nudus interruptus — when nudity is unexpectedly cut short

"We're nudists but we're not stupid" is such a cliché. We should be honest, up front and unapologetic about our beliefs and our lifestyle.

I hate the phrase "getting caught nude" because it implies that you're doing something wrong. When someone unexpectedly sees you nude, make no apologies and just be yourself.

Just what, exactly, is so frightening about a nude person that causes the average American to recoil in horror? We're actually quite harmless and a lot of fun.

I find it contradictory that I have to wear clothing when exercising in a gymnasium.

If I go to a nudist colony, can I incite a revolt and declare independence from our oppressive colonial masters?

Life begins in the nude.

Nude Yoga

yoga 180x180 Nude yoga seems to be catching on with some Hollywood celebrities and nude yoga classes are becoming available in more cities across the country all the time. For nudists and naturists, yoga is just one more activity that you can do in the nude.

I’ve been a naturist (nudist) for a little while now and I’ve recently begun to practice yoga. I got myself a DVD, followed along with a couple of programs I found on FitTV, and decided to attend a weekly class. Like naturism, the deeper I dug into it, the more appealing it became because it fit well into my beliefs and my personal goals. It was only natural that I should see no reason the two couldn’t go together.

Many news articles and blogs I’ve read that discussed nude yoga were not very positive about it nor were posted comments. They all voiced concerns over postures that could be a little too revealing for polite company. I found at least one article, Naked Yoga Revealed, that disturbed me. The class the author described seemed to be some kind of primal therapy with graphic language and a sexually charged, voyeuristic atmosphere. She also indicated that the poses were disjointed.

David Oliphant, a yoga instructor who teaches nude yoga classes in Las Vegas, (see link below) explains different reasons people might practice nude yoga and how he tries to set up an environment where no one should feel too exposed. I belong to the Naturist Yoga group on Skinbook, and in that forum, Dan Speers, who teaches nude yoga in his own studio, has discussed things he does to create a comfortable atmosphere for his classes.

Although nude yoga seems to be gaining in popularity among celebrities and nudists, many in the yoga community are not supportive. In a recent blog post, YogaDork offered the following quotes:

“It’s the worst you can do to yoga. There are other ways to lose your fears like singing before people, talking in front of a crowd, showing your poetry to a group of people. Shedding one’s clothes propagates perversion. You’ll be better off on a nude beach!” — Bharat Thakur

Ruchi Kale of the Dhyan Foundation rubbished the trend as a “gimmick”.

My take on nude yoga? I occasionally practice yoga in the nude at home and, to be honest, I haven’t noticed that it has made a difference in my practice. I’m still new to yoga so I find myself focusing on my ujjayi breath and learning the asanas.

To me, being nude is just another clothing option that offers me a great deal of flexibility and other benefits. It doesn’t feel much different than when I’m wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. I do my practice in whatever is most practical and comfortable for the environment I’m in at the time. As in my daily life, the nudity isn’t as important as the naturist attitude and philosophy. Incidentally, I don’t think of it as nude yoga but doing yoga in the nude. “Nude yoga” somehow makes it sound like it’s more than yoga. It’s still yoga, but clothing-optional.

Would I attend a nude yoga class? Sure, I’d probably give it a try.

Articles:

Updated post: Nude Yoga, A Naturist Viewpoint

Comments are closed.