In working on the Naked Yoga Book, I presented a series of contemplative questions and writing prompts that I listed on my website for individuals to ponder over who were interested in telling their story. Last night I received this beautiful and vulnerable email from a lovely Pakistani man. I was moved so much by his response, I wanted to share.
Tell me the story of your body.
I use to be overweight prior to high school. I would be bullied for being a fat, nerdy paki.
I remember holding my chest from bouncing around the pool during school trips in the summer.
During my stay in Pakistan I lost a lot of weight and came back to Canada. People I knew couldn’t recognize me after I had lost all that weight.
I started to workout and liked the attention I was getting. My cousin dared me by saying “Pakis can’t get a six pack” so I began working out 6 days a week and became a fitness model.
I thought I looked great and felt like crap because I was dehydrating myself to look more ripped for photoshoots and casting events.
Now I have gained some weight and am not so obsessed with the GQ look. I am a yogi and I love my body as it is the perfect gift for me from my Maker!
Why did your soul choose this body?
Because it knew it was the perfect shape, size and color to allow me to experience all that I intended in this lifetime.
What is yoga to you? How has naked yoga transformed your life?
Yoga is life to me. Yoga means union and to me life is about looking past illusions to remember our oneness with all that is.
Naked yoga gave me a venue to express my love for the body I have while daring myself not to look to impress anyone with an image that I adopted from some magazine.
What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned from your body over the years?
I am perfect.
What struggles have you faced being an embodied soul in your particular body?
Being overweight
Eating out of depression
Starving my body to look good
Severe allergies and hives
Car accident leading to 6 herniated disks
Getting better through love and yoga
– Ali
Naked Yoga Alliance 
Reblogged this on home clothes free.
Thanks for the reblog! Hugz!
well done , as a naked yoga teacher , i see people becomeing at ease with the body were given , and the fact that we dont make a big deal about size and shape . yoga is a path to a clear mind and heart . welcome to naked yoga and its simple path
Hi Mike! Would love to hear anything you’d like to share about being a teacher of this practice. Indeed feel free to write how you got inspired by this practice especially enough to teach it regularly and I’ll post it here 🙂
i was a naturist first , and a year or so ago i had a stroke . this left me with an arm that was semi usless and my left leg dragging. My Dr. said I should have physical therapy, and I mentioned I had just started yoga . He told me to do yoga instead . It worked to heal the body and mind after a year i am physicaly better and haved completed most of my yoga teacher training , i have just finished the training portion and i need to teach 22 of 25 class sessions where i teach students or trainees. i am currently doing the only Nude class, or clothing optional class in the state where i live. Im averageing a mixed class of about 20 people , every saturday. Im haveing a great time teaching and learning to live .
Thank you for sharing your healing and inspirational story!