Category: Naked lifestyle

Newsworthy Nudity, 2021-4

  1. These 6 People Posed Nude To Celebrate Their Bodies After A Strange And Terrible Year (1/15/21)

    Body acceptance is an important factor in becoming involved with naturism to begin with, but also a primary benefit of continued participation in naturist activities. Unsurprisingly, both men and women who might otherwise enjoy social nudity are reluctant to take the first step in that direction – because they’re afraid their body isn’t “good enough”. If one is actually brave enough to visit a naturist club or resort, that people with a wide range of body types are active and enthusiastic naturists is quite obvious.

    The present article makes little connection between body acceptance and naturism. However, the 6 individuals featured in the article did allow their fully nude photos to be published and clearly expressed their varied perspectives. The most common body insecurity problem probably has to do with weight. But there are a number of other issues. One of those, especially relevant for women, has to do with body hair. There’s a social convention that body hair on a woman (other than on her head) is a problem. But Emma felt differently, observing that “the more authentic I am, the better it is for me”. And further, “I wanted to just be able to be me and focus on my personality.” That’s a healthy attitude, which is certainly relevant for most naturists.

  2. ‘Reclaiming women’s bodies from shame’: a photographic illumination of ageing (3/7/21)

    The second article deals with the same body acceptance issues, but from an additional angle – that of attitudes towards aging naked bodies. Although the focus of the article is on older women, the problem is also relevant to older men. For most people who’re fortunate to reach the age of 50 or 60 in good health, their bodies simply don’t closely resemble the bodies of 20-year-olds. And the resemblance continues to decrease in letter decades. Although most societies value the wisdom of older people (at least relative to younger ones), with respect to appearance the value is clearly on youthfulness.

    According to the article, during one year, Australian photographer Ponch Hawkes (a 75-year-old woman) “has shot more than 400 nude women over 50 to fix a pervasive problem.” The problem: “We don’t know what the bodies of older women actually look like.” It’s especially a problem in the eyes of many younger people who might be interested in naturism, since (at least in the U.S.) so many active naturists who visit naturist parks – men as well as women – have passed the 50-year mark. So the issue of physical appearance extends to age as well as weight and other factors. Perhaps surprisingly, enough older Australian women of all body types volunteered to be photographed fully nude – considerably more than one per day. Although “Some women came prepared to be naked… Others hadn’t taken their clothes off in front of anyone for years.”

  3. Lizzo shares unedited naked photo on Instagram to ‘change the conversation about beauty standards’ (4/22/21)

    According to her website, “Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, and flutist.” The article here reports that “Lizzo has been on a quest to normalise different body shapes and sizes and smash beauty standards.” As part of that, she “shared an unedited naked photo of herself, curves and all, with the goal of ‘changing the conversation about beauty standards’.” The photo, on Instagram, has received more than 2 million likes. (Of course, it’s posed so as not to violate Instagram’s absurdly prudish “standards” related to nudity.)

  4. How Being A Nudist Affected My Mental Health (3/31/21)

    Naturism benefits a person’s health in various ways – especially physical, mental, and social health. The physical benefits have been emphasized since the earliest days of naturism – fresh air, sunshine, exercise, etc. The social benefits accrue from pleasant interactions with other naturists. As described above, mental health benefits from improved body acceptance. There are scientific findings that support this.

    In the present article, Alexis makes a different yet simple case for naturism’s mental health benefits. If (and only if) you really enjoy being naked, as most naturists do, then your mental state will improve while you’re naked simply because you’re doing something pleasurable. And there’s no reason to feel any guilt about that. In the rest of the article, Alexis offers ideas for increasing the amount of time you can spend naked. (Disclaimer: Alexis included a couple of positive links to posts on this blog. Thanks, Alexis.)

  5. The new rise of naturism: Why we’re better off in the buff (4/30/21)

    Marie Claire Dorking summarizes a variety of reasons for how life can be better without clothes, especially given the lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although there were problems with having to work from home, the upside was the freedom to dress more comfortably – or not at all. Many people probably as a result came to recognize and appreciate the pleasures of everyday life sans clothing. She explicitly notes the physical and mental health benefits of nudity. Quite simply, being naked to do routine things like cooking, cleaning, and even office work is enjoyable.

