The practice of yoga is all about understanding your body. It combines physics, mental, and spiritual components of a person to reach the outcome of becoming a more balanced and relaxed state of being. When doing yoga, a person should be become more in touch with the physical and mental parts of their body. When the yogi is more aware of their body, they are simultaneously becoming more comfortable with their body.
The Bold & Naked studio, located in Chelsea, New York City, introduced a series of classes to take body positivity to an entire new level. In an attempt to get their yoga students to celebrate the body they were born with, the studio created a class where attendees practice their poses completely naked.
Anybody that is asked to leave for behavioral misconduct will not be able to return for future classes. Instructors can touch students to help position their bodies correctly, but it is not meant to be taken in a sexual way.
Naked yoga, more officially known as nagna yoga, has been in practice for thousands of years. Many religions that use yoga as a spiritual custom use naked yoga to become more in touch with nature and other members of their groups. During the 1960s, the popularity of the practice increased in America.
The goal of these classes is to not only to create an environment where participants can become more comfortable with their entire body, but also become comfortable with their own and other naked bodies in a nonsexual manner. The world we live in today is highly sexualized and causes unnecessary body negativity among men and women alike. The studio offers a co-ed class and other classes that are divided by gender. Photography and sexual behavior in the class are prohibited. Not even observers are allowed inside the room while the class is being taught, creating complete privacy for participants.
The description of the classes on the website even includes the phrase: IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN ORGASM, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE.
If you ever find yourself with some time to spare in the Big Apple, stop by the Bold & Naked studio. Along with their naked yoga class, they also offer instructor certification and a variety of other classes where instructors and students are fully clothed.