Hot Nude Yoga founder Aaron Star took a recent trip to India, where he discovered a new kind of courage on the side of a mountain. Pictured at right, an X-ray of Star’s broken leg.
(Photos courtesy of Aaron Star)
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- AARON STAR
Friday, January 25, 2008
Editors’
note:
Aaron
Star
is
the
founder
of
New
York
City’s
Hot
Nude
Yoga
studio,
where
men
practice
the
spiritual
and
physical
art
form
completely
naked.
Founded
in
2001,
the
studio
has
gained
popularity
and
spawned
a
series
of
DVDs
for
at-home
practice.
Star
has
led
a
number
of
groups
to
visit
the
Himalayas
in
India,
but
during
a
tour
this
past
fall,
while
walking
down
the
foot
of
a
mountain,
a
large
rock
careened
down
the
slope
and
broke
Star’s
leg.
Below
are
excerpts
of
the
teacher’s
account
of
that
trip
and
the
deeper
meanings
he’s
gleaned
from
his
injury
and
ongoing
healing
process.
"Life
is
a
manuscript,
and
the
author
of
that
manuscript
is
that
which
you
are
…
The
beginning
and
the
ending
of
this
manuscript
are
missing.
You
do
not
consciously
know
from
where
you
have
come;
you
do
not
know
where
you
will
go."
-
Swami
Rama
Prelude
What
it
is
that
pulls
me
to
the
Himalayan
Mountains?
What,
for
that
matter,
draws
anyone?
What
is
the
allure
and
why
even
make
a
journey
to
India?
In
actual
fact,
there
are
more
Yoga
Teachers
in
California
than
in
India
and
the
Yoga
Asana
taught
there
is
much
clearer
and
safer
than
what
you
will
find
anywhere
in
India.
However
living,
moving
and
being
in
India
creates
a
space
for
me
to
actualize
my
practice.
Those
questions
continue
to
permeate
my
consciousness,
especially
in
light
of
recent
events
when
many
have
asked,
“Aaron,
was
it
really
worth
it?”
After
Sept.
8,
my
yoga
practice
was
challenged
in
a
way
I
would
have
never
imagined
possible,
and
the
pull
and
allure
that
brought
me
to
India
took
me
to
a
place
in
my
practice
that
would
never
have
happened
had
I
been
in
New
York
City
or
in
a
more
comfortable
setting.
Yoga
gave
me
the
strength,
the
power
and
serenity
to
be
content
with
a
state
of
total
helplessness
and
becoming
almost
stranded
in
the
Himalayan
Mountains.
People
come
to
India
because
they
know
Mother
India
has
something
to
give
them
and,
quite
often,
she
gives
them
what
they
need
but
in
way
which
they
may
not
want
or
expect.
The
Indian
Himalayas
I
have
been
very
blessed
to
have
spent
as
much
time
as
I
have
in
the
Himalayas
and
for
me,
the
Himalayas
are
similar
to
my
parents
in
that
they
have
taught
me
much.
They
create
and
hold
the
space
for
me
to
be
still,
to
experience
oneness
and
to
open
the
doorway
to
contemplation.
I
have
found
that
the
Himalayas
not
only
mirror
the
best
parts
of
me,
they
also
reveal
the
hidden,
and
perhaps
undesirable
parts
of
me.
I
also
discovered
that
when
my
ego
has
become
a
little
swollen,
the
Himalayas
have
a
way
of
revealing
this
to
me
and
helping
to
bring
me
back
down
a
few
notches.
They
teach
me
how
to
approach
life
with
a
sense
of
equanimity
and
reveal
my
own
incredible
potential
—
the
potential
I
often
suppress
and
push
aside.
The
Himalayas
are
like
my
Mother
whose
valleys
are
arms
that
cradle
and
draw
me
towards
her
bosom.
As
a
caretaker
of
all
my
needs,
her
streams
flow
like
milk
to
nurture
me,
her
trees
offer
shade
when
it
is
too
hot
and
her
flowers
offer
beauty
and
remembrance
at
every
turn.
The
Himalayas
are
also
like
my
father,
who
presents
challenge
and
invites
discipline
—
the
discipline
to
stay
alert
and
present
and
as
such,
causes
me
to
become
stronger
as
I
climb
the
higher
peaks
and
persevere
in
unlocking
their
secrets.
At
every
crossroad
one
can
experience
an
enormous
gamut
of
emotions
and
feelings
ranging
from
fear,
clarity
of
purpose,
peace
of
mind,
joy,
love,
excitement,
trepidation,
challenge
and
even
anger.
The
Himalayas
have
offered
a
training
ground
to
me
on
how
to
approach
life
and
have
given
me
the
opportunity
to
improve
who
I
am
and
what
I
can
offer
in
service
to
humanity.
Through
these
paternal
Himalayan
challenges,
I
see
who
I
really
am.
I
see
into
my
soul
and
there
is
no
escape.
However,
in
all
of
these
experiences,
the
Himalayas
continually
remind
me
of
the
sacred
fire
that
burns
brightly
in
all
of
us,
of
those
beautiful
and
timeless
saints
and
sages
whom
I
have
met
and
who
live
in
continuous
service
of
this
fire
and,
with
whom,
I
have
shared
moments
of
deep
and
exquisite
bliss.
In
those
moments,
no
words
need
to
be
exchanged
and
no
thoughts
need
even
to
be
uttered.
The
fire
consumes
all
ego
and
time.
Many
residents
of
the
Himalayas
live
a
simple
life
that
hasn't
been
touched
by
the
outside
world.
Most
villagers
don't
have
locks
on
their
doors
and
stealing
is
a
foreign
concept.
In
actual
fact,
many
of
the
villagers
we
have
met
would
be
happy
and
willing
to
bring
you
into
their
home
to
take
care
of
you.
They
own
nothing
and
yet
have
everything
to
offer
you.
The
warmth
in
their
eyes
and
the
beautiful
smiles
that
live
on
their
lips
are
treasures
a
pilgrim
can
...
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