“Core work” is more than just abs.

I enjoy a good six-pack, visually.

I am shallow like that.

Or maybe it’s that I have absorbed part of the shallowness of a mainstream culture which upholds visibly toned bodies as the highest standard of beauty.

I do know how damaging this is — I suffered from an eating disorder for years and am deeply aware of the harm caused by ableism and fatphobia — but that’s a topic for another day. For now, let’s just say: I enjoy a good six-pack.

I also know that, in general parlance, “working the core” in yoga asana practice is thought of as synonymous with working the abs: getting towards that six-pack.

This is where I diverge.

Working the core is so much more than that, even if we are just talking about asana practice (don’t get me started on breathing).

Our “core” is not two-dimensional and limited to the abs: it wraps all the way around our torsos. Our “core” doesn’t like to be permanently flexed: it likes to be stretched and extended too. Our “core” is not just muscular: there is fascia and bones and tendons and ligaments too, all of which needs to stay in balance for us to have a well-functioning “core.” And it is a well-functioning core — not a six-pack — that helps us do fun stuff like surfing, climbing, hiking, and walking.