I recently started doing my morning rituals nude.

First, praying over my morning cup of water, acknowledging its ancient presence, power, flow, cleansing and nourishing qualities (amongst others). I speak life into the water, and set the intention that each drop that cascades down to the earth, over my body, and into by body shall bring forth life and the intention set.

I then find myself on my yoga mat, preparing my mind for movement, connection with self and God all around and within me. And as I flow through my practice, I notice myself and send gratitude to my body, the water that cleansed me, and the most High.

With this practice, I’ve begun to bear myself clear and true to Spirit in raw body. I’m coming into deeper appreciation and union with myself. I’m listening more to the wisdom of my body—noticing more sensations, like the cold breeze that nuzzles me as the fire builds within.

I breathe deeper into the intuitive nudges to move my body this way or that, or to let myself stop and wail at will.

I get shudders down my spine as I bring life force energy down to filter out the old. It nudges me to embrace the spikes of fear, the pains of tension, and the release that comes with a surrendering exhale.

I’m learning to even allow deeper burst of laughter to leave my body while I gaze up at the inkling of sunlight peering over the horizon. To exist without shame or self-criticism for the physical changes and emotional fluctuations invites me to love myself in fuller, rawer body.

It reminds me that I’m indeed alive and have nothing to hide.

As the movements enrich and at times exhaust me, I notice the art of commitment in this practice—not just to myself, but to the most High, to the divine light that dances within and all around me.

Nudity can be finicky…

Should we practice nude? Should we accept our bodies when the outside world desires us to question her very fabric?

I say yes.

In doing this practice, no matter how many rolls or strands of hair exist on this body, to doubt their acknowledgement and acceptance, we deny the Creator the pleasure of seeing us adore the temple our spirits rests in.

Who am I to disdain myself, how I was made, and who made me? What worth do I find in denying my body the nurturing care and attention that she deserves daily?

A self-connecting ritual in “raw body” (which in this case means nudity although it can translate differently for you), doesn’t have to leave the truth of your practice.

If this practice speaks to you, it can be unique to you, rooted in the intentions and connections that you need most each moment you rise or settle at night.

Questions for building a practice in raw body

To create a practice in raw body that feels good to you, I invite you to ask yourself a few questions. These can help you set your intentions, reflect on your hesitations or fears, and set the tone, space, and pace of your practice.

• How can I celebrate you more (you being your body)?
• How can I listen to you deeper and deeper with each movement and breath that gives me life?
• How can I nourish you more?
• How can I honor you—your needs, your fluctuations, your rhythms, your desires—in a way that honors our holistic and collective boundaries rooted in self-respect and care?
• What do you want me to know about you?
• What do you want me to see?
• How can I begin to see and honor your needs more deliberately through a lens of grace, passion, compassion, and deep, unending love?