Secrets of a Naked Yoga Model

WARNING: If you don't want coworkers bum-rushing your computer or Starbucks line strangers glaring at your iPhone screen, you should probably read this story in private. The photos are racy in the beginning and full-on naked towards the bottom. So heads up: It only gets nakeder from here.

Luba Shumeyko, pictured here, told me she doesn't think these photos of her qualify as "sexy." The Ukrainian model views them as a yoga thing first and foremost—she had someone on the sidelines checking her form the whole time, and her asanas are pretty much perfect. ("That's a spot on Prasarita Padottanasana," was probably the first thing you thought when you saw the photo below, right?)

But when the man behind the lens is erotic photographer Petter Hegre (Luba's husband) and the woman in front of it is built like a "Blurred Lines" video girl, it's hard for the finished product not to come off as sexy. Very sexy.

Related: I Did Naked Yoga With a Room Full of Strangers

Upon their release on Luba and Petter's website a couple weeks ago, the photos zoomed across the Internet, and Luba found herself at the center of a "check out these sexy yoga photos!! NSFW NSFW XXX" Reddit storm. Below, we caught up with her to hear a little more about their intention behind the pictures, the process of taking them (heated floors sound like a lifesaver), and how she looks so amazing through it all. (Her perfect peacock pose might take years to obtain, but that tan and smooth skin—well, that we can cop in a quick trip to Duane Reade, apparently.)

On getting famous overnight:

"We posted the photos on our website and suddenly they are all over Internet— but with wrong titles like 'sexy yoga.' During that photo shoot, sex was the last thing I was thinking about."

On working with her husband:

"Well, it's great. For me it's the best, actually. We work very quickly and efficiently together. It's fun and easy, very comfortable and stress-free. We listen to jazz and shoot in our house, where there are heated floors. My husband's very thoughtful!"

On reading the public's reaction:

"The only comments that I don't like to see are when people say that I have fake breasts. That's not fair."

On how she stays in shape and why she loves yoga:

"I practice yoga three times a week. When I started, about 10 years ago, I was doing it mostly for my body, but now I do it more so for my mind."

Related: Is Our Obsession With Yoga Getting Us Anywhere?

On how she preps her face and hair:

"I did very light make up myself, and just pulled my hair back in a ponytail."

On how she got her skin so soft and hairless (or, the best testament to skipping your expensive monthly wax and shaving instead):

"I used baby oil which always looks great on the body for photo shoots. I kept my tanning lines natural, and about my body hair.... I don't do waxing, for me it's too painful. Can't do it, only shaving! My skin reacts very well to shaving and looks nice and smooth. Or, at least my husband doesn't complain."

Related: Alexander Skarsgard Posed Nude at the South Pole

Photos: Courtesy of Petter Hegre and Luba Shumeyko