Yogis Uncovered | Meet Sterling
This week on Yogis Uncovered, we’re sitting down with Sterling, who you may recognize from her programs such as Yin Yang Vinyasa Flow and Playful Partner Yoga with Alisa. She spent some time chatting with us about her background and all the reasons why she loves Naked Yoga. Join us as we get a behind the scenes peek into her day of shooting naked yoga.
“It allows more life force and more energy to enter into my body when I’m not wearing clothes because there’s not that barrier in between me and the energy. ”
Tell us about yourself, Sterling!
My name is Sterling, like the silver, and I live in Santa Barbara, California. I’m originally from Arkansas. I work in the beauty industry as a makeup artist and California is the epicenter of the beauty industry in the world, so I started visiting and making great connections and eventually decided to give it a shot and relocate here.
How long have you been doing yoga and why do you love it?
I’ve been practicing yoga regularly for the past two almost two and a half years. I’m really able to slow down and create space within my mind to be able to hold more physical sensation, and my capacity to withstand tension and pain in everyday challenges has increased significantly.
What’s your favorite yoga pose?
Honestly my favorite yoga pose is Downward Dog or Puppy Pose, but I’ve done downward dog every day for the past couple years and it feels so good. It has definitely been a huge part of my yoga journey.
What do you enjoy about Naked Yoga vs clothed yoga?
It feels like my whole body is able to breathe. Even though I’m breathing through my nose it also feels like I’m breathing through my skin. It allows more life force and more energy to enter into my body when I’m not wearing clothes because there’s not that barrier in between me and the energy. I love doing Naked Yoga at the beach or anywhere in the grass where there’s trees and shade and nice breeze and warm sunshine.
What’s the biggest way yoga has impacted you?
Yoga keeps my mind clear. It helps me to release and let go of negative energies that are clinging on to me that don’t belong to me. Sometimes I notice fear come up, fear that I might hurt myself if I push too far past my edge. So I try to really anchor into safety and trust myself and that I won't push myself too far, and that it's safe to be at the edge and push the edge. Even if the sensation is intense, if you’re uncomfortable or it’s a little painful, breathing with that and being with that and not contracting or resisting is a powerful challenge.
Is it strange doing Naked Yoga on camera?
I’ve learned that being on camera brings a whole other dimension into the practice. It’s a much different experience than just doing your regular yoga flow solo. The camera adds another energetic element to the experience and so just staying present, staying grounded and in my body while being on camera is a really cool and challenging practice in and of itself.
How did you become so comfortable being naked around others?
I feel like being around people who are so comfortable being naked helps. All of my friends have no shame and walk around nude freely, and that made me feel more comfortable to do the same. I’ve also done some figure modeling for drawing classes, so stripping down in front of 15 to 20 people while they draw me in different poses is definitely an exercise in being more comfortable in the nude in front of people.
What has it been like shooting with TNY today?
It’s been wonderful. This place is beautiful. Everybody is super nice and helpful and makes me feel really comfortable and I would definitely come and work with you guys again. I’m here with my best friend Alisa, so it's been really fun getting to be here with her and getting to play together.
What was your favorite program that you filmed today?
My favorite was the partner stretching, just because it was beautiful. The connection that I felt with Alisa while we were in our flow, I felt really synergized and she looked gorgeous and it felt really liberating and free. I started off with a yin-yang flow. It began with some yin yoga and then it moved into kind of a vinyasa, more masculine flow. I really enjoyed that. The sun was definitely beating down and it was really warm and it felt great. And after that we did a qigong flow for sexual vitality and actually, I think that might have been my favorite one. I just really felt the life force flowing through my body. I felt like I cultivated a lot of qi. I felt really powerful and strong while doing that as well. Then we did some playful partner yoga stretching and that was really fun too.
What’s your favorite food?
Vegetables. I really like mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms. With a little bit of coconut oil and some coconut aminos and maybe some chili onion crunch, some salt and pepper. Very simple and vegan and gluten free. I keep my foods whole.
If you could have a super power what would it be?
I think the first thing that comes to mind is teleportation. If I could snap my fingers and be anywhere I wanted to be on the planet in an instant, that would be so epic. I would probably go to Thailand. I really want to go to Thailand. I love Thai food.
*this interview has been edited for brevity and clarity