Recent articles on nudity and naturism, November 16-30, 2020

  1. Patrick: The Movie
     
    Patrick received 4 stars (out of 5) in the Guardian review. It has 87% positive reviews at Rotten Tomatoes. But can you find it on IMDB? No. Is there a DVD of it on Amazon (which owns IMDB)? No. So what’s the problem? Apparently it must be the dreaded nudity. Indeed, that includes full-frontal male nudity. (See the first review listed below.)

    After all, the setting is a rustic naturist park, where many of the people are naked. Horror of horrors. At least Wikipedia deigned to allow a (very) brief page for it – which mainly just lists the many accolades the movie has received.

    A few films, such as Educating Julie and Act Naturally, that feature nudist park scenes have been made in recent decades. (Both are listed at IMDB.) But they don’t have the heft or mainstream critical approval that Patrick has. Unlike those other films, in Patrick the nudist park setting isn’t central to the plot, and the nudity is treated quite nonchalantly – as it should be. Check out the reviews below for more information. Unfortunately, I don’t know how you can actually see the movie for yourself.

  2. Controversy surrounds new sculpture of Mary Wollstonecraft, asking is nudity necessary?
     

    You really have to ask yourself what’s wrong with people who wonder whether nudity in a serious work of art is “necessary” – let alone as something a person might choose to enjoy in everyday life. Isn’t it enough that the artist – or person who enjoys nudity – has reason to feel that nudity enhances their art – or their lifestyle?

    In this case, Mary Wollstonecraft isn’t nearly as well known to the general public as her daughter, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley – who’s famous as the author of Frankenstein and the spouse of Percy Bysshe Shelley.

    Yet Ms. Wollstonecraft certainly deserves to be much better known. According to Wikipedia, she “was an English writer, philosopher, and advocate of women’s rights.” Indeed, today she “is regarded as one of the founding feminist philosophers, and feminists often cite both her life and her works as important influences.”

    So what could explain why the sculptor, Maggi Hambling, opted for nudity in the Wollstonecraft memorial? Why should that be considered controversial or even disrespectful? Was it either controversial or disrespectful that Michelangelo chose to portray David nude? How about how Rodin chose to portray his Thinker? It’s quite likely there were very good reasons in both cases. So why should there be any difference for Hambling’s choice? Simply because Wollstonecraft was a woman?

    I certainly don’t think there should be any difference, but I can only speculate about Hambling’s intentions. This appraisal of the statue posits that the figure isn’t a representation of Wollstonecraft herself but instead of Everywoman. Could it be that portraying the figure nude was meant to be a sign of empowerment? That unselfconscious nudity indicates strength, self-confidence, and equality with strong males?

  3. Getting naked for charity
     

    British Naturism has a history of charitable support for the British Heart Foundation. (See here.) The choice of a health-related charity isn’t random, since a clothes-free lifestyle is felt to confer health and well-being benefits. The connection, in part, is a result of stress reduction and enhanced closeness to nature. Simply taking time off from everyday obligations to enjoy nudity is a big factor. Holding such events at carefully curated gardens is also relevant. On the other side of the planet, in New Zealand, another naturist group held a fundraiser for a local hospital – and a member cited “stripping down the stress” as an important feature.

    Non-naturist organizations of various kinds have also used (limited) nudity as a way to get attention in addition to supporting worthwhile charities. Noteworthy examples include diverse sporting teams – often connected with an educational institution – that have also taken this route by selling calendars with coyly posed nudity. Recent examples include veterinary students at two Australian schools, as reported here. However, this sort of thing has at times been done somewhat clumsily, as noted in one example reported in an item below.

    It’s rather unfortunate that U. S. naturist organizations have taken so little advantage of charity support for gaining attention and improving their image – as well as helping out deserving charities.


     

  4. Being naked and improved body acceptance go together
     

    An aspect of the connection between nudity and health is how body acceptance is involved. Naturists understand that being comfortable naked requires acceptance of one’s body the way it is. Increasing body acceptance leads to more time spent naked, and that in turn leads to enjoying more of the health benefits of nudity, such as those due to stress reduction and better sleep.

    However, this relationship is complicated. Physical fitness is also important for good health. Steps taken to improve fitness, such as healthy eating and adequate exercise not only improve health, but also help improve body acceptance. There’s a positive feedback loop in the relationship among body acceptance, nudity, health, and fitness. Each of these things tends to reinforce the others. The healthier you are, the more you’re likely to enjoy being naked – and vice versa. This relationship was explicitly recognized by the earliest modern naturists over 100 years ago. Plenty of exercise and a healthy lifestyle were strongly emphasized.

    • How to be more comfortable in your own skin
      “Taking charge of your own negative thoughts can be one of the toughest things to do when you don’t feel confident in your own skin. … You often critique yourself and feel shy around others, rather than embracing yourself for who you are as an individual! … It’s important to love yourself and appreciate you for you! That’s why we’ve gathered some tips on how to be more comfortable in your own skin, naked or not.”

    • Naked body image and self esteem
      This report is based on research by Keon West of the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. The research has previously been described here and here.

      “For people predisposed to take part in non-sexual nude activities body image, self-esteem, and life-satisfaction are improved by such participation. Now, research … suggests that for people who may not be predisposed to such activities, a nudity-based intervention may nevertheless lead to positive improvements in body image.”

      This is another article on the same topic: Nudism: how it can actually boost positive body image

  5. Everything You Wanted To Know About Being A Naturist But Were Afraid To Ask
     

    You don’t really need a whole book to explain how to be a naturist. The first and most important step is simply to start spending time naked – alone, or with others if possible. But of course you’ll have some important questions on your mind too. This concise article at a website about travel deals with some of the most common questions. It’s especially intended for people in the U. S., where naturism is more controversial and less well accepted than in many European countries.

