Cape Men's Yoga

  It is our great pleasure to let you know that Cape Men's Yoga is back online in 2021. The pandemic has been quite a journey for everyone on Earth. For many of us, it has meant the suspension of yoga classes in person. Our new technologies have created more reliable opportunities to practice together virtually. It is not ideal to teach like this. Yoga is a wonderful practice that creates the possibility of improved physical and mental health, at the same time, it requires quality instruction and someone to supervise learners, especially if you are new or have special needs. Nonetheless, the online format is a way for us to gather, to practice together, and it has the added benefit of no travelling and we have people joining from many countries.  This virtual platform is for Cape Men's Yoga members and some of our friends. We kicked off in February and the group is growing. We'll take it through March, April and May 2021 and see how that goes.  Sam has also opened a new s...

On reflection  I go into every retreat with no expectations but a reasonable level of preparation. I know that each retreat is shaped by the great teachers, a good thematic design and pacing, the brilliant creative projects and then the chemistry of diverse men working, creating, exploring together. The Explorer retreat of 2019 did not disappoint. 23 men spent 4 days exploring mind, body and spirit. We picked up a theme of the Katha Upanishad, an Indian myth of a pious young lad who travels to the world of the Dead to learn the secrets of existence. The weekend started with an exquisite blindfolded teaching by Sajiv. That just set the tone and we were off. Sean taught Iyengar influenced hatha yoga; Sam taught a magical Bhakti yoga, Eugene did a fiery vinyasa, Nigel taught a yin class, everyone joined energy to teach an inversion course followed by group and acro-yoga - always a crowd pleaser. Craig taught a masterful Budokon yoga drawing on the warrior theme. In between, David...

We have sent out an email to those on our list for deposits for the Cape Men's Yoga winter retreat, 2019. This is a four day / three night retreat. It is exclusively for men and the yoga is done naked. It takes place outside a small town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. We normally accept 22 men on a retreat. It is fully catered with great vegetarian cuisine. The farm is beautiful. Accommodation is mostly twin single beds. Though rustic the farm is well equiped. The total price per person including everything except transportation is ZAR 2100. (which is Euro 131). Deposits are due by 27 May to secure your space. All of the teachers are certified yoga or pilates instructors. For more information contact us on capemensyoga (@) gmail.com

Yoga is about a lot of things. Sometimes it is about the body, sometimes it is more about the mind, sometimes it is about the spirit, and sometimes it is about the community we create. Yoga is based on yamas and niyamas, a code of conduct for how we treat ourselves and how we treat others. It is a personal and a social practice. This year's Cape Men's Yoga Winter Retreat was entitled Reunion . This was partly because Nigel came home to South Africa to help with the retreat, partly because many of the traditional teachers of CMY came back from their various journeys of body and mind, and partly it was a statement about reuniting with our personal path, with our beliefs and with ourselves. The word yoga , which comes from the Sanskrit yug , means to unite or harness. Every retreat is so different. The dynamics change, some of the men change, the weather changes, the times of the year and of our lives change. What remains constant is the shared practice, the bonding, the l...

REUNION - Rediscover your world Cape Town, South Africa Yes, it is happening. We are very proud to announce that Cape Men's Yoga will hold one of its extraordinary weekend retreats, 24 - 26 August 2018. It is a weekend of naked yoga, meditation, self-exploration, movement, art and creativity, for men, by men, whatever your sexual orientation. The weekend is for men who already have a yoga practice. Regrettably, no beginners may attend as it is too physically demanding. Bookings are open now. We will take only 21 men for this  retreat. At this stage we have five teachers attending, including various styles of yoga and pilates. There will be a TRE class that works with shaking as a form of emotional release. We will have several creative projects with some very gifted teachers. All of our yoga teachers are professionally certified. They donate their time in this wonderous effort of co-creation. To be immodest, our retreats are legendary and entirely on a volun...

Dear yoga brothers, Yes, we are naked on our yoga mats every Sunday in Cape Town's southern suburbs.  Apologies that the blog page has been unmanned for a few months. Our founder (me!) has moved overseas and the media side of our communications has reverted mostly to word of mouth. Cape Men's Yoga continues to meet weekly. We have moved from Constantia to a new space in Claremont. The new space is easily accessible with lots of public transport options, easy parking and Cavendish mall right nearby. Sam and others have taken over the teaching and the classes flourish with about twenty guys a week including newcomers. Remember those New Year's resolutions? Well, they are still valid. Taking up yoga or rejoining your practice is a commitment to yourself and your physical, mental and spiritual well-being. We are not your average yoga group - we focus on a holistic approach to yoga, the physical and the philosophical, dealing with movement and stillness. We are al...

