Cape Men's Yoga

Yes! Visiting Cape Town? Looking for something exciting, fun and healthy to do? Come and join us for 90 minutes of naked yoga and meditation at the beach. The weather forecast is looking great for Monday 26 December 2016 - Boxing Day. Bring a mat (we will a couple extra on hand), your sunhat, water and if you need some sunscreen. We'll be doing a vinyasa flow class on Helicopter Rock. This is the big flat rock before you meet the main beach and after the Big Rock that juts out into the sea. It is about a kilometre walk from the parking area. Sandy Bay is next to Llandudno Beach. Head down Victoria Road towards Hout Bay and turn off at Llandudno. Follow the signs the furthest beach - Sandy Bay - a legendary location in South Africa. Note there are no facilities at Sandy Bay so bring whatever water and food you may need. Make a day of it at the Beach! More info on Capemensyoga AT gmail.com Whatsapp 082 579 6868 

Dear Yogi brothers,  Thanks to everyone for making it such a special year of nude men's yoga practice together. Thank you to the teachers who volunteered their time and skills. Thank you to the learners for sharing their good will and open minds. Yoga is a life-long journey of body, mind and spirit and it is such a blessing for us to share this together. We have no classes over the holidays - however we are likely to organise some beach yoga at Sandy Bay. Watch this space. Our next regular class is Sunday 8 January 2017 at our venue in the Cape Town southern suburbs Meanwhile, I hope you keep your practice going, keep exploring your hearts and minds, and connect with other wonderful sentient beings over the holiday period.  If you are visiting Cape Town and are keen on some naked yoga, get in touch, we'll let you know about the beach or other yoga options.  Namaste Capemensyoga AT gmail.com Whatsapp 082 579 6868

Last class of 2016 - come and share Dear yoga brothers,  Sunday 18 December 2016 is our last Cape Men's Yoga class of the year. We will be having our usual fun vinyasa class with meditation time. In this end of year class we will be doing some partnered team asanas. This is a good way to deepen your practice while also keeping your hearts open and connected.  Naked men's yoga - for the mind, the body and the spirit. Five years of building a community of practice with authentic yoga, meditation and pranayama. South Africa's only nude male yoga practice.  Join us! More info on capemensyoga AT gmail.com Or whatsapp: 082 579 6868 PS. We have our naked yoga retreat in January 2016. See posting. 

Penultimate Cape Men's Yoga class for 2016 Dear Brothers, The holidays approach and believe it or not we only have two more classes before the end of the season. Christmas and New Years fall on Sundays, so we have classes only on 11 December and 18 December which will be the last class of the year. Cape Men's Yoga has been running for more than five years. Hundreds of men have dropped their shorts and embraced this naked holistic practice of body, mind, movement and stillness. We have generated a space for caring, for spiritual practice, for physical exercise, for healing and for togetherness. In a world were so many forces can lead us to isolation or discomfort, yoga unites us with all of our most wholesome aspects, including a sense of community. Whether you are an expert yogi or can't touch your toes, feel free to join us on the mat. Bring a sweat towel and an open mind. For more information contact us on capemensyoga AT gmail.com Whatsapp 082 579 6868

                                                                Dear yoga brothers, The summer holidays are upon us. For those planning both their schedules and their yoga practices, please note that we have Cape Men's Yoga classes on 04, 11 and 18 December (postings will be made) and then we are off for Christmas and New Years, starting again in the New Year. It is a great idea when travelling to have a light weight yoga mat to pack and take with you. 

Aidan will be our guest teacher at this week's Cape Men's Yoga and Meditation class.  Aidan is a distinguished Cape Town teacher of hatha and vinyasa yoga, with a background in monastic meditation and massage. Aidan is both a teacher and a yoga author, a regular teacher on our retreats with his own studio in the northern suburbs. Please join us for this exceptional class our southern suburbs venue, a wonderful way to work with body and mind.  Please remember to bring a sweat towel, your yoga mat and a voluntary donation for the class. Beginners are welcome.  For more information contact us on: capemensyoga AT gmail.com Whatsapp 082 579 6868

It is another week of Cape Men's Yoga. When we first started the group, we were not sure if Capetonian men would be willing to strip naked and do yoga together. Cape Town has a bit of a reputation of worrying about what others will say. Our approach was that there must be many men out there looking for a physical and spiritual practice that would put them together with likeminded men. And we were right! CMY has been going for five years and there is a constant flow of new yogis as well as those who return year after year. It is like drinking for a clear clean deep well with fresh water in it. Whatever is going on in your life, yoga is a practice to bring it all together, to refresh, awaken and heal the body and mind.  Yoga is the union of body, mind and spirit; of the inner and the outer, of the mundane and sacred. Whatever you are doing in your life, there is time for you to take care of yourself, to nourish your spirit, work with your body and mind, and to be part of a c

