I can tell you, straight off the gate: hell naw.
If you were offended by the transparency of the yoga pants Lululemon recalled last March, stay away from Bold & Naked, the first coed naked yoga studio in New York City.
Owners Joschi Schwarz and Monika Werner believe that naked yoga allows participants to find a deeper connection with the world around them. When the popularity of Schwarz’s all-male naked yoga classes in Le Male Yoga in Chelsea rose, he opened Bold & Naked with Werner.
The studio offers various combinations of clothed, naked, same sex, and coed classes. And regarding the naked sessions and Tantric Yogassage offered: “If you are looking for an orgasm, you are in the wrong place,” the Bold & Naked website states.
“By shedding their clothes and practicing yoga in the nude, students literally drop the masks and labels they hide behind all day,” the website says. “Practicing yoga naked frees you from negative feelings about your body and allows you to be more accepting of your physical imperfections.”
When I think of everything that happens in a yoga class – sweating, sharing of props, body odor – I just… my stomach starts doing backflips. When I think of all the security and safety issues that this could present, the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention. Nude yoga in the privacy of your own home is one thing – classes? I’m struggling.
But, at the same time, I’m alright with questioning myself – am I just being a prude? Is it really not that big of a deal?
Sound off, family — could you do it? Could you commit to a regular nude yoga class?