Jessamyn Stanley, the American founder of wellness app The Underbelly, signed up for her first yoga class begrudgingly. It took a persuasive friend to convince her to attend – and once she did, it wasn’t a comfortable experience.

“I was very aware I was one of the only Black people – and one of the only fat people,” she says. ”I felt so alone and alienated.“

The Underbelly, which Stanley founded years later, gives people a decidedly different entry point.

“The initial spark for The Underbelly was to increase accessibility to radically inclusive yoga spaces,” and she knew an app would be key to helping her achieve that vision.

“I see the app as tool for global accessibility. Even if you regularly attend in-person yoga classes, an online practice allows you to stay consistent when you might not feel like leaving your house.”

From The Underbelly’s restorative Bedtime Yoga to the fully seated Couch Potato Yoga, a common thread in every class is how instructors make people of all body types and backgrounds feel represented.

“Other teachers and I speak specifically to parts of the body that others hide away,” says Stanley. “I talk about what to do with your belly or boobs when you’re moving through postures.”

For Stanley, who had never launched a start-up, creating The Underbelly has been an invaluable opportunity to put her own knowledge into practice.

“Creating the app has taught me the importance of slowing down, moving from a firm and steadfast intention and valuing my community above all else,” she say. “I trust them to tell me what they need so The Underbelly can best be of service to them.”

Lina Nielsen, a British sprinter and instructor in the Fiit app, knows first-hand the unique challenges athletes face when practising yoga – insights she brings to her classes in Fiit.

“Athletes’ bodies are so different to people who practise yoga a lot,” says Nielsen. “We have tight Achilles, tight hamstrings, tight shoulders – it just makes moves like downward facing dog near impossible.”

Nielsen offers a series of classes in Fiit on yin yoga (a slower-paced, restorative flow) aimed at athletes, as well as a Yoga for Runners series. “I mention it’s fine if your hamstrings don’t want to let go,” she says. “‘The hamstrings can still stretch through flexion’ is my classic phrase when I teach yoga. I’ve said that so many times in Fiit!”

She also tries to be open about her limitations. “I pride myself on the fact that there are certain poses I can’t do, and that’s fine.” She hopes her candour in her classes will ease the pressure some might feel to achieve what they think yoga should look like.

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For athletes especially, yoga offers mental benefits as well as physical ones. She encourages people to use the seven classes in her Yin for Athletes series to “let your mind take a break”.

“In high-pressure environments, if you can find that stillness, you’re at such an advantage,” she says. “Stillness comes from being able to tap into some sort of meditation.”

That stillness can be helpful when you’re gearing up to speak publicly or navigating life’s unpredictability. It’s also necessary in pivotal situations for an athlete – like the global games in Paris in 2024, where Nielsen competed.

She used everything she learned from becoming a yoga teacher in that moment. “I was so grateful to have those tools to tap into when I needed it the most.”

And it helped. As part of the women’s 4x400m relay team, Nielsen took home a bronze medal for Great Britain.

Phyllicia Bonanno’s six-week yoga programme in Sweat is a great place to get started if you’re just beginning your yoga journey.

Apple Fitness+ yoga trainer Jonelle Lewis brings a fun energy to her classes, perfect for music lovers looking for energetic flows with killer soundtracks.

Read more stories about women creating positive change through apps and games:

Photo of Jessamyn Stanley, credited to Justin Cook.

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