Jivamukti tells yogis to put some clothes on
Photos like this one of Jivamukti's founders, David Life and Sharon Gannon, don't exactly encourage full-coverage clothing in class
Jivamukti has a new rule at its Union Square studio: No shirt, no shoes, no yoga. (Okay, we’re lying about the shoes part.)
But a regular Jiva practitioner tipped us off to a new set of rules that has been posted at the famed studio.
Our yogi source said the new rule stated that “people must wear tops in class and that see-through or overly revealing clothing was discouraged.”
Sounds like the studio’s been having a bit of an issue with a few too many bare chests.
But maybe the offenders were just taking cues from one of the studio’s figureheads (ahem, David Life), who is very often pictured without a shirt, or from the large group of Jiva teachers who posed naked for PETA last year?
Either way, it’s an interesting directive from a yoga studio—one we’ve never seen before and can’t help wondering if other studios have also considered.
What do you think? Should studios dictate how much clothes their yogis wear? How much skin exposure is warranted in yoga class?
[...] • Should yogis wear clothes? (Well + Good) [...]
Actually, I have been a student of Jivamukti for about 20 yrs. and from what I remember, there was always the rule that you were suppose to wear a shirt… it wasn’t always “enforced” .. although I have been in classes where a teacher may politely ask a male student to put his shirt on. Also, I don’t really see how we can compare photos from photo shoots with practicing in a big hot sweaty yoga class… there were two versions of the PETA postcard made to make a point about FUR not about yoga clothing and if you have ever seen Sharon and David teaching or practicing, their clothing is always modest and clean. Sheesh… personally, I think any yoga studio has a “right” to make whatever rules they want to (of course they also have to satisfy health department codes!!) … its up to me to agree or disagree and I can certainly go somewhere else if I dont’ like their rules!
Om shantih!
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Being a long time Jiva student and at times a daily student I’ve seen a lot of different people come go from the studio. While I love the energy and intentions of my fellow students it’s one thing to practice with a friend/loved one/or by yourself with minimal clothing it’s another to be crammed into a room with 30 students (sometimes literally inches apart) and expected to be okay with someone who has no shirt on or is dressed in a very revealing outfit. A) distracting B) Just not very hygienic. Just to note 90% of students already comply with this rule and I’m sure majority do not mind as well. Peace
why do you have to sound snarky about this? Jivamukti is the not only the best school in town but the method actually stands for something more than just asana so look a little deeper.
It’s not Bikram, I see no reason for a man not to wear a shirt. If the class is crowded who wants to have their mat 3 inches away from an unsightly man? The real question is why is their long term studio receptionist obese? Shouldn’t everyone who work there practice yoga and be a vegan. No different than teachers walking in wearing a fur coat. Everyone at the studio should embody the principles of the practice.
Actually, many organizations and studios require modest attire, including all Iyengar, Sivananda, Integral Yoga centers world-wide. There are probably many others.
It has never been an issue at my own centers. Somehow, the matter of appropriate attire/over-exposure of skin never arises. However, a more important consideration–especially in light of the NYTimes article of Yoga/Injury is whether clothing is safe. Baggy pants with legs that are so long that they actually catch under the feet are dangerous–one can slip on a wooden floor. Hoodies meanwhile, hanging down over the head in, for example, inversions obscure a student’s alignment and in general aren’t useful in a yoga class. Attire that allows a student to work safely and to self-observe is important as well.
I’m all for wearing clothes to yoga class. A tank and leggings is perfectly comfortable—and in fact more comfortable than not wearing anything on top. I can remember one time and one time only that I stripped down to my sports bra in class (it was one of those industrial strength super covering kind of bras, for what it’s worth) and I felt pretty weird about it. It was a very packed class—maybe 90 people in the room, summer, no A/C.
I’ve also been to a few ashrams where you’re encouraged to dress modestly, especially when the swami is around. I have some bad feelings about the emphasis on women being modest as opposed to men, which was definitely the case at one ashram I went to in particular, but it’s not the case at Jiva.
[...] in New York City have created a new rule for clothing requirements in yoga classes. According to Well+Good, “Our yogi source said the new rule stated that “people must wear tops in class and that [...]
I don’t wear a shirt in heated yoga, it just gets soaked with sweat and balloons into your face in down dog. At 40% humidity and 100+ degrees a shirt is distracting and superfluous.
I *could* wear a skin tight halter top, but I think that would be pretty awkward.
I believe they always had this rule but it wasn’t enforced. Its definitely not hygienic for the teachers who give hands on assists but I believe they have re-inforced it with signs because a girl took off her top, completely, during a class recently.
[...] also, keep your clothes on in class at Jivamukti OR [...]
[...] building, the Madison Jackson, will feature a juice bar with 24-hour vegan room service, a Jivamukti yoga studio, a spinning studio, and an Olympic-sized pool. (Will we see rock-star yogis at the open [...]
I study Jiva – there’s a practice of non distraction – we had to practice it recently when renos were going on in the studio. It seems a shame to enforce a dress code for men when it’s about the assana
[...] everyone from disrobing, but they don’t enforce the policy for men. Jivamukti, for example, posted a “no-shirts, no-yoga policy” soon after the hubbub, but Johnston says her friends still see shirtless men on the mat often. [...]
[...] note: You all remember that totally random “no shirt, no yoga” policy Jiva’s Sharon and David announced, which seemed a little harsh and somewhat bewildering at [...]
Modest clothing in yoga class? In the 21st century? That’s a joke from the get-go! Modern yogawear is all about showing as much skin as possible, and covering the rest in skintight clothing to reveal as much of your shape as possible. As far as I can tell, today’s Western yogis (and their teachers) have absolutely no idea what “modest dress” means. Here’s a clue: lightly, loosely covered.
[...] to do so, is lazy and, on some level, probably an example of unchecked sexism. When a yoga studio such as Jivamukti decides to create a new rule making shirts a requirement for all practitioners only after a women [...]
When I’m practicing on hot summer days, I get REALLY sweaty. Like, my shirt gets absolutely drenched. Leaving my shirt on is very uncomfortable…. and, when it’s a synthetic “technical” shirt, it actually makes my back break out because those fabrics aren’t very breathable at all. I really try to leave my shirt on because I don’t want people to think I am showing off or being immodest, but sometimes it is just unavoidable.