Instagram is filled with pictures of artfully posed yogis espousing peace, happiness, and meditation.
If you look closely, you'll notice that there may be a bit of a pattern. Most the these accounts feature pictures of women who are young, thin, and fair-skinned.
It's no wonder that Valerie Sagun's photos are causing a stir. She boldly promotes body acceptance and exercise, but it's probably not in the way you're expecting.
Some people have even gone so far as to shame the Fine Arts student for posting the pictures, but her account @biggalyoga has more than 94,000 followers who don't seem to mind.
As you may have guessed from her screen name, Valerie is a plus-size yoga enthusiast whose Instagram documents her adventures.
This isn't just about smiling and being pretty for her; all of her photos are a part of her bigger plan to stop fat-shaming and promote body positivity.
Browsing her gallery makes it clear that she is comfortable in her skin, and she wants to share this confidence with her followers.
The negative commenters who sometimes attack her only seem to provide motivation, and Valerie now plans on furthering her mission by becoming a professional yoga teacher.
