A former military man has revealed the unlikely hobby that “saved his life” following a harrowing cancer diagnosis: nude yoga. Ricky Gigout served as a medic in the military for 16 years from early 2002, joining almost immediately after the 9/11 attacks.
He was deployed to Iraq three times and Afghanistan once, as well as serving in Korea, before he was medically retired due to depression and rapid weight loss – which he believes was triggered by the trauma of his work. Ricky didn’t know it then but there was a darker cloud on the horizon. After leaving the military, the now-54-year-old received devastating news as he discovered a cyst on his groin and doctors told him it was most likely lymphoma.
The soldier soon found himself battling constant medical appointments and endless surgical procedures. But there has been one thing that helped him through it all – his love of naked yoga.
Ricky, who considers himself a nudist, had experimented with different forms of yoga before he came across True Naked Yoga, a streaming platform that launched in 2018. “The military leaves a great deal of broken bodies – even outside of combat – as men and women are worked beyond what the human body should be capable of,” said Ricky.
“Yoga helps with the symptoms that led to my cancer diagnosis to start with. But it also improves my overall health as I recover from surgery and get back in shape.”
Ricky was “in disbelief” when he was first diagnosed with cancer. He said: “My symptoms had been all over the charts for years – including exhaustion, eye twitching, stomach pain, rapid weight loss, incontinence and elevated blood pressure – so lymphoma was suspected for a long time before the official diagnosis could be made.
“On the one hand, I had symptoms of my body and mind breaking down that weren’t explained away by ageing or a failure to take care of myself – outwardly, I was in good health. I had no family history of cancer whatsoever, or any lifestyle indicators, so I was surprised.”
While Ricky initially had chemotherapy to treat the lymphoma, doctors were concerned it would continue to weaken him too much ahead of surgery to remove the hydrocele cyst. Following a second surgical attempt to remove the mass in April 2024, his prognosis is currently uncertain and indicates the cancer is incurable – but not life-limiting.
Ricky’s experience with yoga – and particularly his preference for naked yoga – has helped him during his health recovery as he still suffers dizzy spells and exhaustion. He said: “It helps ground me when the world is spinning and energises me when I feel exhausted.
“There is a discipline to yoga, of committing to a pose or stretch and finishing what is started, that I find helps me. Other types of exercise are more consistent with what the military does and bring an element of toughness or competition – but yoga is an individual effort at building your own resilience.
“I have never backed out of a yoga class or avoided a move that I could realistically do. The practice offers genuine encouragement rather than force, goading or shame to get it done.”
Ricky’s preference for being nude wasn’t something the soldier felt he could explore while in the military, as he was fearful of his peers’ response.
When he has opened up about his naked exploits to people, he has faced “criticism and misunderstanding”. He hopes to change the perception that men can’t enjoy this form of exercise and says there is nothing sexual about his love for nude yoga.
Ricky, who is currently studying history at a university in Houston, US, said: “Military exercise is a world apart from yoga. At the risk of sounding defensive, any man who engages with naked yoga could be accused of just wanting to see the women – but that has nothing to do with why I like it.
“True Naked Yoga has male instructors, too. Taboos around nakedness – even in our own homes – is like a prison cell we needlessly build for ourselves.”
Ricky chose not to tell his fellow military comrades about his preference for nudity, fearing a negative reaction – but he now finally feels ready to talk openly about his passion. He said: “I am not ashamed of being naked or participating in nude hobbies like yoga classes. The less I wear, the more comfortable I am.
“Exercising nude also allows you to see your results more quickly and judge the effectiveness. If nothing else – exercising nude certainly cuts down on the load of laundry I have to do!”
Ricky – who also cycles naked in events and visits nude beaches – says he does a class a day on average, opting for different time lengths so that he may complete as many as 10 a week. While the future of his health is uncertain – with more tests planned for this year so doctors can identify any developments – for now, he is focusing on living in the moment.
Part of that means being authentic and embracing his penchant for nude living. He said: “I have always known I had a different relationship to clothes and covering up, even before I knew that being a nudist was an option.
“If nothing else, I always had a sense that there must be places where people could freely be undressed. I sensed that need within myself and I’m proud to now be honouring it.
“There was once a time when I made it a point to be naked all of the time at home, but I’m a cat owner so I’m often outdoors with them or around sharp claws. I find nudity liberating.”
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