Yogi Aaron

Not to be confused with Yogi Aeron.

Yogi Aaron
Born	1972 (age 52–53)
Nationality	Canadian
Other names	Aaron Star
Occupation	Yoga teacher
Years active	2001–2016
Known for	Hot Nude Yoga, Blue Osa
Notable work	Autobiography Of A Naked Yogi
Website	https://yogiaaron.com/

Yogi Aaron (born 1972) is a Canadian yoga teacher and author of Autobiography of a Naked Yogi. Under the name Aaron Star, he established a form of naked yoga in New York City that integrates partner and tantric yoga, practiced nude. ^[1]

Early life and career

Aaron began practicing yoga in 1991 and started teaching in 1997. He traveled extensively, studying yoga with various teachers, including Bryan Kest, Rod Stryker, and Swami Rama. ^[2]  

In 2001, he founded Hot Nude Yoga in Chelsea, New York, which became popular within New York’s gay community. ^[3] The practice has since expanded to other U.S. cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston. ^[4]

Autobiography of a Naked Yogi

In 2015, Aaron published Autobiography of a Naked Yogi, detailing his childhood in British Columbia and experiences at a strict boarding school. The book describes his personal growth through yoga and outdoor experiences. ^[5]  

BroadwayWorld described the book as an "empowering narrative with a sense of adventure," though independent critical reviews are limited. ^[6]

Criticism

Aaron’s *Hot Nude Yoga* has received criticism for its sensual nature. The book Yoga in the Modern World: Contemporary Perspectives describes it as "a promotion of sexual expression that would have scandalized the likes of Swami Sivananda". ^[7] Stewart J. Lawrence in The Guardian referred to it as "soft-core pornography". ^[8]

Joshua Stein, an editor at OUT magazine, noted that the heightened sensuality diminished the yoga practice. ^[9] Associated Press has described Hot Nude Yoga as "a form of sensualized tantric yoga practiced nude". ^[10]  

References

1. "Yoga Industry May Have Found a Few Good Men". HuffPost . 24 May 2012.
2. "One-Month Immersion Yoga Teacher Training".
3. "History Of Yoga". 26 November 2007.
4. "Hot Naked Yoga Class". The Hollywood Reporter . 28 November 2011.
5. "Blue Osa Yogi Aaron". August 2013.
6. "Founder of Costa Rica Retreat Writes About Naked Yoga". 17 December 2015.
7. Singleton, Mark; Byrne, Jean (30 June 2008). Yoga in the Modern World: Contemporary Perspectives. Routledge. ISBN   9781134055203.
8. "The Guardian Naked Yoga". TheGuardian.com . 18 October 2010.
9. "Hot Nude Yoga Isn't About Sex". New York Daily News . 7 April 2010.
10. "Hot Nude Yoga Becomes Gay Trend". 7 April 2010.