    Since the website is dedicated to travel and vacations, not surprisingly it suggests the first steps into naturism outside the home may well involve travel or vacationing. There’s much good advice here. But the key thing to keep in mind is simply to be naked when doing what you especially enjoy. It doesn’t matter much whether that’s sports, exercise, cruising, camping, hiking, or going to the beach. Here’s the mantra: “Whatever You Enjoy Doing, Doing It Nude Makes It So Much Better”. Well, maybe not shopping or going out for dinner, but you get the idea.

    Given the site’s dedication to travel and vacation, you should take a look at their page of related naturist information.

  6. No Tan Lines Here, Clothing-Optional Parks See Uptick
     

    To continue on the topic of travel and vacations, here’s an article from a mainstream magazine for people who visit or manage private campgrounds – especially for RV camping. It points out that naturist parks usually welcome RVers and are well-equipped for them. Most naturists with RVs already know this, so the article is actually inviting people who’ve never been involved with naturism to give it a try.

    While most RVers looking for naked camping probably are already naturists, non-naturist RVers represent a promising group whose members might seriously consider the clothesfree option.

    From the article: “To dress or not to dress? Probably not a question RVers ask each other too often. And probably not something which crosses the minds of those in the campground business. But believe it or not, there are a growing number of RVers who choose not to dress when they are camping, preferring to recreate at campgrounds in the buff.”

  7. Nothing new about using nudity in politics and protest
     
    As an article in a Toronto newspaper – written by Stéphane Deschênes, owner of the Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park – points out, “Nudity has long been a tactic used to generate attention, in both politics and protest. One of the most famous incidents, Lady Godiva’s nude protest on horseback, is over 1,000 years old. Here in Canada, in the early 20th century, the Doukhobors protested religious persecution and demonstrated their humbleness by marching nude — men, women, and children.”

    A number of other examples are cited, including PETA‘s antifur campaign, World Naked Bike Rides, last year’s Portland, Oregon Black Lives Matter protest, and FEMEN demonstrations in support of feminist issues.

    Stéphane observes that “nudity will retain its ability to shock and bring attention to political and social issues.” And further, “While using nudity to expose injustice or promote a cause may seem cheap or exploitative to some, there’s no doubt that when one believes it’s worth it to be bare down to their toes in service of creating change, it’s bound to make headlines.”

    Naked political and social protests have been discussed several times previously – most recently here.

  8. I earn £45 an hour to clean people’s houses in the nude
     

    Naked house cleaning hasn’t received much attention recently, but evidently it continues to be popular in the UK. This article by “Brandy” gives a first-hand account of what it’s like to work naked doing house cleaning for strangers (or regular customers). She had grown tired of her previous job, at the age of 38, and was looking for something different and more interesting. Brandy says she really wanted to work in professional gardening, but needed income while learning the ropes of gardening.

    She reports that most of her clients are male, and have always been respectful: “I have to say that I’ve never had to clean for anyone yet who has made me feel creepy. They’ve always treated me with absolute respect.” Her feelings about the work are very positive: “It’s definitely an unusual job, and I won’t do it forever – I still plan to be a gardener – but it’s got me out of a dark period, and it’s been liberating. I’ve got to tell you, I love it.”

    With the pay being £45 (currently about US$62) per hour, it surely has a great advantage over waiting tables or driving for Uber. For anyone who enjoys nudity there’s the exquisite pleasure of working naked. And it’s certainly a much more socially acceptable job than working in a strip club.


     

  9. Cambridge University students strip down for racy calendar with nothing but athletics equipment to protect their modesty to raise money for medical charity
     
    This is another example of university athletes supporting a charity by producing for sale a calendar featuring (partial) nudity. Unfortunately, this particular instance is a rather embarrassing flop. Even if you have a very positive attitude towards nudity, this isn’t something you’d be proud to have on your wall. Although it’s probably been sold out for some time now, a better option is still available: making your charitable contributions directly to the beneficiaries.

    Here are the negatives of this one:

    1. Supposedly because of the need for social distancing, the athlete models were photographed separately and photoshopped (very poorly) onto the background. Very fakey.
    2. The idea of college jocks showing off their (not quite) naked bods for “charity” is no longer fresh and original. Don’t Cambridge students have enough imagination and creativity to come up with new ideas?
    3. The tabloid-quality wording of the article is off-putting – with lowbrow phrases like “racy snaps”, “protect their modesty”, “stripped down”, and “bare all” (which is a lie).
    4. There’s no frontal nudity, so this is nothing but exploitation of ersatz nudity.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, November 1-15, 2020

  1. Why Germans love getting naked in public
     
    Like almost all generalizations about particular societies and cultures, this is a popular stereotype that has some truth to it, but only partially. The truth here is that a larger percentage of Germans enjoy public nudity occasionally than in most other countries. Munich’s Englischer Garten (pictured above), which has had nude use since the 1960s, as well as banks along the Isar river, are popular places for public nudity. But the percentage enjoying public nudity is still hardly a majority.

    Even if the percentage of Germans who are naked in public parks, beaches, spas, saunas, etc. is, say, 25%, it’s not certain whether the generalization is valid. There’s probably a greater tolerance of public and private nudity in Germany than in almost all other countries, and that’s good. But it’s unclear whether the trend of popularity of and tolerance for public nudity is up or down. The headline of the article is, at best, misleading.

    The article itself observes that
    “Since East Germany merged with the larger West in 1990 and restrictions lifted in the former communist state, FKK culture has declined. In the 1970s and ‘80s, hundreds of thousands of nudists packed campgrounds, beaches and parks. In 2019, the German Association for Free Body Culture counted only 30,000-plus registered members – many of whom were in their 50s and 60s.”

    But the low figure of FKK members is itself misleading. It’s usually possible to enjoy naturism and social nudity without belonging to a large organization. Around the world, the tendency in most types of formal organizations – from scouting groups to fraternal lodges – is that membership has been steadily declining. But membership in a formal organization simply isn’t any more necessary for participating in social nudity than for pastimes such as playing tennis or chess. Most such things are personal lifestyle choices that don’t require membership in an organization – many of which do continue to exist.

