We all know how fantastic yoga is for your mind and body, and there are various styles of yoga, but a studio in New York has started to offer
naked yoga....yes I do mean naked as in with no clothes on!
I haven't personally attended any of the classes as I am based in the UK, but, after researching it, I'm incredibly curious.
Bold & Naked offer the naked yoga classes regularly, and their motto is: Become free. Be bold. Be naked. Be YOU.
That alone fills me with feelings of empowerment, which is what the class is all about.
The idea of stripping down in front of other people fills me with fear, as it probably does for most of you, but Bold & Naked make a great point on their website, saying: "What happened that nakedness today is frowned upon and social nudism is seen as immoral? Why does nudity upset some people and why does it excite others to such a degree? What happened that in the course of human evolution nakedness, which simply represents our body in its natural state, is now a catalyst for contradictory thoughts, feelings and activities?"
There are many benefits to attending a naked yoga class:
- Free yourself from negative emotions
- Learn to understand yourself
- Learn to love yourself, and the people around you
- Gain self-esteem and personal growth
- Learn to trust yourself
- Inspire others
The concept of naked yoga originated from India, where people would undress themselves both spiritually and physically, getting rid of all material possessions and sexual desires.
Yoga is all about releasing your mind from clutter to obtain enlightenment, and with naked yoga you are completely clearing anything mentally or physically restricting your body and allowing yourself to become fully immersed in the practise of yoga.
Naked yoga is fantastic for improving your body confidence because you are unable to hide yourself behind anything, and the yoga helps you to find the beauty within.
Bold & Naked say on their website: "Naked yoga for women is dedicated to guide women on their personal journey to empowerment. We recognize the beauty of every woman’s unique body & soul and inspire women to have the courage to break free from from the chains of limiting belief patterns as well as societal conditioning that have kept many of us from seeing our true beauty and power."
They have a great philosophy on why naked yoga is so beneficial, saying: "We come into this world completely naked, absolutely perfect and with limitless potential. Through our lives, we pick up labels, judgements, thoughts and beliefs and our clothes represent the disguise of who we actually are. Clothing is a barrier between ourselves and the world and affects the way we perceive ourselves and our environment."
It actually makes perfect sense!
The difficult part would be initially removing your clothes in the studio, but everyone in the room would be feeling the same way, so you would be in a room free from judgement. There would be no hierarchy because you would all just be who you are naturally; nothing to show your status or life achievements, just you.
It is a fantastic way to literally go back to basics and reconnect with yourself in a way that you probably have never managed before, and people who have attended the classes say that it brings a new level of honesty and authenticity to yoga practise.
Although, the majority of us associate nakedness with sex, Bold & Naked are very strict regarding any contact of a sexual nature, so there is no reason for anyone wishing to take a class to worry that they will be objectified by classmates.
They state: "It is our intention to create a community of women who support and empower one another to have the body and life we want…
OUR way!"
So these classes are designed to help you better understand yourself (being free from negative emotions), and to improve your body confidence and self esteem...and you won't have anybody leering at you despite being naked. It actually sounds amazing!
So, would you try naked yoga?
Sources:
http://www.boldnaked.com/
http://www.dreampositive.info/psychological-benefits-naked-yoga/
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/5/prweb10725262.htm
