"Some day people will grow up and realize that the only thing vile
about human bodies is the small minds some people have developed
within them."- Dick Hein
In the Long
View
For generations we have been seeking
to cover up the so- called primitive peoples of the world with our
Western styles of clothing, whether they were appropriate to the
climate and conditions of those peoples or not. Today, we have this
change in thinking on the part of some of us that perhaps those
"primitive peoples" were wiser than we.
Let's be honest. The "movement" of
nudism/Naturism involves a truly minuscule number of people in our
society (albeit a growing number, across virtually all segments of the
population). Worse, we are considered by some to be some sort of
"cult." But in this regard it is highly revealing in many meaning of
the term that whereas less than 30 years ago there were officially
25,000 nudists in the United States and 50,000 in Germany, the number
of the officially and unofficially involved today, if we include the
occasional skinny-dippers, runs well into the millions.
Mere nudity begins to cease to be
either a matter of exaggerated concern or abnormal interest to the
majority of the public. And while the number of "official" members of
organized nudism remains small, the effect has been like the leaven in
the loaf; for the workings are far greater and vastly more extensive
than the small numbers would warrant.
Small as our numbers may be in
relation to the entire population, each one of us has to reflect and
develop some clear ideas about what nudism and Naturism means in our
individual live and in our relationship with others. What are the
values available to me from being nude, naked, bare of all clothing in
the company of others of all ages and both sexes -- and what benefit
might derive from these practices? Are there negative aspects, too?
I read with interest the various
proposals for changing the name of the American Sunbathing Association
--doing away with "sunbathing" and stating the nudist purpose
directly. Sunbathing seems to me, as it clearly did to others, a bit
of a misnomer; yes, we enjoy the sun on our total bodies, we enjoy the
fluidity and motion of the human body in the light of the sun; yet we
know nudism and Naturism are more than that.
Let's look for a moment at
terminology. Naked, nude, nudism and Naturism. According to my
dictionary, naked and nude are largely interchangeable. On the other
hand, I believe a distinction can be made between the nudist -- one
who joins with others on occasion in mixed company in a state of
nakedness -- and the Naturist, who is seeking to live in a state of
nudity at all appropriate times and as much as possible in a close
relationship with the natural surroundings, alone or with others of
all ages and both sexes. These descriptions are certainly subject to
correction and revision.
It is Naturism that I seek to
practice in my own life. In neither description have I said anything
about "values", but I like to think that the Naturist is more
positive-value oriented, whereas among nudists there is considerably
greater latitude in the values tolerated. I shall use these terms
interchangeably, though with the above definitions understood.
In virtually all the literature, in
many of the letters one reads from new "converts" to nudism or from
those who have been active in the lifestyle for a long time, one often
finds the comment that practitioners enjoy being nude "because it
feels good." Quite aside from all the other physical and psychological
reactions, I suppose that this feeling of freedom from the confinement
of restrictive clothing is one of the first things many of us
experience.
At the same time, however, among the
beneficial and enjoyable effects or feeling of freedom is the ability
of our bodies to function as intended: These bodies can breathe,
adjust to variations in temperature, cleanse themselves through the
pores, lungs and the whole circulatory system.
One very negative commentator writes:
"The alleged improvement in health, physical or mental, is founded on
no evident fact but is simply a gratuitous supposition, or at most is
based on far fetched analogies with life among certain primitive
people." Fortunately there is ample evidence based not on suppositions
but on valid empirical studies confirming that under proper conditions
nudity is a desirable aid to good mental and physical health. In
contrast, here in the U.S., body image confusion, sexual
overstimulation and commercialization of nudity has reached an
absolute height.
For years, the health insurance
organization of Sweden has sent patients to Dalmatia, prescribing nude
sunbathing and relaxation in the mild waters of the Adriatic for skin
and other illnesses. We are often aware of the effort of practicing
nudists to care for their bodily health. We know that we find every
possible body type and form and we are no longer under the dangerous
illusion that everyone can conform to the nude examples of 'Playboy'
and 'Playgirl'. Seeing the great variety of bodily characteristics, we
no longer worry so much about "positive" or "negative" attributes of
our bodies, and we learn to accept both our own image and the images
others present. We see those with scars of injuries and surgeries and
other disabilities and "imperfections" who participate in nudist
activities without any self-consciousness.
