Article – From Weekly Column
Austinist.com, 2009
A curious girl’s ethnographic quest for stimulation, knowledge and the least common denominator…
The best thing about doing anything naked is that you’re always prepared. It’s not like going to the gym, where you have to remember your shoes and, well, your clothes. This became evident earlier this week as I was contemplating attending my first co-ed naked yoga class. I was late leaving work and didn’t have time to run home and get ready, so I was on the verge of wimping out until I realized that, quite literally, um, I was born ready.
In fact, I was so ready that I arrived at the yoga studio almost thirty minutes early. I decided to go on inside so I’d have first dibs on potential obstructed view seating. My nervousness, however, had caused me to overlook one important fact: thirty minutes early equals thirty minutes of extra naked-with-strangers time. Duh.
The man behind the counter was very friendly and very clothed, and he asked if I was there for the yoga or the Ecstatic Dancing.
“Um, the yoga,” I said quietly. “You know, the yoga?” I raised my eyebrows slightly for emphasis.
“Great,” he said. “It’s your first time?”
“Not my first time doing yoga, but my first time doing, you know, this yoga,” I told him.
“Well, we’re happy to have you! The class is in there,” he said, pointing to lucky door number one. “Just leave your shoes out here.”
“Um, how do I… I mean, where do I, um…” I stammered.
“There’s a little room in there where you can get ready. There’s a bathroom, too.”