Not quite at home in your own skin, but willing to think outside the box to get yourself there? Here’s something that might be worth trying: Naked yoga (who needs Lululemon, anyway?). Oh, and just FYI, it's co-ed.
The Bold & Naked studio in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood teaches Vinyasa yoga for all experience levels, and it's geared towards giving you both an awesome workout and a few lessons in body positivity. Why does it work? Writes Bold & Naked on its website, “It’s about being comfortable in your own skin and the amazing confidence that comes with it. It’s about knowing, accepting, and loving yourself at your core. Part of yoga is to honor and connect with your body. Practicing yoga naked frees you from the negative feelings about your body and allows you to be more accepting and deeper connected with yourself and the world around you.” Now there's a philosophy I can get behind!
It all started when Joschi Schwartz, who co-owns the studio with Monika Werner, took his clothes off while practicing yoga at home as an experiment. Not only did he find that it was fun (because hey, nudity is fun!), but moreover, he found it improved the quality of his practice. “I could feel that I was much more aligned and connected with my body,” he told the Daily Mail. I imagine it made him feel something like this:
Minus the clothing, of course.
And before you ask, no, it’s not a sex thing. As in any yoga class, the teacher might touch you in order to do things like correct your alignment so you avoid injury, but it won’t be sexual in any way. Neither will touching or other body contact between students. The studio also does its absolute best to create a safe environment for what it hopes to accomplish: Outside observers aren’t allowed; neither is photography; and your membership will be totally confidential. Anyone who violates the “no sexual touching” rule will be asked to leave and won’t be allowed back in the future. Oh, and dudes? Don't worry about spontaneous erections; they're totally normal and won't get you thrown out. "It rarely happens," the studio says in its FAQ, "but when it does, it's okay and nothing to be embarrassed about. It will pass quickly. Erections happen for a lot of reasons and are not limited to sexual attraction." Keep calm and yoga on.
Group classes start at $25 a pop, and one-on-one sessions are available for $135. Check out the video below for an inside look on what goes on during a co-ed naked yoga class:
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