I might also add here what I
profoundly believe to be one of the greatest benefits of Naturism: The
positive effect it has on the mental and physical health of our
children. For almost 20 years I took groups of children to a beautiful
nudist center in Istria, Croatia, on the Adriatic. These children,
even the so- called "difficult" ones, were a joy to be with. Despite
an occasional sunburn, the general health of these children and,
especially, their later attitudes toward the bodies of both men and
women were markedly improved. Today many go to the camp with their own
children.
Short Reading About Nudist Culture
Ten Tips for First Timers
1. For your first time, go to a naturist resort (ie: one which is set in wide, open natural surroundings) - possibly a campsite with caravan and cabin stay. The great thing about these is that they are relaxed, with plenty of privacy when required, and they generally have a central area with spas and seating where you can relax, socialise, and be among like-minded people. Spend a bit of money and go somewhere nice. This trip will set the tone of all your future nudist endeavours. You only have your first time once, so make it good!
2. Go somewhere at least a few hours drive from where you live. There are two reasons for this. (1) It lessens the chance of your seeing anyone you know - it's much easier to strip for the first time with only strangers around (trust me - any nudist will agree). Also, (2) it lets you feel that you are away from all the daily stresses and conventions of life. This should be a vacation, and a vacation is much more fun when you actually vacate your usual haunts. Also, you'll be more inclined to follow through if you make the whole experience into an adventure.
3. This one's for the nervous men out there. Guys, I know what you're thinking, and it involves the behaviour (or lack thereof) of your pee-pee. Let me reassure you…you will not spend your entire visit to a nudist/naturist resort with an erection. Believe me, you are no more likely to be erect after you've disrobed than you are walking around in your suit-and-tie. Granted, you may very occasionally become semi-erect (or even fully erect), but no more so (and probably less) than you would in fully clothed circumstances. So stop worrying about it. It simply will not be a problem. Any nudist will back me up on this one.
4. Take a "security blanket". Your "security blanket" is something non-obtrusive which you can discretely use to cover your genitals. You won't actually use it, but it'll make you feel a bit better during your first five minutes of nakedness. For my first time, I took a guitar, which I could kneel down over and play (thereby covering some key areas of my body) if required. Some other forms of a "security blanket"' could be a towel (not worn, but carried), a big satchel, a large cooler box, a deck chair, or a picnic blanket. I'm sure you can think of something.
5. Flirting/being flirted with can be uncomfortable or intimidating even when clothed. When you're naked, it can be even worse. As any experienced nudist will tell you, nudism has nothing to do with sex, and flirting with strangers is frowned upon. Feel free to be affectionate with your established partner, but please respect others' desire to be comfortable. If someone is flirting with you and you are feeling uncomfortable, do something about it, which makes it clear that his/her attentions are not welcome. If you feel like you are being harassed let the owners or staff know, and they will deal with the problem. This said, neither my partner nor I have ever encountered this. Apparently, it is more likely to happen on nudist beaches (which are free-to-access by all kinds of people, including gawkers - clothed individuals who like looking at nude people). That's why we only go to places which are somewhat out of the way (in terms of location), and where you have to pay to stay.
6. Pack at least two items of clothing: a comfy, button-up long-sleeved shirt (casual flannel is fine) and a pair of slops (or thongs, as they are sometimes called). I also usually take a jersey and a pair of sunglasses.
7. Two words: sun cream!
8. Two more words: insect repellent.
9. And two more. Bring book. Um, ok, maybe the concept needs a few more words to be fully articulated, so here goes. You are probably going to spend a fair amount of time sitting in the sun and reading. To do this, you will probably need reading material. I usually bring several books and magazines, but I am something of a readaholic.
10. Don't try to loose 3kg off your buttocks/wax your pubic region into a perfect "v"/madly exfoliate your buttocks just because you will be going naked in front of strangers. Believe it or not, nobody will care how you look (except for commenting on that interesting piercing), and you will find that body shape, size or texture will cease being important in your interaction with others. I'm sure a psychologist could explain this phenomonon, but I'm not a psychologist. All I know is that this is very true - being naked makes all of these issues…unimportant. You'll see.
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