And here it is, our new Spring Schedule for October 2017: 1 October: Nigel with a vinyasa flow (and his finale); 8 October: Theo with his fun and challenging pilates core work out; 15 October: Our new teacher, Hans, offers a yin yoga class - slow and meditative; 22 October: Eugene with his great choreography offers you vinyasa flow; 29 October: A special surprise - we have another new teacher about to join. Watch this space. For further information contact us by email: Capemensyoga AT) gmail.com Whatsapp: 082 501 2009 (note the new number!) Naked men's yoga in Cape Town - unique on our continent of Africa. Get the flow and spirit back into your life. Namaste 

Yogis, October is here, summer is around the corner. Not enough water to get us through the long hot summer in Cape Town, but we keep on moving through our practice. Bring your authentic self back to the mat, this Sunday 1 October, for a fun flowing pre-summer vinayasa yoga class. All male, all nude. 10.30 to 12.15 at our venue in the southern suburbs. Beginners and more advanced students all welcome. Get in touch for details on: capemensyoga AT) gmail.com What s app: 082 579 6868

Dear Yogis, Our class on 24 September 2017, will be the last one taught by our founder. He has a new job that will be taking him overseas. We are busy trying to confirm a transition strategy for Cape Men's Yoga. To be frank, we are short of teachers at the moment, after having so many wonderful contributions and solidarity. Those who know CMY know that it is much more than a yoga group - it is a place to explore, to find kindred spirits, to open oneself up to new energy, new ideas, new potential. We've tried to create a space where you are welcome exactly as you are and to let that be sacred, special, respected and appreciated. As this is to be a finale class, we expect a relatively high level of attendance. Kindly confirm on Facebook or by whatsapp if you intend to participate as we are limited to 28 spaces in the yoga hall. We will do a vinyasa flow class with meditation. Join us for this special class at Africa's only nude men's yoga practice. Bring your m...

We have a vinyasa flow class this coming Sunday, 3 September. Summer is approaching. Cape Town remains in the grip of a terrible drought - something we have to learn to live with. As the temperatures climb it is also a time for physical activity. Join us for our naked men's yoga practice. Cape Men's Yoga is celebrating six years of bringing men together for authentic yoga practice - meditation, yoga asana, yoga philosophy and pranayama - we are a diverse group of men who strip our lives down to the skin and practice with a sense of community. In today's class we explored how our mental state shapes each moment. This means know where your mind is at. If you don't need to be anxious, stressed, sad or craving something, then let that go, bring in some useful antidote like joy, compassion or loving-kindness.  By finding inner happiness, inner stillness, an openness to this moment, so we create possibilities, space and happiness in the events that flow from this...

(c) Photo by Paul Watson August 2017 schedule for Cape Men's Yoga Sunday 6 August: Nigel will lead a yin yoga class. This is the slowest form of yoga. Involving the use of gravitational pull rather than muscular strength. It stimulates ligaments and fascia, helping the immune system and nervous system. It is sometimes challenging and requires quietening the mind. We only teach this once a season. Fine for beginners but more targeted to people with yoga experience. Sunday 13 August CMY is on retreat in the Overberg. The retreat is fully booked, no new applications thanks. THERE WILL BE NO CLASS AT OUR REGULAR VENUE in Cape Town. Yes, we had the most awesome retreat, pix to follow! Sunday 20 August Warren is a newly qualified yoga teacher and a professional dancer. He has a wonderful style combining mental focus, serenity with alignement and motion. We really recommend coming for this experience. 10.30 to 12.15 at our southern suburbs venue. Email or whatsapp for deta...

This week we ease into a winter vinyasa flow class. Nigel is back on the mat with us, exploring the relationship of mind, body and spirit. Naked yoga is a place to be fully yourself, without fear, without self-censorship, accepting yourself and exploring your inner world. In yoga, we are taught that the whole of the universe is within us- look inwards to understand the whole. The whole of the universe is also who we are - the line that divides one being from another, one atom from another - is a creation of society and the ego. Through clearing the mind of its clutter and allowing space to breathe, we rediscover our inner truths and rediscover our wholeness in the world. CMY is in its 6th year - with hundreds of men having strip off their outer uniforms and revealed themselves within the practice. If you feel the need for extraordinary change, for liberation, for community of practice, come and share with us. Sunday at 10.30 in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. Get in touch ...

