Friday, January 6, 2012

My naked yoga class

I want to challenge my own anxiety about nudity. But can I really handle downward dog without any clothes on?

My instructor looked at me from the head of the dim room and smiled. Not in a creepy way, more in a “you can do this!” way. But I wasn’t so sure. I had struck a Warrior One pose a thousand times before, yet I still stumbled into the person next to me more often than I cared to admit. Normally I’d just offer a little self-deprecating shoulder shrug and move on, but what would I say in this situation? “Oops! I just ran into your bare penis”?

I had enrolled in a naked yoga class on impulse. My husband was gone for two months that summer, and in my solitude, I began a spiritual exploration of sorts, signing up for Buddhist book groups, taking long, contemplative walks, and reading a good deal of Eckhart Tolle. I was in a normal, fully clothed yoga class when I struck up a conversation with the woman I’d been paired with for partner poses. She was incredibly flexible.

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2 comments:

  1. I enjoyed the article and found her perspective refreshing. I generally do my yoga practice at home in the nude and would love to attend a nude class but I haven't found one in my area yet.

    For me, naked yoga just makes sense. I can recount numerous times in a traditional clothed class when I wished I was nude so I wouldn't need to make adjustments to account for clothing.

    No problem with a clothes-free downward dog!

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  2. Oh my God it’s great. With the non-restriction of clothes, I get in touch with nature, it brought a natural freshness to it, I feel so free, that’s a great feeling, everyone should try it.
    http://www.yogapractice123.com

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