FAQs

Why naked yoga for men?
Nakedness is beautiful, sensuous, nurturing, joyous and fun. One of the core concepts of yoga is self-acceptance. What better way to connect with, accept and even celebrate our own bodies than to be nude?

Nudity awakens the senses, enabling us to fully experience and enjoy our physicality: things such as the delicacy of the air moving over our skin and the deep strength and muscular engagement of a full stretch… and so much more.

Modern culture tends to disconnect us from our bodies. Practising yoga without clothes is one way to counter that. When we are invited to be aware of our bodies, it’s very often in a negative, self-critical way. There’s a pervading message that our bodies are not, and never will be, good enough. Naked yoga strips that away, simply and directly.

Many people find it very liberating to do yoga with no clothing, both psychologically and, because they don’t have to twitch at riding up hemlines or chafing seams, practically. It has also been suggested that the outfits produced by many of the fashionable yoga labels are just as sexually revealing and provocative as nudity, if not more so.

The ancient yogis did their yoga bare.

Calvin and Hobbes cartoon by Bill Watterson

Can I wear my pants?
No. It’s naked or nothing. It’s one of those “just jump in” things. Many students say they forget about the nakedness very quickly and it just comes to feel natural. They wonder why they worried about it.

What if I get a stiffie?
What if you sneeze or hiccup or blink? These are all natural things that our bodies do. Erections are part of being a man. They’re not offensive or shameful and need not be hidden. If it happens, enjoy the energy and carry on with the yoga. The ancient philosophies and spiritualities eastern cultures, which have strong links with yoga, recognise and celebrate our sexual drive as an important life force.

Is this tantric yoga/tantra?
Yes, it is, but tantra is a difficult concept that weaves together body, sexuality, spirit and soul. Its roots are as long, deep and noble as yoga’s but in recent years the meaning of the word has morphed and, sadly, it is often now used as a synonym for sex and to imbue events and practises with a salaciousness that only really serves to cynically increase sales. So, if you’re looking for an orgy, you need to look somewhere else.

What do I need for a session?

• A yoga mat.
• A small bottle of water (you can refill at the venue).
• A towel (to use during the class. Unfortunately, our venues do not have showers).

You can buy a (washed) second-hand mat and carrier/bag from me for £15. Please email me in advance of the session if you want to buy one.
If you prefer to source a mat yourself be sure to get what’s known as a “sticky” mat as other “exercise” mats do not have the right sort of non-slip texture. They are available pretty widely, on the internet or from stores such as Argos.

Safety first: A yoga mat is designed to help you avoid slipping. A large towel or sarong or something similar increases the chances of you slipping, so won’t do as an alternative.

Will you flood my social media with pictures of you showing off?
No. I aim to keep you informed of what’s going on and things you might like to take part in without being overly intrusive. You can see what I look like on the pages of this website (and in class) but I’m sure you don’t feel the need to be constantly bombarded with images of me, dubious daily/weekly photo challenges and “inspirational” progress reports on “my journey with yoga”.
X: https://twitter.com/HeyAltogether

Can I trust you?
Yes. What you see on these pages is, to the very best of my ability, honest and truthful. I try hard not to create false impressions. If you spot an inaccuracy, please send me an email at altogether.yoga@gmail.com to let me  know.