Dear yogis, We had to take a break last Sunday but we are naked and in motion again on Sunday 20 November 2016. This class will deal with a heart-centred approach to yoga and restoring inner balance. The world is seeming so difficult and unpredictable these days. Many people feel stressed and confused by it all. In our heart of hearts we have peace and unity, but on the surface chaos sometimes feels out of control. Whether an expert or a beginner, come and join us from 10.30 to 12.15 for our men's nude yoga and meditation practice in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. It is a place to be whole again, serene and in touch with your own energy and core. Classes are by voluntary donation. All the teachers are certified. Helps to have your own yoga mat. Bring a sweat towel and you may want a water bottle. The class is open to men of all ages, backgrounds and levels of yoga. It is an all nude, all male practice (See FAQs). If you have any injuries or medical conditions please co

Dear Yogis, There is NO YOGA CLASS on 13 November 2016 . There is a training course at the yoga centre so we have to give up the space for one Sunday. Join us on 20 November for our next men's nude yoga class.

Dear Yoga brothers, We are pleased to announce that Craig will be leading a hatha flow class this Sunday. Craig has helped teach at a number of the CMY retreats. He is known for his creative and thoughtful style as well as his personal humility. Craig has been a major odyssey, spending 6 weeks in northern India on a training and spiritual journey which included hiking to the source of Ganges in the Himalayan mountains. There are no words to describe such a journey. You will have the opportunity to experience his yogic expression of this journey while on your mat in Cape Town. We invite you to step into this particular river of sharing. Namaste CMY is a men's nude yoga and meditation practice. We practice at a great venue in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. Class is from 10.30 to 12.15 on Sundays. Payment is by a voluntary donation. Please bring a sweat towel and preferrably your own mat. For further information contact us on Whatsapp 082 579 6868 email: capemens

Cape Men's Yoga & Meditation - Sunday 30 October We are going to have a yoga flow class this Sunday, 30 October. Nigel is going to try to draw together some of the principles and lessons of his visit to Hawai'i and the training by Gavin in Kahuna massage and turn this into a yoga practice. Hawaiian culture is very rich in spirituality, shamanism, body work and the connection between humans and nature. This revolves around the key concept of 'Aloha' - meaning love which guides our thinking, our actions, our relationships with each other and with the living world. Aloha is not just an open heart, it is a type of discipline to be generous, to be patient, to value yourself equally with other living beings. It is the art of good balance and insight.  Yoga similarly works with the mind, body, spiritual connection - finding how the study of our inner world helps us understand the greater universe.  Join us this week for a journey of the heart centre, inspired by th

A reminder that the deposits are due by 25 October to secure your place at our Cape Men's Yoga Summer Retreat, 19 - 22 January 2017. This is at an outstanding natural yoga centre in South Africa - Bodhi Khaya in the Overberg. All male naked yoga, meditation, vegetarian catering, dam swimming and nature hikes in the Cape summertime. For more information contact us on capemensyoga AT gmail.com

Yin Yoga - Working with Stillness We are overjoyed to welcome Eugene who will be our guest teacher this week. Eugene has a long career in fitness, aerobics and dance. He more recently qualified as a yoga instructor and teaches regularly in Somerset West. He will be leading this week's yin yoga class at CMY. Yin is the slowest form of yoga. It also relies completely on gravity, rather than muscular strength. Almost all yoga leans heavily to a yang nature - meaning it involves strength and exertion. Yin requires letting go, completely surrendering to the experience of the asana. Yin's physiological benefit is that the very slow movements and deep stretches work on both the fascia and the ligaments. It is not easy to stretch either ligaments or have a sustained pull on the fascia. Normally the movement of the muscles is the focus - contracting and relaxing, drawing blood into the muscle. It is argued that fascia work may play a strong role in the human immune system. Th

Sunday 16 October 2016 Join us for another one of the Spring adventure series of naked men's yoga classes. After the Cape winter has come to a close, Spring is in the air, flowers are blooming across the mountains, the whales a swimming in our seas - it could not get more beautiful here. And the men are coming in numbers to class - bring it on! Cape Men's Yoga offers a safe and focussed space for men of all sexual orientations to experience yoga, meditation, pranayama and a community fellowship. It is about a brotherhood of caring and supporting each other's growth, spiritual awakening and a practice of living well. CMY is all about building a clearer relationship between the body, mind and spirit, as well as building up trust and fellowship between men of diverse backgrounds. It is all the journey to being whole, happy and resilient. You need a yoga mat, a sweat towel and an open mind. The class is from 10.30 to 12.15 every Sunday at our special venue in the sou

