed in the wrong way, but it’s not our fault. The media (and I mean ALL media blogs, news, fitness videos, advertisements on TV, magazine articles— everything, gives us the same image of what we should strive for.
The current communication about what it means to be “fit” is all wrong and completely discouraging, so it’s no wonder so many of us are frustrated. When we can shift our mindset to appreciate what our bodies can DO instead of how much body fat we have, we’d be much better off.
We noticed that beginners are truly excited with your program and your specific approach. Creative, motivating, encouraging, challenging, user friendly, to name just few basics impressions people have about this program. What is the real secret about why people like it so much?
I think it’s the first program that actually encourages people instead of breaking them down. I’m not the sort of teacher who’s going to scream at you through the screen to push harder. I want you to know your limits and that includes knowing when you should work hard and also knowing when to take a break.
The approach here is a balanced one, and it takes the pressure off. Plus, the community of members is unprecedented… I don’t mean to sound cheesy, but the genuine support and encouragement from all the people in the program is so profound and sincere, I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it before, especially considering none of these people knew each other before PBYP!
The community is something you talk about a lot. Why is a “community” important in a program like this?
One of the biggest reasons why we quit any new health routine is because we’re in it alone. It’s so easy to feel discouraged when you’re walking a journey like this on our own.
This community is keeping people accountable, both in their yoga and their rest. They remind you when you need to slow down or when you need to get off your booty and unroll your mat. It’s like having an instant bunch of friends who really care about you and want you to succeed.
We know many will love the fact they don’t need to punish their bodies with never ending workouts and aggressive exercise to feel confident and proud with their bodies. What would be your ultimate tip for YouQueen readers when it comes to yoga and fitness in generally?
You are your own best advocate. If you feel like a program or class is pushing too hard, listen to your gut. Find your yoga or fitness haven that feels like “home.” Your fitness should energize you and make you feel amazing, not deplete you. Always start by asking yourself what feels good, and go from there.
Complete food guide is important part of your program. What we can learn there? If we came to your home and looked inside the refrigerator, what would we find?
I love the food guide! The food guide isn’t what you expect: it’s NOT me telling you that you must eat this for dinner, that for breakfast, and only this for lunch, etc. It’s really a fantastic bundle of resources that empowers you to make your own choices for your own needs.
We also just added a community curated database of PBYP compatible recipes, so that’s pretty incredible too if you’re not sure where to start.
In my fridge I always have things like almond milk, hummus, and tons of fresh fruits and veggies. I also just got a beautiful piece of salmon for dinner tonight that I’ll make with a cucumber salad, so we’re definitely looking forward to that in my house!
For the end, if you have to name just 3 most important benefits of your program what they would be?
Progress, strength, and confidence.
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