    Briitish naturist Beatrice Berry is quoted explaining how the freedom to be naked compensated for loss of other freedoms during the lockdowns. Another British naturist, Stephanie McManus, founded Body Freedom International during the pandemic to focus “on the discovery of nudity as an internal transformation tool for body acceptance, freedom, and confidence.” The article concludes with advice on getting started with naturism. It’s a good article to share with others who wonder why you like being naked.

  6. Naturist couple say stripping off outside is ‘best antidote’ to pandemic anxiety (1/14/21)

    Covid-19 is still around. Currently, in December 2022, an average of 50,000+ new cases are diagnosed per day in the U.S. – and rising. So even though the lockdowns are over and pandemic-related stress is down compared to earlier, there are new sources of anxiety and stress instead, such as high inflation, growing levels of common flu, and the onset of winter. The article here reports how pandemic stress could be relieved by getting naked outside. Although that antidote to stress is difficult at this time of year (in the Northern hemisphere), indoor nudity is still helpful – if the heating costs are affordable.

    The article reports how a long-time British naturist, Chris, overcame stress and anxiety late in 2020 by stripping off in the local woods, despite the chilly ambiance. Chris was accompanied by his partner, Ginny, but though she’d become a naturist more recently, she kept her clothes on. However, she explained, “It was so nice to see him enjoying himself again, after he’d had a couple of panic attacks.” Ginny, a photographer, was carrying her camera and documented Chris’ experience.

  7. ‘Naturism isn’t just for older, kooky people’: Lockdown has seen younger people relax their attitude to nudity (4/30/21)

    Here’s one more article on British naturism in the midst of the pandemic. The British Naturism organization made a concerted effort during the lockdown to provide remote activities for naturists in the UK (and elsewhere). Activities included a cooking show, naked yoga, a naked book club, and more. The effort was well-received, as shown by a sharp increase in BN membership. (U.S. naturist organizations generally did little extra in this period.) Many others probably took advantage of being confined at home by simply not bothering to wear anything. So they discovered and got used to the comfort of nonsexual nudity – and became interested in naturist activities.

    Since many people confined at home were quite far from retirement age, lots of young adults became adherents of naturism. And since they could be naked at home as much as they wanted, there was no impact on their careers. One of them is quoted, saying “There are many more of us younger generation naturists out there than is outwardly obvious.” The WFH (work-from-home) trend should be a boon for naturism.

  8. How Canada’s oldest nudist club helped this filmmaker understand his family history (4/28/21)

    Daniel Berish is a Vancouver, BC filmmaker. Going through old photographs with his grandmother Zella one day, they found a photo of Zella clearly wearing nothing but a towel and bathing cap. She explained unabashedly, “Oh, that’s the nudist club where I met your grandfather.” Years later, after Zella died, Daniel finally decided to learn more about his grandparents’ naturism and why it appealed to them. So, as a filmmaker, he went with a colleague to make a documentary.

    They visited the VanTan Club, which was founded in 1939 and is Canada’s oldest naturist club. He got more than just a better understanding of naturism and its appeal. According to the article, “As Berish and his colleague interviewed the folks at Van Tan, they realized that to truly understand the naturalist [sic] perspective, they would have to take it to the next level.” In Berish’s own words, “We’re excited to be able to share their story, and we knew that in order to do that, we were going to have to, you know, get naked as well… I reluctantly decided to jump in. And once I did, it was great.”

  9. 10 Tips for World Naked Gardening Day (4/1/21)

    World Naked Gardening Day was cofounded in 2005 by Mark Storey and Jacob Gabriel. (Storey is presently a consulting editor and principal writer for the Nude & Naturial magazine of TNSF.) Since then it has spread around the world to counties where naturism has enough followers. It’s not an organized activity, for the most part, but is promoted by many local naturist organizations. In the Northern hemisphere it’s usually scheduled for the first Saturday in May. (Usually in October in the Southen hemisphere.)

    In this article, Linda Weber (an activist in several naturist organizations) provides 10 pieces of practical advice, which are mainly intended for naturists who have little personal experience with gardening – but who’d like to add a new hobby they can enjoy naked.