    Various factors can account for the membership decline. Many of them affect membership organizations in general, not just those related to naturism. There are, however, a few that may specifically affect naturism. For one thing, if there are increasing numbers of people interested in a particular clothing-optional activity, private and pubic businesses such as swimming pools and gymnasiums can satisfy the demand either on a pay-per-use basis, or even by public funding. For instance, a public swimming pool in Spain.

    For an example specific to Germany, there are estimated to be about 300 spa/saunas in the country, with nudity expected in most or all of them. There’s one other thing to consider with Germany. The climate simply isn’t as favorable for naturism as in Spain, Croatia, or southern France. Many German naturists probably visit such places as much or maybe more than places in their country. They’re also likely to enjoy social nudity indoors at spas and saunas for much of the year – or in their own homes.

    Private naturist parks are much less necessary when nudity is permitted in public parks and other facilities, as well as many outdoor areas (hiking trails, lakes, rivers, etc.). In countries like Spain, Germany, and even England and Ireland, nonsexual nudity is generally legal if it’s not intended to cause alarm or distress to others. So why pay dues to some organization just to enjoy not wearing clothes?

    Another factor is that once an activity becomes more popular there’s less need to participate in it covertly in a private organization. The activity is, at least, respectable and tolerated, even if not preferred by a majority.

    This suggests that the way forward for naturism in many countries isn’t mainly through large private organizations. Instead, it’s by establishing informal local groups and using them to promote public acceptance of naturism in local areas. The general public will have a better opinion of naturism if it earns favorable publicity and its members are respected local people. Larger national and regional naturist organizations are valuable when they regularly provide various clothesfree activities for their members. British Naturism is a good example.

  2. Erding Spa
     

    Therme Erding is one of Germany’s most popular spas. In fact, it claims to be the world’s largest spa. It’s located 31 km from Munich and accessible via public transportation. There are both textile and textile-free parts of the spa complex. The saunas are textile-free, as is normal in European saunas. According to the article cited, which is from a travel agency, the complex includes a wellness, massage, and beauty treatment center. There are also overnight accommodations. So it’s quite possible to enjoy a multi-day clothesfree vacation right there.

  3. Should I share with my friends and family that I am a nudist?
     

    Yes, absolutely! Provided, that is, you can handle the possible negative repercussions. I just wrote at some length about why that needs to be done – when you’re confident that naturism is wholesome and good.

    Here’s the short answer. When you tell your family, and they understand, from what you tell them, what’s so good about naturism, they should support you. Some may even start to enjoy being naked themselves. Of course, it’s a problem if they’re not sufficiently open-minded to appreciate your explanations.

    When you tell friends you trust to understand your viewpoint, don’t discourage them from telling others they know who will be sympathetic with the idea. Eventually, some of those others will be people who also enjoy being naked, and they can become friends with you.

    Another reason to tell people you’re a naturist is that it gives you a chance to explain what naturism really is, what naturists actually do, why naturism is often misunderstood, and why misconceptions about naturism are wrong. Not only does this help improve the understanding of naturism, but it lets you explain why you enjoy it so much.

  4. Naturism As A Lifestyle
     

    For many people who enjoy naturism outside their homes, the focus is on places to go – beaches, clubs, resorts, cruises, festivals, etc. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that. Many of these people also enjoy being naked at home. But for others, habitual nudity simply isn’t a part of their everyday lives. That is, it’s not part of an encompassing lifestyle. This could be for various reasons. Perhaps some living in the home aren’t comfortable with nudity, or there may be frequent visits from neighbors, friends, and relatives who might not even be aware of their host’s fondness for nudity. Everyone needs to organize their lives in a way that works best for them and those they live with.

    However, naturism is most fulfilling when it can be a regular and normal part of everyday life. Nudity is quite compatible with most things one typically does frequently at home – preparing and eating meals, cleaning and maintaining the home, or just relaxing with music, books, or video entertainment. But being considered a “lifestyle” entails more than that. It’s a set of attitudes and values that the human body is sufficient just as it is, and has no need to be covered in everyday life, except for physical comfort.

    Clothing has practical value for keeping the body warm if necessary. But it also has a social function that tempts people to “dress up” to impress others, indicate social affinities, or create a possibly misleading personal image. By eschewing unnecessary clothes, naturists show that they value personal authenticity.

    The citied article originally appeared here (in a way that was needlessly difficult to read).

  5. Oh! Calcutta!: How nude 70s stage show could still rouse the critics
     

    Few people born after 1989 – the year that Oh! Calcutta! was on stage in New York for the last time – probably have any idea of its significance. It was the first mainstream musical or dramatic production in which actors were on stage, fully naked and under good lighting for long periods of time. In much the same way as the Woodstock festival and naked hippies (1969), it represents just about the first time in recent history that the general public became aware that nudity need not be quarantined in art galleries, “nudist colonies”, or Playboy-like magazines.

    I was fortunate to have attended several performances in New York and London. So what I can say about the show is based on actually having seen it, not merely read about it. As one of the actors, Linda Marlowe, is quoted in the cited article saying, “society has moved on and no one would accept a lot of it now. I’ve always considered myself a feminist but at the time I think we found the material less of a problem than we would now.” She also notes that the scripts were entirely the work of male authors, some of the sketches involve male fantasies, women are victims in some sketches, and there’s nothing from the LGBT point of view.

    Well, sure. We’re talking about something that first appeared 50 years ago. Hairstyles, for example, popular with young males were also different at that time (long sideburns but few beards). Many of the sketches even then were regarded as “campy” – absurdly exaggerated, artificial, or affected in a usually humorous way. Many of them had sexual themes (novice swingers, a song about masturbation). However, some of the dance numbers, such as the closing act (watch here) and “Oh Clarence” were very good.
     

    What, then, is the significance of Oh! Calcutta! for naturists today? Paintings and sculptures of nudes had been part of mainstream culture for centuries. Photography of nudes had been also since shortly after cameras were invented. But Oh! Calcutta! made artistic, live, open nudity something that the English-speaking general public could witness – if they chose to. It was an early, tentative step toward the normalization of nudity.

