Forget hot yoga and meditation – there’s a new practice that will shed more than stress and tight muscles from your body.
It’s naked yoga – the latest fitness trend to hit Australia.
Yoga instructor Rosie Rees runs nude yoga classes across the country where she teaches up to 30 women per session – and they are not afraid to bare all.
The 30-year-old, based in Perth, said the workshops are designed to inspire women of all shapes and sizes to embrace their bodies.
Attempting to restore your spiritual balance while naked in a room full of strangers may not seem ideal – but Rosie insists the practice is very therapeutic.
Yoga instructor Rosie Rees (pictured) runs nude yoga – teaching up to 30 women per class
The workshops are designed to inspire women of all shapes and sizes to embrace their bodies
Attempting to restore your spiritual balance while naked in a room full of strangers may not seem ideal – but Rosie insists the practice is very therapeutic
Not only can getting into a naked child’s pose be a spiritual practice – Rosie said the activity helps with sleep, improves your sex life and boosts confidence
‘It’s not about doing the downward dog naked… it’s about self-acceptance, stepping out of the comfort zone and cultivating courage,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I’d say it’s a catalyst. Nude yoga is such a courageous thing to do but when these women leave my classes, they feel comfortable in their own skin.
Not only can getting into a naked child’s pose be a spiritual practice – Rosie said the activity helps with sleep, improves your sex life and boosts confidence.
‘A lot of women come back saying they had the best sleep, they feel very energised and others said they have the best sex because they are connecting to their bodies,’ she said.
‘Women are very hard on themselves but when they walk into this beautiful space, they learn how to feel like to be an acceptance of their body.
‘Particularly mothers who have children – their bodies change so much. It’s amazing for them to have gratitude for their body by the end of the class.
‘There are also women in their 60s and 70s embracing their bodies. We have women of all ages joining. They either want to try something different, make changes in their lives or tick it off their bucket list.’
Not only can getting into a naked child’s pose be a spiritual practice – Rosie (pictured front) said the activity helps with sleep, improves sex and boosts confidence
the yoga instructor has been running her sold-out workshops in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide for the past three years – and she will be going on tour in February 2018
The four-hour classes are held in a dark, candle lit room and yogi enthusiasts sit around in a circle before stripping off their kimonos and sarongs
Not only can getting into a naked child’s pose be a spiritual practice – Rosie said the activity helps with sleep, improves sex and boosts confidence
The four-hour classes are held in a dark, candle lit room – and nude yoga goes for one hour
The yoga instructor said the poses are gentle – and a very ‘sacred space’ for all women
The four-hour classes are held in a dark, candle lit room and yogi enthusiasts sit around in a circle before stripping off their kimonos and sarongs.
‘It’s a very sacred space,’ Rosie said.
‘There are no compromising positions. It’s very gentle yoga. It’s a safe and intimate space for all women. A lot of women feel very liberated, wild and light after the class.
‘I wanted to create a physical practice workshop to help women learn how to love their bodies more. We’re not all tall and skinny with big breasts.
‘Nude yoga offers women the experience where they can actually see what real women look like – not women from magazines or media or porn.
’91 per cent of women hate their bodies so I wanted to get them out of their comfort zones, learn how to expose their vulnerability and accept their bodies as they are.
‘Most women have never seen other women naked before except in porn. Usually women’s bodies are oversexualised – nude yoga is about normalising nudity.’
The idea to start her own practice sprung into mind after Rosie (pictured front) stripped off for a yoga session in the privacy of her backyard in 2014
Not only can getting into a naked child’s pose be a spiritual practice – Rosie said the activity helps with sleep, improves sex and boosts confidence
Attempting to restore your spiritual balance while naked in a room full of strangers may not seem ideal – but Rosie insists the practice is very therapeutic
Groups of up to 30 women sit on their mats in a circle, surrounded by candles
The yoga participants enter the room in a kimono or sarongs before they strip off
The idea to start her own practice sprung into mind after she stripped off for a yoga session in the privacy of her backyard in 2014.
‘The first time I did naked yoga, I felt insecure and judgemental about my own body. I felt embarrassed, uncomfortable and shameful,’ she recalled.
‘But the more I did it, the more comfortable I felt in my own skin. I realised how much impact this would bring to a group setting.’
Four years ago, Rosie said she decided to quit her corporate job in finance recruitment to launch her own yoga studio.
‘I’ve become a happier, more calm and relaxing person,’ she said.
‘Yoga has helped every aspect of my life. It even kicked my bad habits like drinking and smoking. I get a natural high from yoga.’
The yoga instructor said the classes are perfect for all women – and each session costs $120
Attempting to restore your spiritual balance while naked in a room full of strangers may not seem ideal – but Rosie insists the practice is very therapeutic
Posing in the buff can boost your self esteem, sex life and sleep, the yoga instructor said
The yoga instructor has been running her sold-out workshops in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide for the past three years
Fast forward, the yoga instructor has been running her sold-out workshops in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide for the past three years.
‘We do meditation, everyone talks about why they are here – the stories are very healing – and then we do a one hour nude yoga session,’ she said.
She explained the classes are perfect for all women of all ages – and each session costs $120.
‘If you have body image issues or a repulsion about coming in, these classes will help you overcome these challenges,’ she said.
‘Women are nervous and scared because they have no idea what to expect but after they do naked yoga, no one wants to put their clothes back on when they leave.’
Rosie – who will be going on tour in February 2018 – invites you to strip back and relax at her next class.
‘Take the plunge,’ she said, adding: ‘You’ll realise how invigorating these classes are.’
For more information, please visit her website or Instagram.