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Frank Answers About Naked Meditation

Question: I’ve been practicing meditation in the morning. I find it comfortable to sit in my underwear, but I’ve been thinking about meditating while naked. This is a new idea for me, and I’m not sure how comfortable I am getting naked to sit in meditation or to kneel in prayer. But assuming I’d like to try it, can you give advice about getting used to naked meditation and offer a simple way of meditating and praying while naked?

Frank Answers: We live in a clothed society, so we’re not used to being naked even when alone other than when we bathe or shower. Many men and women in our society also have a low body image and low self-esteem. The two go together because, as phenomenology has discerned, we don’t just have a body, we are a body—a body with a mind and a soul, to be sure, but not a body that is just a container for the soul, as Plato taught, or an appendage to the mind, as Descartes’ cogito, ergo sum (I think, therefore I am) implied. Christianity has taught a unity of body and soul. And neuroscience speaks today of an embodied mind. What affects the body affects the mind and the soul. So if we have a poor body image, we will definitely have a poor self-image.

Our natural self is the naked self. Clothing is how we cover ourselves for warmth, protection, social modesty, or festivity (getting dressed up for special occasions). Clothing is culturally conditioned, although we still have to make choices that say something about ourselves. Our clothing choices express the way we want to present ourselves to others. But nakedness or nudity is our natural state. Nakedness exposes everything. It reinforces honesty to ourselves, to others, and to God. As the Letter to the Hebrews says, “before God no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account” (Hebrews 4:13).

Couples become more deeply acquainted with each other when they are naked rather than clothed. This is why families and friends bond in the saunas of Finland and Sweden. This is why men and women often conduct business in public baths like the Japanese and Korean spas. This is why holy men (like the naga sadhus in India or Christian desert fathers) meditated or prayed while naked. Yet precisely because we are clothed most of the time, nudity is often seen as making us vulnerable to others. This might be a concern to notice and reflect on in meditation.

Hindu Naga sadhu (naked holy man) meditating

Many cultures teach that nakedness is something to be ashamed of. In fact, being naked in public is often a form of punishment, like floggings or ancient Roman crucifixions. The point of being stripped in public is for humiliation. But Jesus, who died naked on the cross, also shed his grave clothes when he rose of the dead with his glorious body. The body is the source of honor as well as shame. Christians believe that Christ bore our shame on the cross and brought honor to the human body by being incarnated in one. Ancient Christians practiced nude baptisms because Baptism was a sacramental means of dying and rising with Christ. Christian martyrs who often were naked when they went to their deaths in the arena regarded their shame as an honor.

God created us as bodily creatures; he pronounced his creation as “very good.” So, objectively considered, from a Biblical perspective we have nothing to be ashamed of. But if we have transgressed limits and have something to hide, we express that (as Adam and Eve did) by covering up. Ironically, clothing is more an expression of our shame as human beings than nudity is. But our cultural conditioning makes nudity a tremendous personal barrier for many of us to cross. 

Adam and Eve Ashamed by James Jacques Joseph Tissot

Loving Our Naked Self

If we are going to be naked before God and ourselves we need to love our naked self. How do we do that? First of all, by accepting our bodies as they are. This isn’t easy because we live in a media-driven age and are constantly exposed to models that present ideal images of the human body for consumerist purposes. So we need to recognize that few of us will look like the models whose photos in magazines and on computer screens have had all blemishes removed. Most of them also work very hard by means of exercise and diets to keep themselves in good shape. Maintaining their bodies is as much the work of models as being in front of the camera and knowing how to pose. But that’s not most of us. And even though we may try to get adequate exercise and eat a healthy diet, we have other things to do that occupy our time and we’re not likely to develop model bodies. We have to accept and love the bodies we have.

Second, we need to become more comfortable with being naked, which means practicing being naked more often (not just when taking a shower or changing clothes). One would think that people get naked to have sex, but that’s not always the case. Spouses or partners should spend time being naked for each other or with each other. You could practice sleeping naked with your significant other—or by yourself if you are single. There are actual health benefits to sleeping naked, such as keeping the body cooler, allowing better circulation, and airing out our genitalia. Spend time just being naked in your house. Remain naked when you get up and make the coffee, after your shower while cleaning up the bathroom, making your bed, and carrying clothing to the washing machine. In other words, just become comfortable being naked and start enjoying it.

