Appearance and weight are a big issue for many of us. Even when we have attractive bodies by conventional means, it can be really difficult to accept that and to feel comfortable in your skin.
We learn from a young age that we need to cover ourselves up and hide our bodies away.
This teaches us that our bodies are inherently something to be ashamed of. This is ten-fold for anybody who grew up with weight and body image issues.
You’re never alone in this struggle.
It’s extremely common in every community, even in our little yoga community. I myself have struggled often with image issues. What helped me to love my body regardless of the flaws it may or may not have was going naked.
It Sounds Crazy
It might be a crazy idea, but honestly, going naked is what helped me to see that my body was natural and deserved to be loved.
It helped me see that my body is the carriage for my brain and it deserves respect and kindness for all of the hard work it does. It stopped me from thinking of myself as a product of my insecurities.
Going naked wasn’t the first thing I tried to learn to love myself.
I’ve lost a lot of weight before, I’ve changed styles, I’ve gone tanning, I’ve had excellent skin care. Even when I was at my most conventionally attractive, I still felt like I was a liar and that the “real me” was all those insecurities still.
It felt like this beauty was a temporary state, a mask. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t love myself even though I desperately wanted to. Nudity was the only thing that changed things for me.
Naked with Yoga, Naked with Life
When I first got into yoga, I did start to learn to appreciate myself more. I also learned to not focus so much on my body.
Yoga taught me that I was allowed to occupy space. It showed me the amazing things that my body is capable of. It helped me to put a lot of value into myself that I hadn’t even realized wasn’t there anymore.
I was so thankful for that, and still am, but the job wasn’t done yet. I liked myself and valued myself, but I don’t think I loved myself then.
I started going naked when I could because of the sauna. Though many places require people to wear a bathing suit or a towel in the sauna, the traditional way to go to the sauna is to go in the nude.
Otherwise you’re just sitting in wet clothes soaking with your sweat. That’s gross!
I didn’t go to the sauna alone, either. The first time I went was with a group of friends. I was a nervous wreck over it, but I felt like opting out at the last second wasn’t an option. I felt like that’d be more embarrassing than just letting people see my body.
It wasn’t the easiest introduction to being nude around people, but there was something about it that made me feel great about myself. Nobody gawked at my stretch marks. Nobody laughed. Nobody vomited in the corner. I was normal, and I fit in just fine. After that, I wanted to explore more about how being naked made me feel.
From there I spent a lot more time naked. When I was home alone, I’d walk around naked. I started sleeping naked. I’d go swimming in the lake nearby my house naked. I practised yoga at home naked.
I just felt like clothes weren’t necessary anymore except for when I was out in public, so I wore them only when it was socially (and legally) required. I wasn’t trying to make a statement or anything. I just felt better when I was naked. Eventually, that feeling carried over to feeling better when I was wearing clothes, too.
The Lessons
Being nude taught me a lot of things, and so did seeing others nude. It taught me that vulnerability isn’t a bad or weak thing. It taught me to trust. It taught me that nobody is perfect. It taught me that insecurities hold you back from joy and fun. And it taught me that there’s nothing to be gained from judging yourself.
I still like to go naked. I do yoga naked, and it’s liberating as heck. Yoga pants are great for yoga, but you won’t know freedom until you try yoga naked. There’s so much more mobility! Just uh… keep some baby powder handy for when you start to stick to your mat. That’s not pretty or fun!
Yoga helped me to learn to accept myself, but doing yoga and living life naked when it was possible helped me to learn to love myself.
I feel confident and comfortable in my own skin now, and that’s incredible.
It’s a feeling I never thought I’d be able to have, and you can have it too. Try ditching the yoga pants for an even more free feeling and experience what it’s like to live life in the complete open. What are you waiting for? Get naked!
Namaste. The yoganum family
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