Naked Yoga London

Why practice yoganaked?

Apart from feeling great, and also it being healthy to allow our body to move freely with the air on skin, yoga is, in essence, about a deep acceptance of and openness to who we are.  We can experience deep relief in simply ’being who we are’, with no need to pretend, nor pressure to be who we think we should be. Our body’s are a wonderful miracle granted to us as human beings, and we spend far too much time, criticising our bodies, or hiding them away in shame or fear.  It is time to love, honour and set our bodies free, and enjoy the delight that they have to offer us.

People seem to be able to go much deeper into the practice when naked, and this I have experienced directly over the months of running these courses.

THE DYNAMIC YOGA METHOD

The yoga that I teach and practice comes from a point of non-duality, embracing the whole, both the spiritual and the sensual.  It is based on sensitivity, honesty and openness to what is actually happening.  Respecting and responding to the body’s innate intelligence we rediscover the body’s natural integrity, allowing for natural optimal health, energy flow, consciousness and delight to express itself within us. My approach to yoga is strongly influenced by the teachings of my yoga teacher Godfri Devereux, and my yoga teaching has as it’s foundation the Dynamic Yoga Method, developed over many years of deep enquiry by Godfri.

It is a yoga based directly on the design and nature of the human body and it’s intrinsic relationship to mind and spirit, and as such it works for anyone, no matter what their physical abilities or experience may be.  It encourages us to follow the deep impulse of the body to act with integrity and to tune into the body’s natural dynamics.

It works because it accesses the wisdom of life through the inherent intelligence of the body on the basis of concrete action.  It does not ask you to believe in concepts and possibilities that have no expression in everyday life. This places you firmly in the power of your own experience and judgement and allows everyone to access the depths and subtleties of yoga regardless of strength, flexibility, age or any other external factor.  This releases yoga practice from the hopes and frustrations of blind faith into an ongoing enquiry of fulfilment and delight. In yoga I always encourage the people I work with to become responsive to the teacher within them and as such access the freedom to continue to develop their practice independently.

The yoga is closely and fundamentally linked to tantra.  The focus on sensitivity and awareness eventually leads to a wonderful expansion of consciousness that can be very surprising indeed….

THE YOGA MASTER SAYS

”Dynamic yoga is based directly on the inherent unity of the body, mind and spirit.  A unity that is overlooked and compromised in almost all cultural activities.  The overt and most accessible expression of this unity is the body: dynamic yoga therefore is based on accessing the deeper subtleties of being human from physical action.   It is based on the recognition that both spirit and mind depend for their expression on the body and it’s capacity for action obvious and subtle.  A dependency that permits them both to be fully accessed and realised through and from the body.  Therefore Dynamic Yoga does not rely on or utilise any esoteric or mystical concepts.  It relies only on concepts that can be easily derived by anyone from the natural functioning of the body, mind and spirit.  Accordingly it does not depend on the blind acceptance of external authority, not even that of the teacher.  Instead it seeks and honours the authority of life itself, functioning through the imperfectability of nature in and as the human being”.

Godfrey Devereux, Founder and creator of Dynamic Yoga

A typical retreat day:

If you are an early riser the days can start the day with a sunrise walk, an early morning swim or meditate in the garden, or leisurely enjoy some fruit or juice and tea to set you up for the yoga class.

Each day there will be a morning meditation, yoga class and pranayama to gently awaken and energise, followed by a delicious healthy and hearty buffet breakfast, or brunch, depending on the timing of the yoga class on that day.  A light lunch lunch will be offered on days if breakfast as opposed to brunch is offered. The yoga classes throughout the retreat will be gradually progressive, and so an opportunity to really move forward and deepen with your practice on many levels.

We will depart from a firm foundation of the principles of sensitivity, honesty and openness, and deep acceptance throughout the practice, progressing to explore the interplay between Xandra and SuryaNamaskar, (the moon and the sun salutatioins), as we respecting and responding to the body’s innate intelligence and so opening up for a recovery of the body’s natural integrity, which allows for natural optimal health, energy flow, consciousness and delight to express itself within us.

Within the continuity of the group we will have the opportunity to explore some variations and postures that do not usually form part of the 4 week courses, and practices such as yoga nidra. As always, we approach the yoga from a point of non-duality, embracing the whole, both the spiritual and the sensual.

As the yoga in itself is invited as an enquiry, never imposing demands on the body, in a similar way, no demands will be placed on anyone to become naked at any point.   For some people being naked is a challenge, for others it will be something they are very used to.  All will be treated with sensitivity and respected as to where they are with this, and are invited to treat each other with the same sensitivity and respect. 

In the afternoons you will have time to yourself, to relax by the pool, wander in the gardens, or enjoy the nearby beaches, or even explore the Island if the desire takes you.  We have nearby some of the best beaches in Ibiza, including nudist beaches.   Naked sunbathing is seen somewhat as the norm in much of Ibiza. The nearest beach is a 25 minute walk away.   There will also be the opportunity to book to have massages and therapies onsite during this time

There will be late afternoon/ evening yoga sessions on four of the evenings during the retreat.    Every evening we will meet for a delicious dinner, followed by time to relax under the stars, perhaps sit by a fire or just do your own thing.  The evening without a yoga class is time for guests to have the chance to take it easy a little, spend more time on the beach or our exploring, or simply in your own meditation or practice.

I’m currently also looking into the option of a Sunset walk one evening in  a beautiful part of the Island.

We have a first class chef on-site to prepare our meals throughout the retreat .  The food will be balanced and nutritious vegetarian food, high in super-foods, with plenty of wholesome goodies to keep you going.  There will be no processed or refined foods, with a big emphasis on cleansing foods served in order to help detox and replenish the system.

On one or two days we’ll be offering an early morning walk followd by beach yoga then a dip in the sea – this was a favourite for many on the last retreat.   I’m also planning on having a fire on our final night.