Jan 27, 2006  |  By: GREG MARZULLO  | COMMENTS     

yoga, and you forget you’re naked."

But I have not forgotten. When in particularly open positions, it’s hard not to remember that I’m naked. Downward facing dog comes to mind with derriere up to the heavens while bent in an upside-down "v." Instead of focusing on the breath, I’m focusing on how well I’ve shaved and when.

AARON STAR IS the founder of New York’s Hot Nude Yoga studio. He created the group in 2001, and although the studio has gone through its ups and downs, Hot Nude Yoga is going strong with on-site classes and private sessions. Star recently launched a line of four DVDs sold as a package.

"To come into a naked environment for most people it’s a shedding of a lot of the ego," says Star, 33. "The thought of being nude for a lot of people is a process of becoming naked — meaning vulnerable."

Star developed two DVDs devoted to partner work. I coerced my boyfriend into trying the one titled "Tantra," an exploration of sensuality through yoga poses and breath work.

"I don’t like to use the word erotic, because it denotes a lead-in to sex," says Star. "It’s more like celebrating sensuality, celebrating touch."

For my boyfriend and I, it was celebrating laughter. There was a forced feel to the intimacy in the video for the two of us who have been together for almost five years. We seriously tried to work on the breathing and help each other, but more often than not, we broke into hysterics, tears running down our cheeks.

Although there were plenty of guffaws, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful my partner’s body is. He still works as an actor and dancer, and I noticed the differences between us. I experienced no jealousy — only a vague sense of melancholy glossed with nostalgia.

THE THURSDAY CLASS at D.C.’s gay naked yoga is easier in terms of physical demands, but it’s much harder on my mind. This time I am fool enough to stand in front of the mirrors.

My eyes immediately go to my self-determined problem spots when doing any of the poses.

"My ass really is huge," I think, or, "Well, that’s not as attractive as I was hoping," or "Letting my stomach relax feels good, but it sure as hell doesn’t look pretty."

Interestingly, I am much more willing to be supportive of others in the class. Looking around the room, I think about how wonderful it is that people of varying body types and looks can come together and be naked in a non-sexual supportive environment.

"There’s an element of rawness that happens in this class," says Star. "You can’t really hide behind anything, because there’s nothing to hide behind."

During the practice, I begin to wonder about what kind of positive effect this practice could have on gay men, straight men, women<