  10. World Naked Gardening Day: Women explain why they like to garden in the buff (4/30/21)

    This is the sort of mediocre article to be expected of a British tabloid. However, it’s noteworthy that two women – Claire and Kendall – were willing to discuss the subject naked on a TV broadcast. Claire, a survivor of breast cancer with a mastectomy, said the experience strengthened her determination “to embrace her body”, and that gardening nude “gave her confidence”. She added that “I’ve always enjoyed getting my kit off and when the sun shines I love to be outside naked doing my garden.”

    Kendal admitted that “she also loves to be in the buff among her plants, but can’t always embrace her hobby fully” due to inadequate privacy from neighbors. She insisted, however, that naked gardening helped “connecting with myself and integrated my body and myself with nature.” During the episode, “the two women looked perfectly comfortable in their own skin.”

Bonus from earlier:

Is Naturism the solution to low body confidence? (1/27/20)

Just before the first waves of Covid-19 crashed on British shores, final-year journalist student Stephanie Silom went to a 60s-themed event at a hotel in Bournemouth, UK, hosted by British Naturism. According to her article, she “discovered that Naturism may be the answer to the age old problem of how we can improve our body confidence.” (Why don’t U.S. naturist organizations do this sort of event at regular hotels with quality accommodations? Never mind. What was I thinking?) Much of the article quotes BN spokespersons.

However, Stephanie concludes:

“Naturism gives people the opportunity to see a huge variety of healthy body types in a safe, respectful, asexual environment. Millions of people have been converted to the Naturist lifestyle after discovering the joys of feeling fresh air on their bare skin, feeling more relaxed and less self-conscious as a result.

Naturism opens people’s eyes to the reality and beauty of the human body; our body confidence and the extent to which we base our self-worth on our bodies improves massively once we learn that almost no-one has a ‘perfect’ body.”

Newsworthy nudity, 2021-3

  1. Grace saddles up for a Lady Godiva style trip through Ludlow for charity (1/26/21)

    Lady Godiva earned a place in history vastly more prominent than that of her husband Leofric, an 11th-century Earl of Mercia in central England. As the story is usually told, Godiva felt compassion for the people of Coventry suffering from her spouse’s exorbitant taxation. Her pleas to him to reduce that burden were without avail, but he agreed to some reduction provided she would ride a horse completely naked through town. If the story’s accurate, he probably was astonished when she took him up on the offer.

    In recent times, nudity has often been used to dramatize protests of many things. But Grace Oakley was determined to follow Godiva’s example, although for a constructive purpose rather than a protest – support for a charity dedicated to prevention of young suicides. (When Grace was only 12 her mother took her own life.) It was 8 months later that Grace finally made her (partially) naked ride through Ludlow (about 60 miles from Godiva’s Coventry). However, by that time she’d raised almost £3000 for her chosen charity. But the effort was probably responsible for donations from many others (who didn’t even need to go naked).

    Other accounts of Oakley’s ride:

  2. Actor strips at ‘French Oscars’ in protest at closure of theatres and cinemas (3/13/21)

    Grace Oakley used public nudity to call attention to a serious social problem, but another example of public naked protest appeared in France months before Grace’s ride. It was a protest against perceived injustice, and it was televised live for the entire country to watch. (Godiva’s protest wasn’t televised, of course.) The broadcast was part of France’s César film awards (equivalent to U.S. “Oscars”). The broadcast host had opened the event with a passionate speech against the closure of French theaters on account of the pandemic, which had already been in progress for over a year.

    French actor Corinne Masiero was to present the award for best costume (appropriately, as it turned out). Masiero wore a costume when she appeared on stage, but promptly removed it and everything else – even her shoes. It’s unclear whether or not the event organizers knew in advance that Masiero would completely divest herself, but she carried out her presentation fully naked on live television without any interruption or censorship – and the audience applauded. No news media treated the scene as scandalous. C’est la France après tout. Whether pandemic precautions were an appropriate target of protest is debatable. But the point was made quite conspicuously.

    Another reaction to the event: Nudity in French Culture – Will it change? (3/13/21)

  3. I couldn’t wait to tell my friends ! (3/25/21)

    Sheryn recounts what happened after she and her husband first visited a naturist club. The “experiment” turned out very well. “It was a bit scary at first. But we had done it and we were hooked.” Unlike most people new to naturism, she could hardly wait to tell her friends about it. The first friend reacted very positively and wanted to try it herself. The second friend was more negative and was sure she wasn’t interested. Yet a year later she’d changed her mind and went with Sheryn for a club visit – and a week later joined the club.

