There’s been lots of consideration round rising nude yoga workshops for ladies in Canberra, nonetheless for the previous 14 years, nude yoga for males has been quietly going down every week with no fanfare..
Yoga teacher Gregory Barnes began nude yoga for males in Canberra in 2007 and says he needed to change class venues 14 instances due to the general public’s “taboo” notion of the observe.
“I ultimately determined to only inform folks we did yoga, they didn’t have to understand it was within the nude,” he says. “I had heard about nude yoga and initially I believed, ‘why would you are taking your garments off to do yoga’, I used to be taught within the conventional means. Then I did it at house on my own and I believed, ‘yeah, it’s fairly good’.”
Nude yoga first got here to Australia (Sydney) in 2002 however in India, Sadhus (a holy one who renounces worldly life together with garments) have been doing it lengthy earlier than westerners. Satirically, yoga was based in India by males and historically solely practised by males. In Western society at present, it appears extra fashionable amongst ladies.
“Indian Sadhus dedicate their complete lives to yoga,” Gregory says. “Some are bare the entire time. Sadhus surrender all possessions, together with clothes, to restrict struggling. By comparability, Westerners personal many possessions. Every little thing we personal takes up area in our minds. All our stuff wants cleansing, storing, upkeep and finally alternative.
“Think about on a regular basis we are able to waste, and the way harassed we are able to get looking for our stuff when it will get misplaced. Sadhus consider freedom from possessions brings freedom of spirit. In nude yoga, freedom from garments brings freedom of motion and a bunch of different self-imposed beliefs round physique picture, attractiveness and social standing. Nudity is the nice leveller.”
Gregory handed over the nude yoga for males courses to native yoga trainer Andreas Anthony in 2020, who is constant the Canberra courses fortnightly Mondays at 6.30pm – even by means of winter.
“A few of my college students have been going for all the 14 years,” Andreas says. “There was prejudice round it, there have been assumptions round that it was a sexual factor, it definitely isn’t. It’s at all times deeply rooted within the yoga observe,” Andreas says.
“You’re free from the entire restrictions of clothes. Many of the advantages of nude yoga are far past bodily, they’re all emotional and religious. Shared vulnerability makes a connection like no different.”
The boys in Canberra’s nude yoga courses vary in age from 22 to 75 and sophistication numbers range between 9 and 14 folks.
“It’s actually modified my life, my physique confidence and the way I understand myself and my physique on this world,” Andreas says. “That’s why I took over from Gregory. I wished to guarantee that Canberra males might proceed to get pleasure from the advantages of this observe.”
For extra info electronic mail Andreas: [email protected]