    Nowadays live full nudity in public performances of many kinds isn’t exactly common – but neither is it quite rare. There are numerous examples:

     
    A variety of events in which anyone can participate naked – such as World Naked Bike Rides, Bare-to-breakers marathons, public body painting, and the Fremont Solstice Parade – are also offshoots.

  6. An Interview With Holistic Business Coach Jamie White
     
    Jamie White contends that “the problems we have in our personal lives are likely to impact our professional life.” Clearly, if a person in a position of responsibility has personal problems that occupy too much of his/her attention, the person’s professional responsibilities may suffer.

    A situation where Jaime would be expected to swim nude troubled him. Since he had no experience swimming nude “It brought up a lot of fear, anxiety and worry in me.” Any unfamiliar situation, not just nudity, could have the same effect. After examining the fears and worries he realized they actually did more harm than good. He decided the worries were unfounded and interfered with obtaining something he wanted. So he dismissed them.

    This is a good approach that naturists can use to persuade others that embracing nudity in suitable circumstances could be rewarding. As a naturist, by credibly explaining how naturism has enhanced your life, you can argue it’s worth the effort to overcome fears and worries about nudity. So you may gain another person to enjoy nudity with.

    Jaime concluded that “if more people were openly naked for example say whilst swimming, sun bathing, in saunas, beaches etc. it would help people have more confidence in themselves and also less bodily anxieties.” And enhanced self-confidence is of value in becoming successful in many other activities besides naturism.


  7. Nudity and health
     
    Here are three perspectives on a perennial naturist topic that’s been popular since the earliest days of naturism. It’s not always clear how nudity actually figures into these benefits. Perhaps the main thing is that naturists are more aware of their bodies than people who are almost always clothed. As a result, they’re inclined to take good care of their bodies. Clothed people, on the other hand, may be more likely to identify with what they wear than what they are underneath their clothes. Just a possibility.

    • Fitness!
      Among naturists the practice of naked yoga has received considerable attention. There are some yoga studios that offer occasional classes where students, and often teachers, may be naked. British Naturism too offers live naked yoga instruction by video, as well as a forum for discussion of the topic. But yoga is just one type of fitness exercise. General naked fitness training has also been available for some time but receives less attention. It’s also available online from British Naturism. A few online commercial services also provide naked yoga and/or fitness videos, although nudity itself might be the primary attraction.

      I may do a whole post on the general topic, but the post cited here provides a high-level introduction to the idea. After all, most people know that vigorous exercise is usually good for health. Exercise equipment like treadmills, stationary bikes, rowing machines, etc. has been available for many years. But it’s often neglected after a few months since, candidly, using it is rather boring. Being naked while using it, however, could be an effective solution for that problem. Certainly a good excuse to strip off, if you need one, especially if you sweat heavily.

    • 7 Benefits of Sleeping Naked: You Really Should Know
      I noted here that there are many articles on the health benefits of sleeping naked. This is yet another one. Of the 7 benefits cited, the most cogent may be that any clothing can become constrictive and interfere with blood circulation. That means less oxygen to all parts of the body and inhibited removal of CO2. When you’re asleep you won’t be able to adjust clothing that becomes too tight.

    • Health benefits of being naked
      Although rather skimpy on details, this piece suggests that “Wearing restrictive clothing can cause excessive sweating which may lead to inflammation of the skin follicles, rashes and breakouts. Going bare gives your skin a chance to breathe.”

     

  8. Naked Run 30: Bare Burro 5k
     
    Naked running is an activity that’s popular with a certain subset of naturists. Since the typical race distance is 5 km – about 3.1 miles – participation isn’t exactly limited to super-athletes. Things like this are as much social events – with activities sometimes spread over a weekend – as athletic competitions. The event description itself notes that “it’s three days of sun and fun and runs and relaxation.” And that’s fine, since it’s for people who simply want to challenge themselves, especially if they can do it naked. The event described here – the Bare Burro 5K race – is held at Olive Dell Ranch in southern California.

    If you’re interested in this sort of thing and southern California is conveniently located for you, another run, the “Bare Booty 5k Fun Run“, is scheduled for September 26, 2021, at DeAnza Springs Resort.

  9. Best Places in the World to Vacation Naked
     
    I’ve mentioned the site, gogirlfriend.com, before as a useful resource for women interested in getting naked on vacation. The present article is subtitled “Top Nudist hot-spots that will blow your mind”. Among the possibilities listed are nude cruises, a mineral spa, a genuine nudist/naturist resort, an Australian beach, and a nude hot spring. All of these are high quality, although whether they’re truly “best” in the world is disputable. Unfortunately, most of the other options definitely offer “more” that isn’t naturist.

Naturists seriously need local naturist organizations

Naturism in the U. S. is not doing well, especially in comparison to how it is in western European countries, such as France, Spain, Germany, England, and even Croatia. Much of the problem is due to outdated cultural attitudes towards nudity. These bad attitudes, however, are not being adequately countered by U. S. naturists and their organizations. Consequently, many if not most naturists feel they have to be secretive about their enjoyment of nudity. And that secrecy, in turn, prevents naturism from thriving as it should.

What follows is an examination of the problem – and what could be done to deal effectively with it.
Continue reading “Naturists seriously need local naturist organizations”

New Meetup group: Naturists in the Modesto Area

After years of naturist participation and blogging, I’m in the process of organizing a naturist Meetup group for the Modesto, California area. (Think of the area as within about 100 miles of the city.) If you’re in the area and interested, go to
 
https://www.meetup.com/naturists-in-the-modesto-area
 
to learn more and request to join. (You’ll need to get a Meetup.com account if you don’t already have one.)

Here is the current description of the group:

Our group is for anyone who enjoys non-sexual social nudity. We’ll have clothing-optional activities to interest almost any naturist, such as visits to naturist clubs, home parties, potluck meals and picnics, swimming pool gatherings, camping, hiking, visits to nude beaches, online video chats, community outreach, and any other traditional naturist activity.