    Of course, Sheryn and her husband live in Britain, where people in general are much more open-minded about naturism than in the U.S. In fact, naturism has become increasingly popular in Britain over the past couple of decades, in contrast to the U.S. where the opposite has happened. (There are several stories about that in this post.) This account illustrates how not being secretive about naturism can have definite rewards – being able to share social nudity with friends, for example. Now when friends visit Sheryn’s home, her husband remains naked. Her friends are used to it and have no complaints.

  4. Naked with Friends (Part 1) (3/8/21)

    Rae was born and raised in the U.S. but moved to Vancouver, British Columbia a few years ago. She and her husband Jay are enthusiastic naturists and often visit Wreck Beach, the local clothing-optional beach and also an inland hot springs. The article’s title reveals that this article and a second part are also about sharing nudity with friends. As is usual, this sharing happens gradually. At first there are isolated and somewhat tentative experiences. But gradually, an increasing number of friends become involved and often thereafter enjoy nudity together. Anyone who enjoys nudity solely at home is missing the pleasure of genuine social naturist nudity.

  5. Fancy getting nude in a cinema full of strangers? Now you can – just BYO towel (4/20/21)

    Unlike in France, at nearly the same point in the pandemic, Australian theaters were not closed. However, in two theaters under the same ownership, in Sydney and Melbourne, it was the audience that could strip naked (if they wanted to). The movie was a Belgian tragi-comedy, Patrick, set in a nudist park – will full nudity often on screen. (Sadly, the film has received very little attention, and doesn’t seem to be available even on DVD, although it isn’t intended as an exploitation of nudity.) The showings were arranged by Hudson Sowada, director of the 2021 Fantastic Film Festival Australia. In fact, Sowada announced, “I’ll introduce the film in Melbourne in my birthday suit.” Here’s a short account of the movie with links to some reviews.

  6. New TV series shows adults stripping naked in front of kids ‘to boost body confidence’ (3/11/21)

    Also on the subject of television nudity, in March 2021 a Dutch TV show (“Simply Naked”) debuted. It’s based on a very similar Danish show “Ultra Strips Down” that debuted 2 years previously. In an image from the new show, “five grown-ups are seen disrobing in front of children and standing in front of them completely naked,” according to a British tabloid. However, the show had no prurient intent. Rather, it was intended to teach kids about body confidence. The show’s host described the series’ purpose as “to help children understand different body shapes.”

    True to customary British tabloid form, the screen image of the disrobing was heavily censored, so as not to disturb prudish, dirty-minded British readers. But youngsters in Holland had no such unease. According to the article, “The kids are shown getting the giggles as the adults strip off.” Probably most of them had seen it all before at home. Even most Brit adults have probably seen it all themselves.

  7. Is There A Nude Campground In Quartzsite? (2/8/21)

    Yes, there definitely is. For some time it’s been known as the Magic Circle, so-named on account of a circular maze constructed of rocks by naturist RVers in one part of a U.S Bureau of Land Management (BLM) camping area near Quartzite, AZ. Unlike National Parks, the BLM has no rules against nudity on most of its land, although local laws may take precedence.

    On most BLM land, campers may stay no longer than 2 weeks. At Magic Circle, however, the limit is 7 months, and many campers stay much of that time, in part because many of them are retired and enjoy the area’s warmth for a large part of the year. So the average age of campers tends to be on the high side. Since so many Magic Circle campers stay for extended periods, they get to know each other. The result is that the place has the vibe of a regular naturist club, including planned social events. Note that there are some general rules. For instance, relocating every 2 weeks is required during the summer. And there are fees: $40 for 2 weeks, or $180 for 7 months.

  8. Doing the Naked Macarena (2/16/21)

    Katrina provides a capsule account of the best things about naturism, all in the process of describing her first experience on a nude cruise in the Caribbean. She and her husband had their first naturist experience at a Caribbean resort a year before the cruise. They were quite uncomfortable with nudity the first day. But by the third day they found total nudity to be completely… natural. Naked bodies are just bodies, and they exist in all shapes and sizes. Just read the story for an idea of what a nude cruise is like. And what about the macarena? Well, that’s just an energetic dance best done naked to allow maximal freedom of movement for all body parts.

