A former military medic has shared how the unlikely hobby of nude yoga “saved his life” after a devastating cancer diagnosis. Ricky Gigout, who served in the military for 16 years from early 2002, was deployed to Iraq three times and Afghanistan once, as well as serving in Korea. He was medically retired due to depression and rapid weight loss, which he believes was triggered by the trauma of his work. However, a darker cloud was looming.
After leaving the military, the now-54-year-old discovered a cyst on his groin and doctors told him it was most likely lymphoma. The soldier found himself battling constant medical appointments and endless surgical procedures. But one thing 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 explained: “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.” Despite initial rounds of chemotherapy to tackle the lymphoma, concerns were raised about its potential to overly weaken Ricky prior to operative removal of his hydrocele cyst.
After a further operation in April 2024 to try and remove the growth, Ricky’s condition is unfortunately deemed incurable but not necessarily life-shortening. Throughout his ordeal, Ricky has found solace in yoga, crediting his practice, particularly naked yoga, with aiding his recovery whilst dealing with persistent dizzy spells and exhaustion. He stated: “It helps ground me when the world is spinning and energises me when I feel exhausted.”
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.”
Ricky, an avid participant in naked cycling events and nude beachgoer, attends an average of one class per day, varying in duration, which allows him to complete up to 10 sessions per week. Although his future health is uncertain, with further tests scheduled for this year to monitor any developments, Ricky is focusing on living in the present. Part of that involves being true to himself and embracing his love for nude living.
“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,” he said. “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.”