If you currently enjoy nudity mainly at home, this is an opportunity to find others like yourself. First-timers and anyone sincerely interested in naturism is welcome. All activities will be appropriate for your whole family, even those who aren’t quite ready to participate fully clothesfree.

In a Meetup group there’s the opportunity for members to communicate among themselves in a discussion area on the site, on a mailing list, and by private messaging with other members. If you already have naturist friends, this could be a good way to stay in touch with each other. So if you choose to join, please invite other nearby naturists you know to consider joining too.

Note that Modesto is about 60 miles from Laguna del Sol, easily the best naturist destination in the area, perhaps even in Northern California. It should be an ideal place for occasional organized events, or simply for group members to get together in smaller groups in a clothesfree environment.

If you have further questions before joining at Meetup, feel free to ask them in the comments here.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, October 16-31, 2020

  1. Avid gardeners pot, prune and bare all for National Nude Gardening Day
     
    World Naked Gardening Day is the first Saturday in May – provided you’re north of the Equator. But early in November is a better time for New Zealanders and Australians.

    The president of the New Zealand Naturist Federation is quoted in the article making a very important point: “This particular day is more for people who aren’t naturists to get involved and give it a go.” In other words, having a “naked gardening day” isn’t so much aimed at experienced naturists as people in the general public. After all, naturists will do their gardening naked anyway, if possible. But having a special day is a way to make the general public more aware of what naturism is and what naturists actually do.

    Since the first WNGD over 15 years ago, many people who’ve read about it or noticed it mentioned in social media may have decided to give naked gardening a try themselves at some convenient time, not just on WNGD – at least if they have a gardening area that’s sufficiently private. People who do that often realize that the experience is quite enjoyable. They may continue gardening naked simply to be able to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. But they may also be motivated to learn more about naturism and to seek out more traditional naturist activities – even if they don’t actually consider themselves “naturists”.

    The bottom line here is that naked gardening can be, for some, a “gateway drug” to serious involvement in naturism. And it’s not the only such “drug”. A number of things, such as practicing naked yoga, naked hiking, or simply starting to sleep naked, can have the same effect.

  2. 6 Things You Can Do To Normalize Naturism Right Now
     
    Since you’re reading this, chances are you’re into naturism, or at least interested in it. If you are a naturist, you quite likely want your preference to be accepted by people who’re important to you. In short, you want it to be normalized – at least with respect to yourself. Ideally, you could be naked when you wanted to be, and others you know wouldn’t notice anything “unusual”.

    Of course, for most that’s not the “real world”. But it should be, so isn’t it worth some effort to change that? The article here lists 6 ways to help nudity become considered a normal, acceptable choice. The most important point is in the conclusion: “The number one way to normalize nudism is to talk about it.” That means you shouldn’t remain secretive about your enjoyment of nudity. All the rest depends on overcoming the secrecy.

    The 6 points, with explanations, are:

    1. Educate your kids on naturism
    2. Squash any myths and misconceptions
    3. Invite friends to try nudism
    4. Spread the word about the benefits of nudism
    5. Embrace your nudist lifestyle
    6. Use your knowledge for the greater good

     
    I’d make a few comments on these points. In general, keep it simple by treating the terms “naturism” and “nudism” as interchangeable, without trying to explain why some might prefer one term over the other.

    Here are a few more specifics, in the same order:

    1. Unless family nudity has been common since your children were very young, this will be difficult. They’ll probably already have picked up negative attitudes towards nudity from peers and others. Expect that teaching them differently will become increasingly difficult as they get older. Here’s an article with excellent advice.
    2. Debunking the myths is the first point that should be addressed. The misconceptions about naturism are many and widespread. Give some thought to how you would refute any of the myths, based on your own experiences with naturism.
    3. Before inviting friends to try naturism, you’ll first have to debunk the misconceptions, explain the benefits, and have them accept that nudity is now “normal” for you, in whatever way suits you best.
    4. Naturism has many different benefits for physical health, general psychological well-being, and other practical benefits. The benefits are discussed extensively in naturist blogs and naturist organization Web sites. Do the research, and make your own list. Try to emphasize particular benefits depending on who you’re talking with.
    5. Embracing naturism as a “lifestyle” means being naked whenever that’s practical and comfortable for you. That’s the best way to persuade others you value the lifestyle.
    6. This will take commitment on your part. It means advocating for naturism among your friends and relatives, using social media to explain and promote naturism, and maybe even starting your own local naturist group.

  3. Mother and daughter are photographed naked, facing ruined sites of China
     

    Finding nudity used for artistic purposes is surprising in an authoritarian and rigidly conformist Asian society like China. Genuinely good art is not only esthetically pleasing (usually), but often communicates ideas, emotions, and physical sensations as well. When the art is visual and also involves nudity it not only attracts attention to itself, but also affords the viewer a vicarious experience of the scene in the naked flesh. According to the article, “the project intends to discuss the irresistible force of time with an unexpected, raw, yet beautiful approach.”

  4. The Aspie and the Nudie
     
    If you don’t suspect you may be on the “Asperger’s spectrum” or know someone who could be, you might not find this long post of much interest. However, it deals with the intersection of naturism and Asperger’s. There’s one trait that is often shared. According to one quote, “Aspies are not influenced by peer pressure or social "norms". Their independent thinking resists and challenges conformity and convention.”

    It’s tough being a naturist without that trait, no? This isn’t to say there’s anything aberrant about it. Questioning social “norms” is quite healthy, because many don’t exist for good reasons, but only due to arbitrary, haphazard customs. A prime example, especially if you live in an excessively conformist society, is the compulsive “need” to wear clothes when nudity would be more comfortable.

  5. ‘When you do put your clothes back on, you’re changed’: The nudists of Killiney
     

    It’s really quite striking – astonishing, actually – to see how differently naturism is treated by legacy media (such as newspapers) in the U. S. when compared to corresponding media in some countries of Europe that are farther along in shedding antiquated attitudes towards nudity. That includes Ireland, which used to be dominated by backward-looking institutions like the Catholic Church. As has been reported in this blog, naturism has recently become surprisingly popular in Ireland, much as in the UK.

