NAKED YOGA MAKES ME FEEL ALIVE

MUM-OF-ONE and executive assistant Maria Morris, 40, lives in London. she says:

I AM at my calmest in the woods sitting cross-legged, breathing deeply, eyes shut — and naked.

I began doing kundalini yoga two years ago. I had given birth to my son, now four, and wanted to feel good about myself again. Going to the gym was not enough as it had no spiritual element.

This type of yoga is about waking up your feminine energy. I have found that certain poses are easier when naked.

I’ve been following a yoga practitioner on Instagram who does yoga outside and in the nude. You never see her face, it’s more about her message and being accepting of who she is.

She travels the world with her partner who is her photographer, and poses on mountains, in the woods, outside in the snow. The images are very powerful.

I’ve started to do it myself.

Whenever I can get outside unclothed on a beach — or more usually in a private space — I practise, often at sunrise, my favourite yoga poses.

It’s so grounding for me to dig my toes into the earth, feel the sun all over my body and breathe — it releases so much stress.

Even when the wind or rain is on your naked body, there is no greater sensation in the world. It makes me feel empowered and in control. Afterwards, I feel alive, alert and feminine, too.

Naked yoga outside lets me recharge. It’s so liberating to be able to do yoga without anything on. I love it as it’s a brief moment in life where I feel truly free.