This is about an adventure mentioned in the previous blog and video, where the adventure was said to be “…innovative and different, something that most people wouldn’t do.” This adventure was Naked Yoga. Yup, you read it right.

It’s surprising how often the subject of Naked Yoga comes up in my casual conversations. People usually ask, “What made you think of doing Naked Yoga?” Well, I was invited to try it by a friend. Christina Castaldo, a Facilitator, said she was going to be co-leading the class. I asked the date and time of the class and then checked my calendar, I didn’t have anything scheduled, so I said, yes. She told me the cost and location and that finalized my planning for this adventure.

Weeks later, it was time for Naked Yoga. I wasn’t sure what to wear or how to prepare myself. Only one thought continued to run through my head: “Just don’t look up when you are in the downward dog pose; don’t look up.”

I arrived at the location with my yoga mat in hand and hung out in the lobby with a couple of other women. I asked, “Have you ever done Naked Yoga before?” No one had. I’d heard Christina say there would be about seven women. So I said, “Oh, so this isn’t going to be a coed class?” I thought the other ladies in the lobby were going to come unglued. They said, “You didn’t know! You thought this was going to be a coed class, and you still showed up?”

I explained to them: I didn’t ask any questions before I arrived; I’d assumed it was just a yoga class that was going to be done naked. They started to look worried, which was not my intention. So, I quickly explained to them that I do something every month that I have never done before. When this adventure was presented to me, I said, yes, because it would be another “first” for me.

The time came to enter the yoga room. Water bottles had been arranged in a circle around a basket. We each rolled out our mat behind a water bottle and sat down …. fully clothed. I was excited with anticipation as this experience was about to start. The co-leaders set the intentions for the day, let us know what to expect and that anyone could leave at any time with no questions asked.

The next step was to peel the layers of negative messages we held inside about our bodies. One at a time, we verbalized our messages as we removed one piece of clothing at a time and threw it into the center basket before sitting down. It was a vulnerable and beautiful method of getting naked. Anyone who wanted could share what came up for them as they shed negativity and clothes. This adventure was turning out to being more than just doing yoga naked!

Then we started to do yoga. It was when I was in the Warrior pose that I realized coconut oil and Naked Yoga don’t mix. Let me explain. I regularly use coconut oil as a lotion over my whole body. When I was naked and sitting on the yoga mat, a little bit of oil transferred onto my mat. Doing standing poses with my legs apart became increasingly tricky, as my feet began to slide farther apart. The thought going through my head was, “For the love of God! Toes, grip this mat like our life depends on it. Grip the mat!” My state of mind was no longer calm but determined to meet the challenge of EXTREME NAKED YOGA!

The class ended by playfully getting dressed and sharing how this experience impacted us. My learnings from the class:
• I was grateful for the opportunity to be a part of and support the transformation of the negative body images that we all harbor
• I was glad I’d trusted my friend since that had allowed me to be fully present and enjoy this new adventure
• I learned that coconut oil and Naked Yoga don’t mix

Do you set yourself up to be delightfully surprised by not knowing everything and being open and trusting to new adventures in your life? The next time you have an opportunity to do something with someone you trust, I challenge you to ask only questions to get you to the adventure, and to learn what you need to bring in order to experience it properly. I challenge you to, “Go with the flow,” be present, feel like a kid again and live free.

If you are not sure how to get started on your adventures, let me know. I’d be happy to assist you. If you’ve already done this in your life, I would love to hear about your adventure and how “you didn’t know” something and took a chance to learn about it. Email me at contact@keatscoaching.com