    In the article here, a reporter interviews naturists enjoying a class, fully naked, in Qigong on a public Irish beach. Instead of expressing bewildered amazement that normal people would do something like that, the reporter allows the interviewees to describe their feelings and motivations in their own words and at some length.

    One perception that comes across is how natural and unexceptionable it can be to engage in an activity like a Qigong class while wearing nothing in a public place with others. One interviewee, artist Ciara Boud, “doesn’t mind being referred to as a naturist, she just sees herself as someone who chooses to ‘wear or not wear what she wants to’.” Ciara remarked further:
    “Bodies are quite boring, … Once they’ve been out on display for a little while, you’re like, ‘that’s a t*t and that’s an ass’, and nobody cares and nobody’s looking, and nobody is even thinking of your body in a broken down structure of ‘those are the sexual bits and those are not’.”


     

  6. Australian veterinary student calendars
     

    Selling calendars that feature (carefully limited) nudity to fund some worthy cause has been going on for over 20 years – perhaps most famously with the “Calendar Girls” of the Women’s Institutes. The story of that effort was even made into a play and a movie. The same idea has also been used by athletic teams in colleges and universities, especially in the UK – too many to note separately.

    It’s also been a popular idea in Australia, as in the present example. In this case, students of the University of Sydney’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine school have been producing such calendars annually in “a decade-long, charitable tradition”. Although the 2021 calendar is no longer available, the calendar’s website, called bumsforthebush, has pictures and a video documenting the project.

     
    The tradition has been carried on by students at other veterinary schools in Australia, notably at North Queensland’s James Cook University – reported here, here, and here. The website for this effort is called Vets Uncovered and there are some YouTube videos.

    One has to wonder: Why hasn’t this idea spread to vet schools in the U. S.? (But it’s probably because the U. S. is decades behind in appreciating the cultural value of non-sexual nudity.)

  7. Naked Travel Possibilities
     
    The idea of recommending vacation places for women to enjoy naked is rather novel, so here’s another post from gogirlfriend.com. But it’s disappointing. This one states “We’ve found 3 places here in the US where you can try naked travel on for size. If you’re a first-timer, go with your girlfriends or your partner – not a group of couples. And remember, taking your clothes off is the hardest part – it gets simpler and more fun after that.” While that’s good advice for newbies, the suggestions are pretty weak. Burning Man isn’t planned for 2021, and even World Naked Bike Rides will be few and far between. The only safe bet of the three is Black’s Beach just north of San Diego. A quality naturist resort such as Laguna del Sol in California or one of several possibilities in Florida would probably be better options.

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, October 1-15, 2020

  1. The World’s Best Nude Beaches
     
    Reports of the “best” beaches where nudity is acceptable and common (generally termed “nude beaches”) are a favorite of some mainstream media that want to attract readers interested in topics commonly considered “risqué”. A distinguishing characteristic of real naturists is that they don’t consider most beaches where clothing actually is optional to be risqué. But obviously, the writers of the article cited here aren’t naturists. Right in the article’s second sentence they use the term “naturalist” instead of “naturist”.

    That mistake doesn’t necessarily invalidate their choice of beaches to write about. Any beach that most people would consider to be a pretty good beach would be fine with a naturist as long as it’s possible to feel safe and comfortable being naked there. The choice of beaches in this particular article is probably somewhat subjective. In fact, there’s only one beach that this list has in common with the beaches more objectively selected in this list – Valalta, in Croatia. But so what? Naturists should find any beach in either list quite agreeable, as long as nudity is actually common and accepted there.

    Interestingly, some of the beaches in this article’s list are in Italy, Turkey, Latvia, or South Africa – which are not likely to be on the travel itinerary of most naturists. The beaches may, nonetheless, very well be considered fine by most naturists. Several U. S. beaches that most U. S. naturists know about are on the list – Haulover (Florida), Hippie Hollow (Texas), Little Beach (Hawaii), Black’s (California), and Gunnison (New Jersey). Even those beaches might be rather distant from most U. S. naturists – but at least a passport wouldn’t be necessary to visit any of them.

  2. Nude beaches and resorts near Toronto and the rising popularity of naturism
     

    Many people, including naturists, would be surprised that Canada is another country with good and popular clothing-optional beaches. One that’s perhaps more widely known is Wreck Beach in Vancouver. But Toronto also has a popular nude beach: Hanlan’s Point. It’s at least sufficiently well-known to have its own Wikipedia page.

    The article is more about naturism generally in the Toronto area than just the beach. It’s from the perspective of a woman who first went topfree on a French beach during a vacation. She found that experience “exhilarating, but also kind of scary”. But more experience with naturism gave the realization that being naked in a naturist place is no sweat, because “literally no one cares.”

    She poses the question “What is it about being nude that can feel so overwhelmingly daunting for some, yet for others, it’s no big deal?” The experience of being naked with others varies widely, because everyone has different social conditioning – so “In fact, for many people, it’s empowering.”


  3. You should start sleeping naked: Here are 5 super convincing reasons
     

    The general mainstream attitude towards nudity – as we all know – is mostly negative. But surprisingly, there’s one case where the attitude is not only positive, but sometimes downright enthusiastic. At least, that seems to be what one could conclude from reading a typical article in mainstream media about sleeping naked.

    The articles usually cite a number of reasons, especially health benefits, from sleeping naked. The article linked here is just one of a huge number. Don’t believe it? Just try Googling “sleeping naked”. The resulting list just goes on, and on, and on. There are at least 200 articles, just since 2014. And there are additional reasons besides the health benefits – such as comfort due to the absence of restrictive clothing, and (of course) greater intimacy when sleeping with someone else.