    The cruise itself is offered every year by a company called Bare Necessities. You can be naked as much as you want while at sea. But it’s not cheap – for 2 people in a cabin the cost can exceed $20,000, depending on location in the ship. (Singles can share a cabin – and expenses – with another single if desired.) And although the boat hosts 3500 people, a reservation far in advance is a good idea if you want a specific room category. There’s also a Greek isles cruise on a smaller ship if you want a Mediterranean experience.

  9. The UK’s best nudist beaches for families and couples (2/28/21)

    Although the British climate is not exactly ideal for naturism, the UK nevertheless has plenty of coastline – and nudity is possible at many locations. But which ones are “safe” for families with children? Unless a kid has been instructed from an early age that wearing clothes is absolutely necessary, they shouldn’t have a problem with nudity. As the writer notes, “Naturism seems to come naturally to the kids.”

    Still, it makes good sense to choose a beach where nudity is possible but also somewhere that worrying about improper behavior of others is unnecessary. Since youngsters can’t resist an opportunity to swim and jump in the waves, choosing a place with surf that’s not too rough is important. And if no suitable beaches are near the family home, a location should have good dining choices and overnight accommodations. This article suggests 6 good options for families, as well as 3 others more suitable for adults.

  10. A Global Guide to Nude & Topless Sunbathing (3/31/21)

    Here’s a different sort of guide to clothing-optional beaches and topfree sunbathing places. It doesn’t list specific locations. Instead, it provides a general rating of tolerance for skinny-dipping and topfreedom. The guide covers most countries in the world, although its ratings can be vague and uncertain sometimes. The ratings have four color-coded categories:

    • Green: many “official” public locations where nudity is OK
    • Yellow: public nudity is usually unacceptable, but tolerated in specific locations
    • Red: public nudity not acceptable – don’t go there to be naked
    • Grey: insufficient relevant information

     
    There are color-coded maps of the whole world, including a separate map with individual state details just for the U.S. All countries have individual listings, usually with more details. Only public locations are considered, but the existence of private naturist clubs and resorts may be noted. Some indications of the survey’s methodology and information are provided. The survey was conducted by a British female lingerie/swimwear company (cognitive-dissonance alert) named Pour Moi. The information is provided as of July 2021, and (of course) may be different at a later time.

    Other places where the survey is presented in less complete form:

Bonus from earlier: I spent a week at home in the nude, and this is what I learned about my body (4/3/17)

Cat (her preferred name), from New Zealand, reports “When I read that naturists have higher self-esteem than those who keep their clothes on, I decided to spend a week in the nude in the privacy of my own home to see what I could learn. I hoped that my naked experiment would make me more comfortable with my body and its imperfections.” And so: “I worked, slept, cooked, cleaned, and got on with family life minus my clothes. Although I was a little apprehensive about my nudity project, on the whole I really enjoyed it.”

There were some uncomfortable factors initially. However, “On other days, though, my nudity was liberating and fun. There were even a few moments where I felt profoundly present in my body.” On one rainy afternoon she went into her backyard, forgetting she was nude, but she enjoyed feeling the rain on her skin. Finally, “After spending a week naked at home, the prospect of stripping off in public became less daunting.”

Do you know anyone who’s aware you’re a naturist, seems open-minded, and has the free time? If so, try suggesting they spend a weekend, several days, or a whole week naked at home the whole time – assuming anyone they live with won’t object. Suggest they’ll understand, at least, what you like about naturism. You may find another friend to enjoy naturism with.

Newsworthy nudity, 2021-1

Obviously, there’s been a long gap since the last “Recent articles on nudity and naturism” here, which was for January 1-15, 2021. Two reasons: the relevant newsflow does seem to have slowed down, but even so, time constraints have made it difficult to keep posting new articles on this theme twice a month. So I’ll try a different approach.