How to Practice a Naked Meditation

Practicing a simple meditation while being completely naked can help us become more familiar with and accepting of our naked self. Here are some steps to follow to practice a form of naked meditation:

  • As with all personal meditation, you need a time and place where you can dedicate yourself to meditating and not be interrupted or distracted. Don’t bring your cell phone or other electronic devices in your place of meditation. Some people use meditation music. But music can also become distracting. I recommend silence. But create a space for meditation by lighting a candle. Place a figurine or icon in a prominent position.
  • Take off all clothes and accessories before the meditation. Wearing a wrist watch will cause you to be distracted by looking at the time. Instead, set a timer for the length of time you want to meditate.
  • Sit in a comfortable posture that isn’t going to irritate you if you sit for a long period of time. You might use a cushion or folded blanket to sit on with your legs on the floor. The classic posture is lotus pose, but few of us are able to do that. Legs crossed can be adequate, but with back straight. Hands resting on your knees or thighs can allow your arms to prop yourself up. Palms facing up creates an arm rotation that helps you to sit up straight with an open chest. It is also a gesture of openness. You could also sit with your back against a wall or in a chair. Note: if you are sitting with crossed legs, you need to change the cross occasionally.
  • Begin with 5-10 minutes of deep, slow, even breathing until you feel more relaxed and centered in yourself. Pay attention to the sensations of your breathing and any other sensations you feel in your body. Make adjustments as necessary because you need to be comfortable.
  • I would not bring any particular thought or idea to the meditation, at least not at first. Your mind has plenty of thoughts and ideas and these will come flooding in when you are quiet. Notice them. But if they become too disconcerting, return your focus to your breath. You might, however, toward the end of your time of meditation reflect on whatever feelings are prompted by being alone with yourself (and before God) in a state of nakedness.

Try practicing naked meditation just 2-3 times a week and for 10-15 minutes to see how it goes. As you become comfortable with meditation, as well as with being naked, extend the number of times you meditate per week and the length of time, say to 30 minutes.

Woman meditating in padmasana (lotus pose)

You mention kneeling in prayer. When I have done meditation alone I usually begin with a psalm verse that dedicates my time of meditation to being aware of the presence of God. The verse is usually appropriate to the early morning, which is my preferred time of meditation. It’s also good to stretch the body, because I will be sitting for a while.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless God’s holy Name” — Psalm 103:1

A time-honored way in which mystics have meditated is by being in inversions, such as headstands. Often regarded as the quintessence of hatha yoga, sirshasana (headstand) stimulates the sahasrara energy centre at the crown of your head to enhance clarity of vision and intuition. Obviously, doing a headstand requires the guidance of a teacher and practice. Be sure never to take any weight on your head and shoulders. The lower arms with clasped hands take most of the weight and help with balance. Once this pose is learned, it is possible to remain inverted for an extended time. One could also do a headstand up against the wall for help with balance until one is able to do it freestanding.

Taking your meditation outdoors

If possible, try sitting naked on the ground outside rather than on a cushion or blanket. Having your naked butt on the ground can be tricky (rough surface) or itchy (grass). Maybe there’s a rock or sand to sit on or a shallow pool of water to sit in. Obviously, you want a secluded place. The benefit of this is to connect with the earth since the same material that is in the earth is in our body. The outdoor setting might provide a pleasant natural surrounding for our meditation. Also, the earth is an electromagnetic field that can charge the electrons in our body and replenish our energy. If you can’t find a suitable place for a full naked outdoor meditation, try a barefoot walking meditation across a grassy field or along a beach.

Alone or Together

Here is a tough issue. It’s usually helpful to have a partner or others to meditate or pray with. It helps our discipline of taking the time to meditate or pray to do it with others. Spouses or partners could meditate together, but one of the spouses or partners might not be interested in meditation or might resist being naked in this way. So might you have friends who practice meditation (probably of the same sex) who would be willing to get together for joint meditation? You have to discern how comfortable they are with nakedness. If you have tried naked meditation first, you could share your experience with trusted friends and see where the conversation goes. Would they allow you to meditate naked even if they don’t?

Yoga classes often provide meditation time. There are naked yoga classes for men, for women, and co-ed in urban areas. A naked yoga class might provide an opportunity for naked meditation at the end of practice. Practicing naked yoga gives one a sense of freedom, greater flexibility, and more energy.

Pastor Frank Senn

Frank Senn

I’m a retired Lutheran pastor. I was in parish ministry for forty years and taught at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago for three years. I've been an adjunct professor at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. Since my retirement in 2013 I've also taught courses at Trinity Theological College in Singapore, Satya Wacana Christian University in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia, and Carey Theological College in Vancouver. I have a Ph.D. in theology (liturgical studies) from the University of Notre Dame.