    That doesn’t mean that many minds will be changed as a result. It’s rather unlikely most people will come across any article on the topic just by chance. But naturists should bring up the topic as a way of introducing naturist ideas in a conversation with friends. If any skepticism is encountered about the health benefits, simply challenge the skeptics to go check with Google themselves.

    When statistics are presented about how many people actually sleep naked most of the time, the numbers range from under 10% to 70% or more (at least for Millennials). You may find many among your friends actually do sleep naked, at least sometimes. But for those who don’t, just suggest they give it a try. Who knows? If people try it and make it a habit, they may be interested in exploring nudity more generally.

    For experienced naturists, sleeping naked probably is almost universal. So here’s the naturist perspective on sleeping naked: Should I Sleep Naked? Yes, Start Tonight!


  4. Getting naked around strangers improves your body image, study finds
     

    This was covered back in June, here. The present article provides more details of the experiment. Keon West, the researcher, himself observes “More replication is always a good idea, and it would also be good to test these hypotheses on some different populations. So far, the research has really focused on White, European participants.”

    Not only that, but with only 51 participants – half in the experimental group and the other half in the control group – this is a pretty small sample. In addition, participants were volunteers who knew that nudity might be involved – not individuals randomly selected from the population. Still, it’s quite consistent with the experience of naturists who find improved body image after becoming involved in naturism. And that’s a good thing, even though it may be confirmation bias after having been told that social nudity improves one’s body image – and expecting that outcome.


  5. Nudist couple says lockdown has tripled membership of British Naturism
     

    It’s already been covered that membership in some naturist organizations has surged in spite of a need for social distancing and even lockdowns because of the pandemic.

    Just how big is the “surge”? Well, there are some misleading statements about it that need explanation. A statistic mentioned in one of the earlier articles is that since the start of the British lockdown in March 2020 the number of new members of British Naturism rose from 184 to 930 – presumably in the same period of time before and after. That’s a 5-fold increase (or 400%) – but only in numbers of new members. That’s absolutely not the increase in total BN membership. (In November 2020 BN advocated to Parliament for greater tolerance of naturist, non-sexual nudity and claimed a total membership of “over 9000”.) While the increase in new members is impressive, implying the total membership has “tripled” is rather misleading.

    Nevertheless, something positive for naturism in Britain is certainly going on. The article here is based on an interview with BN activists Donna and John Price. They offer some observations that help explain what’s going on.

    The couple has spent “most days dressed only in their birthday suits and doing everything from gardening to baking and household chores in the all together”. They’ve taken full advantage of their organization’s extensive online video opportunities for interacting with other naturists in spite of being mostly confined to their own property. As Donna explained, since “the events are virtual, they are open to people from all over the world, so we’ve met naturists we probably wouldn’t otherwise have crossed paths with. We’ve been doing all sorts during lockdown – yoga sessions, coffee mornings, cooking classes, life-drawing, discussion panels and evening drinks – all virtual and all naked.”

    It’s also claimed that another reason for the sharp increase in BN membership could be that attitudes towards nudity – at least in Britain – are becoming more relaxed and less unfavorable. A BN spokesperson suggested that “the whole taboo around nudity is eroding. As the decades have gone by, we’ve become less prudish and repressed.” And furthermore, “nudity isn’t that scary subject anymore. Attitudes are changing. People may not call themselves naturists but are increasingly doing nude things and not thinking too much about it.”

    Let’s hope that’s all correct. But progress also tends to experience pushback from people who can’t overcome their social conditioning and are intolerant of positive changes. Worryingly, the opposition to family naturist swims in England seems to be increasing – see here and another example next. Naturists need to fight back.

  6. UK naturists lose more naturist family swims because of hysterical right-wing Brits and Covid-19
    • Blackpool’s Sandcastle Waterpark bans Naturists from hosting nude swim events with children
      This example demonstrates perfectly what naturism is up against. It has nothing to do with the pandemic – except perhaps indirectly due to the increasing popularity of naturism during the pandemic. This event and an earlier one were sponsored by BN, and open to all members. It seems that similar swim events organized by local naturist clubs continue to be held without restrictions on children.

    • Naked family swim at Alton Towers waterpark cancelled due to Covid-19
      Alton Towers is a hotel with a water park and a theme park in Staffordshire. For 14 years before this year BN has rented the hotel and water park for a whole weekend in November, usually having a sell-out crowd of about 400 members of naturist families. But this year the event has been canceled, because it would breach pandemic protocols. So this is one negative for naturism caused by the pandemic. A previous report on the event is here.

  7. It’s the nude renaissance: Why lockdown is a great time to get your kit off

    The phrase “get your kit off” is a dead giveaway that the writer is British – and probably a naturist. Both suppositions are correct, as confirmed by the writer when she admits “Getting naked on a public beach is easily the most thrilling thing I’ve done since the start of lockdown. Thanks to my enforced hiatus from travelling this year, I’ve missed the heady rush of endorphins that exploring a new country brings.”

    So here’s another reason that the pandemic has stimulated many more people to experience naturism – at least in Britain. The writer, Tracey Davies, lives near Brighton Beach, part of which is one of the most popular UK clothing-optional beaches. “It seems that lockdown has sparked a nude renaissance – which is why I headed down to our nudist beach to see what all the fuss is about,” Tracey confesses. Thus one impetus for a “nude renaissance” is that the monotony of being severely limited in options for new experiences has led to discovering a previously overlooked option that remains available – the pleasure of enjoying nudity in the sunshine on a clothing-optional beach.

    Will naturism continue to increase in popularity when (and if) the pandemic subsides? Long-term naturists and new enthusiasts will need to continue exerting effort to keep the popularity of naturism increasing.

  8. The History of Nudity in the Western Region
     

    The Western Region of AANR (the American Association for Nude Recreation), also known as AANR-West, comprises the states Hawaii, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming (and the western half of Mexico, too).