Many interesting articles have been noted since January 2021. So the best of those will be included in the new series, as well as anything suitable that comes out in the future. But there won’t be any fixed posting schedule. It will just happen as time permits, and selected items won’t necessarily appear in chronological order. Also, there will usually be less commentary on individual articles than in the past. These changes may allow new posts to appear as often as before.
Continue reading “Newsworthy nudity, 2021-1”

How and why most people misinterpret nudity

Do you consider the picture above to be concerning or problematic in any way? If you’re a naturist, the answer is “no, not at all”. It’s simply a man and a woman enjoying themselves in a natural setting. So what if they’re naked? How could that be objectionable in any way? [If you’re reading this on Facebook, you’ll have to follow the link to see the picture.]

But for most people who aren’t naturists, the picture could be somewhat or very disturbing, alarming, or even “offensive”. For sure, showing that picture on Facebook or most other social media would not be tolerated and would probably cause the account of whoever posted it to be canceled. And most people (at least in the U.S.) would contend it could be harmful for children (especially younger ones) to see it. What can account for such extreme and ridiculous attitudes?

If nothing else, wouldn’t such attitudes clearly explain why such a large percentage of the population almost anywhere are deeply skeptical of the practice of naturism?
Continue reading “How and why most people misinterpret nudity”

The strange feeling of daily life without wearing any clothes

Here are some thoughts for open-minded people in the Northern hemisphere at the beginning of summer with its (much) warmer weather – the best time of the year to go naked.

It’s likely that when you were very young – 2 or 3 years old, maybe – your parents occasionally allowed you to play around the house or in the backyard with nothing on. Or after a bath you might have been allowed to stay naked until bedtime. You almost certainly enjoyed the experience at the time. The chances are, however, that you have no clear memory of that – unless your parents thought it was cute and took pictures or videos.
Continue reading “The strange feeling of daily life without wearing any clothes”

How to get started in naturism if you’re under 30, part 4: Initial steps to participating in naturism

Overview: Perhaps you’ve been curious about naturism for a while. You may have seen posts from naturists on Twitter, followed one or more naturist blogs, or checked out some naturist groups on Facebook. But you’re not quite sure what’s the best way to actually try naturist activities for yourself. You may have concerns about being embarrassed for saying or doing the wrong things the first few times you visit a clothing-optional beach or actual naturist facility. Here are some suggestions for how to make your first experiences with naturism enjoyable.
Continue reading “How to get started in naturism if you’re under 30, part 4: Initial steps to participating in naturism”

Here’s something naturists need to think hard about

There have been quite a few interesting comments on a post of mine from about 3 months ago: Gender balance in naturism. I’ll discuss my responses to a couple of the comments on it. But first, it’s necessary to call attention to a post from Alexis, a female naturist blogger: Giving Up Nudism?.

This is a long post, so if you’re short on time you can find a summary of the main points at the end, but you’ll miss the reasoning behind those points. If you do have time, it would be a good idea to read (or re-read) Alexis’ post and the comments on it.

For simplicity, I’ll summarize some of her main points. Only the parts in quotation marks are Alexis’ own remarks.
 
Continue reading “Here’s something naturists need to think hard about”

From your clothes you have got to be leaving

Red River Valley is an old North American folk tune. I think of it often. Writing new naturist-oriented lyrics for it is amazingly easy – I just couldn’t stop myself until I had 11 full stanzas. If you feel compelled to actually sing this, just be aware that a few accents should be placed not quite where they usually are.

Will you think of the time you have wasted
Washing clothes you had rather not worn?
Will you think of how much you have hated
Wearing stuff that just left you forlorn?

Will you think of the clothes you’ll be leaving,
And how useless they really have been?
Will you think of the cash you have wasted
Buying clothes just to cover your skin?

Wearing clothes is so wrong when the sun shines.
Fully naked is what you must be.
All your body parts must stay uncovered,
So you’ll live every day happily.

Wearing nothing at all for the whole day
Is exactly the thing your soul craves,
And you so hope for the time that can be.
Let your clothing be cast to the waves.

Many think nudity must be sinful,
But that’s crazy and totally wrong.
Let’s all happily show our whole bodies,
And rejoice simply bare all day long.

Just forget wearing even a T-shirt,
And of course be all nude further down.
Every inch of your skin’s best uncovered.
It surpasses so far any gown.