NOTE : Kahuna men's massage weekend courses happening in October and November (for Level 1) and December (for Level 2). Please contact Gavin on  gavinrobertson7@gmail.com CMY Summer yoga retreat 19 - 22 January 2017 is open for bookings. Limited places. Please book and pay your initial deposit to secure a space. capemensyoga AT gmail.com Springing into life! Clearly Spring is in the air in Cape Town. We had 22 men in class today - always a sign that the men and the wildflowers are blooming and bursting forth with new energy. Join us Sunday 9 October 2016 on the mat, naked and ready for the new chapter of your life. Cape Men's Yoga is a community-based, all male, nude yoga and meditation practice. In our sixth year of operations, the group has been a touchstone of male solidarity, spiritual sharing and some wonderful yoga. This week we will continue to explore issues of opening up the body, flexibility and flow in a vinyasa style class with Nigel teaching. Beg

Much of my yoga experience has been at gyms in Cape Town. I go to three or four classes a week, for 13 years now. We are lucky that Cape Town is pretty much the yoga capital of Africa - with a wide range of styles and some very good teachers - even at the gym. What is conspicuously absent though at gym is attention to how yoga is a mental practice as much or even more so than a physical one. Tonight, we were doing a strong but nicely measured vinyasa class in Claremont. I know the teacher well - she is creative, sincere, knows her asana, and is aware of the mental journey of yoga. At the same time, she rarely if ever gives guidance to the students about the mental states - so key to understanding why we do yoga, what it offers us, and how the eight limbs of yoga are part of an integrated system of practice and living. Nonetheless, tonight, about halfway through the practice, focussing my mind on the asana - a key meditative mental state is to know what am I doing, where am I,

NAKED MEN'S YOGA RETREAT IN SOUTH AFRICA We are approaching our 9th consecutive Cape Men's Yoga & Meditation Retreat, 19 - 22 January 2017.  Bodhi Khaya is a superb venue with dams for swimming, a large yoga hall and meditation space, and wonderful walking trails including into the most southerly indigenous forest in Africa. The venue is near the charming coastal town of Gansbaai on the Cape Coast, about 3 hours drive from Cape Town, South Africa.  http://www.bodhi-khaya.co.za/ Bodhi Khaya is not a nudist centre - nudity is part of our yoga practice and you are welcome to swim naked. Dinners are with at least your shorts on.  There are different types of rooms:  dorms  that sleep 5 guys;  twin rooms,   luxury  rooms with en suite bathrooms and the monk's cloister rooms  with shared facilities.  The monks rooms and twins are more or less the same price this year: estimated  R2750  per person for the 3 nights. I have prices for the an addi

Join us this coming Sunday for a class dealing with flexibility. We'll be working particularly with shoulder and hip flexibility - an important aspect of yoga training - both for the body and for the focus of the mind to understand what it is being asked to do and why. We will also be working with the prasarita padottanasana forward bend sequence. This is a classic yoga move that requires strengthn in the legs as well as an ability to lift the navel and perineum to facilitate a deep forward fold. From the forward bend it is also possible to lift up into a headstand; notably into the tripod headstand. This requires that you have some experience already with headstands and sufficiently strong neck muscles. CMY is a voluntary nude men's yoga group in Cape Town, South Africa. It is open to men of all backgrounds, sexual orientations, and levels of yoga experience. The goal is an authentic understanding of your body, mind and spiritual practice. Join us on the mat. 10.30

Wow! A month has come and gone! Nigel has been overseas for work and exploration and we have had four different and highly regarded yogis taking each of the weekly classes. A deep thank you to Aidan, Sean, Gavin and Eugene for teaching and for all of you for practicing together. Nigel is back teaching this Sunday, 25 September 2016. It is a men's fully naked vinyasa yoga class. He will be integrating some elements from his tropical experiences - exploring how what we generate in our lives shapes our world. We experience life through the lens of our senses and our habitual understandings and mental patterns. Some of these may be great for you, but some may have outlived their relevance and you may be struggling to find the life quality you want right now. There is a Zen saying: Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it is dark. We invite you to step into the light! Classes are at a great venue in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. 10.30 to 12.15 and involve yoga mov

Mindfulness in meditation While travelling, I have taken time to read through a book Bhikku Analayo, a Buddhist monk, writing on the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha's most famous teaching on meditation and mindfulness. Mindfulness has become quite a trendy topic in the Western world. It came directly from exposure to Buddhist meditation practices and the rise of Goenka's Vipassana meditation methodology to enter into Western ideas of stress reduction, health treatment related to stress, and generally improvement of life quality. Mindfulness, or 'sati' in Pali means to pay attention to what is going on: to watch and observe. It is link to sampajana - which means to understand something in context. Through observing carefully what we are doing, to watch our reality in slow-motion, we often find that we have built up stress and anxiety unnecessarily and that by concentrating the mind we can untangle that process. In this morning's meditation I started off ob