Naked Pilates with our guest instructor This week we have a very special event, Theo will be giving a naked men's pilates class. He taught one of these at the summer retreat and it was a hit. Welcome, payment by voluntary donation. 10.30 to 12.15 on Sunday. Men only. Info available on capemensyoga AT gmail.com 082 579 6868 for whatsapp

Cape Men's Yoga is celebrating its 6th year of energy this month. This all started after a trip to New York and a few classes with Hollis and the team at Nude York Yoga. South Africa is a conservative place in many ways, and Cape Town - though the most beautiful city on the planet - is sometimes like an uptight little village (*grin*). So the idea of getting a bunch of guys, off all different sexual orientations, cultures, races, religions, economic levels and ages to ALL get butt naked and do yoga together - well, there was not much hope it would last - but we all agreed that it would be fun to try.  We were amazed, moved, touched, inspired, brought to tears, brought to laughter, brought to love, to find how many men were willing to bare it all - dropping their shorts and their defences, letting themselves be truly authentic, honest and open - in a community environment, non-judgemental, kind and supportive. Big ones, small ones, skinny and beary, grey-haired, bald, gell...

We are pleased to announce that Craig will be teaching a Budokon-style class on Sunday 11 June at 10.30.  Craig trained with a distinguished Cape Town-based yoga trainer and has been on several sojourns of study to northern India. He is a man of many talents and gifts. He will be teaching a Budokon style yoga this Sunday. Budokon is built on a combination of classic yoga, of martial arts movement and yoga-synergy - a Taoist form of yoga that concentrates on unblocking the nadi energy chains in the body. The practice is slow, intense, magical, strong and delicious. Enjoy! Beginners are welcome. This is an all male, nude yoga practice. Beginners are welcome. Venue is in the southern suburbs of Cape Town Whatsapp 082 579 6868 capemensyoga AT gmail.com

Sunday 4 June 2017 Men's Naked Restorative yoga class Restorative is a new hybrid form of yoga built on the tradition of therapeutic yoga. It combines elements of energetic yang yoga (typicaly of vinyasa and ashtanga) with still relaxed yin postures with an emphasis on relaxation and letting go. Indian yoga was designed for greater spirtual awareness and meditative skill. 20th century yoga fused this with calesthenics and a physical education approach to balance out the increasingly sedentary life of working people. Restorative yoga speaks to our hectic lifestyles, stress levels and the challenges of finding stillness and a place of peace in life.  Patanjali, the great yoga guru and author of the Yoga Sutras, emphasises that yoga involves two simultaneous states of mind: sukha (comfort or joy) and sthira (stability, effort, attention). These two concepts and mental states are deeply powerful and transformational. Within them much can be uncovered. Those who make no ef...

Cape Men's Yoga & Meditation Winter Retreat  10-13 August 2017 We are ready to start organising the 2017 Cape Men's Yoga winter retreat. This year we have again booked Hearth & Soul Eco-Farm http://www.hearthandsoul.co.za/ Our host is the energetic and ebullient Sybille Nagel. Hearth & Soul is a rustic retreat, located behind Napier on the way to Stanford via the back roads of the Overberg. It has confortable accommodation, a yoga and meditation hall, big fire places, lounge areas, great vegetarian food and some excellent hiking trails. We have booked for three nights and four days: Thursday 10 August until midday Sunday 13 August. Note that 9 August is a public holiday so you may wish to come a day earlier for some quiet meditation and preparation for the retreat, even the option of some fasting. Evidently, it is also possible for you to come just for 2 nights / 3 days - though we highly recommend committing to the full retreat as th...

A month of vinyasa power yoga for the men! We have two excellent guest teachers this month. Eugene will be teaching on Sunday 7 May. Eugene has a long career in dance and aerobics. He qualified as a yoga instructor and has been an inspiration at Cape Men's Yoga retreats. Sean has been teaching yoga for years in at various Virgin Active gyms. He is known for a simple, strong style, using upper body strength and lower body power. Both teachers bring a great deal of skill and knowledge the their teaching and it is a great opportunity for our members to deepen and strengthen their practice. Nonetheless, be assured we always welcome new comers. So if you have never set foot on a mat, or not in a while, you are still welcome to join the classes. Yoga starts where you are at and it is a journey of self-development and understanding. Please note that on 21 May - THERE IS NO CLASS - there is a training course running that weekend at the centre and we will miss that Sunday. We a...

Hey Easter bunnies, Many of you will be away, with family, in Church or otherwise celebrating the Easter long weekend. For those of you wanting to shake your naked little butts and have some YOGA fun, we'll do a special class that includes naked acro yoga, partnered yoga and some of the classic sun salutations and generally enjoying ourselves. Get yourself out of bed and onto the mat for a memorable Easter Sunday. Beginners are welcome. Please bring a sweat towel. Definitely remember to shower first. There are showers on site. We have some spare mats available. Work within the limits of your own body. If you have any injuries or medical issues you must check with a qualified medical practitioner first. All male, all nude yoga and meditation group in the southern suburbs of Cape Town - because you deserve to be fit and happy too. Email capemensyoga AT gmail Whatsapp 082 579 6868