Yoga and men

Men have traditionally been rather focused on, or steered towards, competitive sports disciplines. In these disciplines the performance and the result are regarded as important. In yoga, however, the elements of competition and rivalry are completely absent. The process, the evolution and the individual experience come first.
In our society, men are also strongly oriented towards mental activities (thinking and living from the mind). Yoga, on the other hand, can help them to improve the contact with their physical body and the world of feelings. Yoga and conscious breathing also help them to be more alert in a complete physical experience of the here and now.
In addition, men experience a deep sense of mutual trust in the occasional partner yoga exercises performed in pairs. Because we learn what it feels like to give support and to receive support. Thus we evolve from the state of rivals or competitors to the state of brotherhood.

Nude yoga and naturism

Particularly in Northern Europe, naturism, which grew out of German Körperkultur in the first half of the 20th century, is a movement that seeks a free and decomplexed experience of nudity. Today, numerous clubs and associations exist throughout Europe.
What is less well known is that in India, the cradle of yoga, there is still a tradition of sadhus or sages who go about their daily lives naked. But with them it is more as a sign of an ascetic, detached way of life.

Clothing and dress code versus nudity

Clothing, whether tailored suits, uniforms or work clothes, often acts as a label that pins us down to a particular role or status in society.
When we practice yoga without our clothes

• we get closer to our essence
• We show ourselves in our vulnerability which we discover as one of our strengths
• The body is freer, which allows for a deeper experience of the senses and movements

Leaving our clothes behind in the changing room also allows us to let go of the roles and constraints of everyday life. This makes us more like ourselves and paradoxically more like each other. Moreover, our society offers few, if any, opportunities to be naked outside a sexual context.

Men and nudity

It is sometimes said that women are generally more complexed about their bodies, and under the spell of society’s imposed (beauty) standards.
However, this applies equally to men. Men also suffer from this sometimes.
Being naked with other men gives us the opportunity to reconcile ourselves with the multiformity and transient nature of the physical body. This is in contrast to a society that imposes standards on us about the ideal appearance and the ideal age, which sometimes leads to discomfort, insecurity, complexes and even aversion to our own bodies. That is why nude yoga can be very liberating. We become aware of the great gift that our own unique body is.
In addition, at the basis of yoga philosophy lies the fact that our body is not the essence of who we are. The body is indeed our direct connection to the here and now of the reality of our temporary life in the material world. However it is a temporary coat which we leave behind after using it on this earth when we come at the end of our lives.
This realisation helps to let go of excessive attachment to external appearances.

Men and sexual orientation

In recent decades, a growing group of countries have dramatically improved the visibility, acceptance, equality and legal protection of individuals with a different sexual orientation.
However, there is a difference between accepting differences on paper and feeling free to experience those differences in reality in a relaxed way. For example, heterosexual men may sometimes feel uncomfortable in the presence of homosexual men. And homosexual men may continue to have fears or discomfort when in the company of heterosexual men. They often feel inclined to keep quiet about their sexual orientation or private life.
The Nude Yoga workshops for men are consciously open to all men, regardless of their sexual orientation. We choose for vulnerability and connection and play with this tension. Naturally, no discriminating or insulting behaviour towards sexual minorities is tolerated.

What kind of yoga do we practice in the workshops?

A regular yoga practice can dramatically change your life for the better.

This energetic and physical form of yoga is similar to Prana Yoga Flow.
Prana Yoga Flow is ideal for those who want to move in a healthy and conscious way and also want to cultivate strength and endurance. On a physical level, Prana Yoga Flow makes you more flexible, but also stronger. Your muscles are stimulated to grow in length. They develop uniform strength on all sides of your limbs, which improves the balance and health of your joints. You learn to stand more firmly and consciously, and you learn to work with your breathing more consciously.
After a Prana Yoga Flow class you feel incredibly grounded in your physical body.
In a Prana Yoga Flow class we use the three essential pillars of yoga:

• Mental presence
• Conscious breathing
• Posture

Read more about Prana Yoga Flow via the link below:

More detail about Prana Yoga Flow

In addition, the Nude Yoga workshops for men also include exercises from partneryoga and acroyoga.
The teacher will take into account the physical abilities of the participants and adapt the programme accordingly.

How does a nude yoga workshop work exactly?

The workshops are generally structured as follows:

• Before we start the actual yoga series we share in a circle our expectations of the workshop.
• next, there is a short meditative moment in which we strive for presence in the here and now and full awareness of the body.
• We will then learn and activate the ujjayi or oceanic breathing technique before moving on to the posture series.
• We continue with a short warm-up followed by dynamic sequences of postures also known elsewhere as “sun salutations”.
• This is followed by the sequence of postures which is made up of standing, sitting, lying and inverted postures and a calming final sequence.
• There are occasional exercises in pairs (partner yoga and acroyoga).
• We will have a short moment of meditation and breathing before a deep relaxation, lying on the back or in a resting position of your choice.
• Afterwards, everyone is free to share their experiences in the circle of attendees.
• We conclude with a cup of tea and a vegan snack.

How long does a workshop Nude Yoga for men last?

A workshop nude yoga for men lasts all in all about two hours.

What language is the workshop in?

The workshop is multilingual NL, FR and EN according to the language of the participants.
This is a challenge, and we have had good experiences in the past with this formula, which works very inclusive in a Brussels context.