Dear yogi brothers, I am very pleased to announce that for the next four weeks we have some outstanding guest yoga instructors for you. Winter is winding up in Cape Town and it is a great time to move your body and mind into a healthy place. Come and join us for 2 hours of naked men's yoga every Sunday at our new venue in the southern suburbs. Here is the schedule: 28 August - Aidan will be teaching. He runs his own studio and is a published yoga author. He is well known for his work on integration of body and mind, of a balanced and calm approach to hatha yoga. With Aidan, yoga is a journey of self-knowledge - suprisingly strong while focussed on the fundamentals. 04 September : Gavin returns to the mat. Gavin is a yoga and massage teacher trainer, a qualified psychologist and mountain orienteer. He has a great love for working with energy and movement. His flowing and mystical style is enchanting and you will likely be sweating and smiling as you go through the creati

After our amazing and uplifting weekend retreat in the Overberg - Weaving the Tapestry of Life - we are back on the mat in our southern suburbs venue in Cape Town. Class is from 10.30 to 12.15. We will be doing pranayama breathing, vinyasa flow yoga and some meditation. The yoga is for men, done fully nude, taking off our covering and getting to the truth of who we are, how we feel, a journey to our most authentic selves. Beginners are welcome. Payment is by a voluntary donation. All the teachers are certified yoga instructors with meditation backgrounds. We actively encourage men of all backgrounds, faiths, sexual orientation, sizes and ages to join us. Yoga is for everyone. You are welcome to bring your own mat, sweat towel and water bottle. We have a few extra mats. We have a Facebook page and post updates here on the blog as well. If you have any injuries or medical conditions which may be affected by the yoga. Please check with a health professional and also alert the

Dear yogis, We are on retreat in the Overberg this weekend. We have NO class on Sunday 14 August 2016 in Cape Town. Come join us completely and wonderfully naked back on the mat on Sunday 21 August 2016 at our southern suburbs venue. For more info: whatsapp 082 579 6868 email capemensyoga AT gmail.com Namaste

Getting it right upside down I am a yoga teacher and a meditator, not a physio, so this is not meant to be a medical introduction. What I have learnt about inversions is that you require preparation, sometimes a really patient approach to strengthening your upper body and improving flexibility. A few years ago I got really caught up with learning to do pincha mayurasana - the forearm balance. I work intensively without really understanding that I did not yet have the shoulder strength or flexibility. I injured my shoulders being in a rush and it tooks months to get them back to normal. I can do pinch comfortably these days - but the message is - slow, steady, grow your capacity and don't be in a rush with inversions. Pincha mayurasana is shown to the left here. Of all the inversions discussed here, pincha is the most stable as you have the full length of your forearm on the floor and you can use your hands and elbows to give you micro-adjustments. Headstands come second as

Sunday 7 August - naked and sweaty  Yes, we are back on the mat. Winter is a glorious time for yoga. It is a time to explore body and mind and to concentrate on your inner world before all the crazy summer season starts. It also does not hurt to get your body into the shape that works for you while still in the winter season. This week is a regular all male, fully naked, fully fun vinyasa flow yoga class at our great venue in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. Last Sunday we did a special technical class on headstands, handstands and forearm stands which was a hit. On Sunday 14 August we are away on retreat so NO CLASS on the 14th. Catch us on the 7th and the 21st. Beginners are welcome. Get in touch and we will provide you with the venue details. It is helpful to have your own mat; we have some spare. Also bring a sweat towel along with you. You can reach us on: capemensyoga AT gmail.com and whatsapp 082 579  6868. Namaste,

Dear Yogis, We have a special class on inversions this Sunday, 31 July 2016. We are in the smaller yoga room, so we can only accommodate 10 guys. So please advise if you wish to attend or sign up on the facebook page. The class will include a warm up and then an introduction to handstands, headstands and forearm stands. These movements require both flexibility and strength in the shoulders and core. They also require some patience and a sense of humour. Guys who think they are going to jump up into a headstand or handstand will likely get injured. We aim for injury free practice so it is a great time to learn how to put your ego aside and build up a steady evolution in your practice that will take you to new positions and experiences. The class is 10.30 until 12.15 at our regular venue in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. This is a fully nude male yoga practice. We have extra mats for drop in visitors, otherwise bring your own mat and a sweat towel. The room will be heated.