Buzz
Believe it or not, naked yoga is a real practice. What motivates someone to strip down for yoga? Supporters claim it builds confidence, fosters a positive body image, and strengthens the connection between mind and body. While these benefits sound appealing, you might reconsider practicing your sun salutations in the nude. Surprisingly, getting arrested during naked yoga sessions is also a possibility. Who would have thought?
Numerous questions arise. Why practice yoga without clothes? What drives someone to decide, “I want to remove my clothes and perform yoga in public?” Is this a recent trend, or has media coverage of naked yoga only surged in the past decade? Will this open-air practice persist, or is public naked yoga just a passing phase? It remains a mystery, but it’s undoubtedly a reality.
10. West Covina, California
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The earliest recorded instance of this unusual activity appears to have taken place in a Los Angeles County suburb at Cortez Park. This park features a large green area with baseball and football fields, a picnic gazebo, and playground equipment for children.
On February 17, 2013, police received multiple 911 calls about an unidentified woman removing her clothes in the park. When officers arrived, the woman was completely nude and had started performing yoga. The suspect, later identified as 19-year-old Eleanor Ferrer, was arrested for suspected indecent exposure. No details were provided about Ferrer’s mental state during the incident.
9. Ocala, Florida
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Given Florida’s reputation, this incident is hardly surprising. On July 10, 2014, a woman was arrested for performing naked yoga on a Marion County highway. Witnesses reported she was clad only in her underwear and had started yoga poses in the middle of Sanchez Street, close to a middle school. Police arrived around 3:40 pm after receiving 911 calls. Observers noted the woman seemed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The woman, identified as 51-year-old Michelle Rene Cernak, had been driving a Chevy GMC pickup truck. She parked the vehicle but left it running, stepped out, removed her clothing, and began practicing yoga about ten feet from her truck in the street.
Cernak’s situation worsened when police searched her truck and discovered a significant amount of drugs, possibly explaining her unusual behavior. While she wasn’t charged for the naked yoga incident, she faced multiple felony charges for drug possession.
8. Laconia, New Hampshire
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In May 2016, Ginger Pierro chose to practice topless yoga on Lake Winnipesaukee’s beach in New Hampshire. Police officers approached her after receiving multiple complaints about her “nude yoga” sessions. Authorities stated they repeatedly asked her to cover up, but she declined. She was subsequently arrested for breaking a Laconia law that mandates women to cover their breasts in public.
Pierro, along with two others arrested the same weekend for public toplessness, challenged their convictions. In 2019, the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled in favor of upholding the convictions, stating the ordinance did not unfairly target women. Pierro and the others were part of the “Free the Nipple” campaign, which advocates for women’s right to go topless in places where men can be shirtless.
7. Aurora, Colorado
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On June 5, 2017, around 6:45 am, Aurora police received a 911 call about a naked man performing yoga in the street. An officer quickly responded but couldn’t locate the individual. However, they discovered a pile of men’s clothing outside a nearby business.
The clothing included pants, a shirt, socks, underwear, and a pair of Nikes. The officer tagged these items as evidence. The case was classified as indecent exposure, and a police report later mentioned a “naked yoga enthusiast” was still at large.
6. Jacksonville, Florida
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On July 11, 2017, 33-year-old Jesse Negron was arrested for indecent exposure. Police were alerted to a man running naked near Negron’s residence. Witnesses reported seeing him dancing and performing yoga in the street.
Negron’s neighbors expressed concern over his actions, especially since children were present in the area. One neighbor called him “a character” and mentioned he was a skilled landscaper. The arresting officer noted Negron showed no signs of intoxication or mental health issues. Florida strikes again—perhaps it’s the heat!
5. Haverhill, Massachusetts
In July 2018, 34-year-old Eric M. Stagno from Massachusetts faced charges of indecent exposure, lewdness, and disorderly conduct after an incident at a Planet Fitness in Plaistow, New Hampshire. Witnesses stated that Stagno entered the gym, removed his clothes at the front desk, left them in a pile, and then walked around the facility. He eventually settled on yoga mats and began performing various yoga poses.
It’s best not to speculate about the nature of his poses. When questioned by police, Stagno reportedly defended his actions by claiming Planet Fitness was a “judgment-free zone,” referencing the gym’s slogan as justification for exercising nude.
4. Portland, Oregon
In July 2020, a Black Lives Matter protester, nicknamed “Naked Athena,” gained national attention after being photographed at a protest wearing only a knit beanie and face mask while confronting police. The images captured her performing various yoga poses during the demonstration.
Though never identified or arrested, the woman, who called herself “Jen,” spoke anonymously to the press. She explained that her nudity and yoga poses were meant to highlight human vulnerability in the face of police. She described nudity as her form of “expression” and said the poses were a response to being struck by rubber bullets on her feet.
3. Bali, Indonesia
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In May 2022, Russian yoga influencer Alina Fazleeva faced backlash after conducting a nude photoshoot featuring yoga poses in front of a sacred tree in Bali. The tree, a 700-year-old weeping paper bark called Kayu Putih, is situated within the Babakan Temple complex.
Fazleeva, who boasts thousands of Instagram followers, sparked outrage among locals after sharing one of the images online. She faced potential penalties, including a six-year prison sentence and a $100,000 fine, for breaching local anti-pornography laws. Fazleeva removed the photo, issued a public apology, and was eventually deported, with a six-month ban from entering Bali.
2. Knoxville, Tennessee
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On December 8, 2021, a woman in Knoxville was arrested after stripping naked and performing yoga in front of a business on North Broadway. Witnesses said she also blocked employees of John Bailey Insurance from exiting by lying in front of the door.
When police arrived at 5 pm, the suspect, 47-year-old Lisa Breeden, was in the parking lot and had dressed again. Officers noted she was unsteady, had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and repeatedly dozed off during questioning. The motive behind her yoga display remained unclear.
Breeden faced charges for disorderly conduct.
1. Leicester, England
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If you believed this trend was exclusive to the U.S., think again. In September 2021, a man found guilty of four counts of indecent exposure was ordered to be held in a psychiatric facility. Reports revealed that, while wearing a rabbit mask, he exposed himself to firefighters after they intervened in a street altercation involving a woman. Separately, he was allegedly spotted performing naked yoga near the town’s clock tower, with families and children among the witnesses.
The individual, identified as 51-year-old David Rosen, appeared in court where the judge acknowledged Rosen’s extensive psychiatric history and expressed hope that he would receive the necessary treatment.