Very sadly most folks can’t live unclothed.
They can’t see why they need nothing on.
Please tell others it’s fine when you’re naked,
How much better life is with clothes gone.

Do you fear that your friends might reject you
Once you’ve started to never wear clothes?
You will find that your true friends applaud you
When your butt is as bare as your toes.

My advice: give away all your clothing.
Life is great when there’s nothing to wear.
You will find that you feel so much better,
When you’re proudly and completely bare.

From your clothes you have got to be leaving.
They just never were worthwhile at all.
You have hated forever to wear them.
Fully naked you’ll stand proud and tall.

Being clothesfree is such a great lifestyle.
You must forget your fears joyously.
When your closet and yourself are all bare,
Nude for now and for good gloriously.

How to get started in naturism if you’re under 30, part 2: the good things about naturism

Summary: Here’s why you should get into naturism as early as possible and not delay until you’re older.

It seems reasonable to assume that most people who read this blog regularly, or even only occasionally, have at least some interest in naturism or curiosity about it. But there are at least two types of readers. Some have more than occasionally enjoyed nudity at home or participated in social nudity. But others have little or no actual experience with either home or social nudity.

This series of posts may be of interest to people of both types. Those in the first category probably want to learn how to persuade others – such as friends or family members – to join them in naturist activities. Or else they’re enthusiastic naturists wanting to promote naturism to anyone who’s open-minded. On the other hand, people in the second category are still uncertain about whether they would actually enjoy naturism or whether it might be risky to participate in it.

In either case, it makes good sense to be clear about what the benefits of naturism are. Having a clear idea about these benefits is important whether the objective is to persuade others to try naturism or else to persuade oneself about that.
Continue reading “How to get started in naturism if you’re under 30, part 2: the good things about naturism”

Are you a naked person?

By “naked person” I mean, specifically, someone who often or almost always prefers to wear nothing – or as close to nothing as possible – that covers any part of their body. That term generally includes many nudists and naturists. It also includes people who live mostly without clothing because that’s the norm in the culture or society they belong to – although presently that’s quite a small number. But it doesn’t include people like exhibitionists who use nudity only for sexual gratification or to shock others.

Of course, the main concern here is with nudists and naturists who live in societies or cultures where nudity is far from the norm. In other words, under social conditions where nudity is acceptable or at least tolerated only in limited circumstances, such as in private homes or a few places where nudity is socially and legally permissible.

The point I want to make about being a “naked person” is that it should be considered a conscious affirmation of personal identity. That is to say, a state of being of significant and substantial worth in itself, and one that merits the respect of others. The deliberate choice to wear no clothing should be no different from any other clothing choice. So naked persons rightly feel that their choice to be naked is just as valid and deserving of respect as any other clothing choice. And that’s because their choice strongly reflects their personal identity.

Although most people in U. S. society – as well as the societies of many European countries – don’t wear types of clothing required by certain religious or cultural traditions, those latter choices are accepted. And that’s because it’s recognized that such choices strongly reflect the personal identities of those who make them. Someone who is, for example, Amish, Muslim, or Orthodox Jewish wears clothing that accords with their religion, because that has deep meaning for who they are. And even though choosing to wear no clothing is very seldom for religious reasons – except for modern pagans – it has every bit as much meaning for someone who self-identifies as a naked person.

Of course, many – probably most – people use additional visible means besides clothing to express personal identity. Women, and sometimes men, have long used makeup for this purpose. Hairstyles, including facial hair for men, are certainly in this category too. Tattoos have now become very popular for this purpose. The same is true for body jewelry (even though it may be visible only in the absence of clothing).

It’s true that many nudists and naturists don’t think of their enjoyment of nudity in terms of personal identity. They like being naked simply because it “feels so good” or it’s “much more comfortable” than wearing clothes. They don’t consciously think they’re “making a statement” by being naked. And that’s fine.

Yet the truth is that wearing nothing actually does convey a person’s identity, whether intentionally or not. The verb “convey” means passing some sort of information from one person to others. This is just as much the case as with the choices people make in what they wear at work (whether it’s a business suit or jeans and T-shirt), on social occasions, or in any other situation where other people are present.

Nudity qualifies as part of the identity of someone who openly expresses pleasure in being naked. So choosing to be naked reflects that identity and signals it to anyone who observes them.