    California, because of its mild climate and open-minded attitudes of many of its inhabitants, was a leader in the growth of U. S. naturism during the 1930s. Lupin, in the Northern California hills above San Jose, was established in 1935 and is still going strong. Fraternity Elysia was established a year earlier in the Southern California mountains above Lake Elsinore. It underwent a series of name changes, first to Olympic Fields, then McConville, then finally to Mystic Oaks – but closed finally in 2008.

    The article here very briefly touches on various events in the history of AANR-West. There are also links to 7 other articles that provide more details on specific naturist topics and locations (mostly in California). This is quite far from a reasonably complete history, even of the early years. But it’s a nice high-level overview.

  9. If you go down to the woods today: adventures in nudist Paris
     
    Many articles on naturism in mainstream media – such as this one – are written by women. That’s noteworthy mainly because (unfortunately) many more men than women are active naturists. Yet it’s good to have the perspective of a female writer. Although the writer is less likely to be or become a naturist (as in this case), she’s somewhat more likely to show naturists how reasonable others perceive them.

    The reporter for this assignment, Pamela Druckerman, is actually having her first experience with naturisme (the preferred French term). Her first surprise was that almost everyone was male in the Paris park she visited, which was set aside for naturism. That severe imbalance isn’t typical of most naturist places, especially in France. But, unfortunately, it’s not too uncommon either.

    Pamela notes that Paris does have “an active naturist subculture that includes this city-approved zone in the forest, weekly naked nights at a municipal pool and occasional clothes-free bike rides, museum visits and garage sales.” She doesn’t undress at the park, and doesn’t really have much to say about it. But she does meet one naturist woman there, “Marie”. Later she accepts Marie’s invitation to attend a naked swimming night at an open-air swimming pool for aqua-exercises – and actually gets naked there.

    She doesn’t, however, particularly enjoy the experience. That’s in part for a surprising reason: “The naturist movement’s resolute non-sexuality bothers me too. Other people’s bodies suddenly seem demystified and banal. … Why take the pleasant erotic charge out of a leisure experience like sunbathing or swimming?” She also has body-image issues.

    Although Pamela doesn’t find the nudity of others particularly objectionable, it’s clear that naturism really isn’t her cup of tea. And that’s fine. To be a naturist requires a certain taste for the pleasures of naturist nudity. Non-naturists, it seems, simply can’t grasp the separation of sexual and non-sexual nudity. Both are good. But they’re fundamentally different things.

    That being so, Pamela clearly wasn’t a good choice for giving readers a reasonable feel for what naturism is actually about. This counts as a failure for mainstream media (The Economist magazine, in this case.) But it’s useful to help naturists understand why more people don’t share their enthusiasm.

  10. The naturist couple that travels the world naked
     
    Mainstream media seem to consider it newsworthy that naturists would seek out – and find – the opportunity to enjoy nudity in delightful places around the world. Naturists having sufficient resources and/or determination for world travel, at least. Some of these places are widely known – to naturists, anyhow – while others are genuine hidden gems. This article features the well-known naturist bloggers Nick and Lins, of the Naked Wanderings blog.

What sorts of things do you especially enjoy doing naked?

Since this is a naturist blog, I mean only non-sexual things, of course.

Dan Carlson’s blog very recently had a most interesting post: What Kind of Nudist are YOU? As phrased, the question suggests that “nudists” (and equivalently, “naturists”) tend to belong to distinct “kinds”, “types”, or “categories”.

Dan backs away from that sort of interpretation, yet he still offers 11 different categories to which he asks readers to assign themselves, although multiple categories are allowed. The categories are given snarky names, like “Jello-shot nudie crowd”, “Wine-foodie naturist snob”, “Life until death nudist”, and “Yoga-wellness guru”. Seriously, how many people who enjoy nudity would care to be regarded as members of categories like that? You’ll have to read the article for an explanation of how the categories are defined.
Continue reading “What sorts of things do you especially enjoy doing naked?”

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, September 16-30, 2020

  1. Skinny-dipping in Cornwall’s historic miners’ pools

    Cornwall is the southernmost county in England and a popular tourist destination for its scenic spots, historical associations, and beaches. More than a dozen of the beaches are clothing-optional (at least unofficially). There are lists here, here, and here. But the clothing-optional beaches aren’t the only places on the coast where skinny-dipping is possible. There are also a number of tidal pools, both natural and man-made. Some naturists may prefer them, as the water is clearer and they’re likely to allow for more privacy.

    The writer of the story one day met Laura, who prefers the pools for nude swims. As she explains, “Tidal pools, for me, offer peace and privacy. I’m drawn to off the beaten track swim spots that feel a world away from the crowds and, more often than not, you have the pool totally to yourself. On a choppy day they often offer a tranquil swimming spot alongside the sea so you don’t have to forgo a swim.”


  2. Children and nudity
     

    The issues of how much, if at all, it’s “healthy” for children to encounter adult nudity or even be naked themselves engender much controversy – especially in countries like the U. S.

    The issues arise especially in connection with family nudity in the home. In the state of Utah, one of the most backward states in the U. S., a judge actually ruled in January 2020 that a woman violated a state “lewdness” law simply for being topfree in her own home when children were around. See here for the details.

    On the other hand, in England some art teachers are making a good case why it’s beneficial for children to have art classes that include nude models. That’s reported on here.

    Now there are additional articles dealing with this issue.

     
    Recently, I offered some comments here on this article: Searching for the Threads of a Family Naturist Network about the fact that rather few U. S. families bring their children to naturist parks and resorts – especially compared to the situation in Europe. In order for this to change for the better, it will probably be necessary for nudity to become normal and routine in more homes. The article Eight Things to Know About Nudity and Your Family, (from Psychology Today) was recommended to support this view.

    Here are some earlier articles discussing similar issues:

     
    As you’ll see further down, the opinions regarding children and nudity of deeply ignorant people who know nothing about naturism, even in England, can be a major problem.


  3. Spencer Tunick – Alexandra Palace
     

    London’s Alexandra Palace, in spite of the name, was never a residence of royalty or a member of the nobility. It was opened in 1873 as a place serving the public for recreation, education, and entertainment. Many naturists will need no introduction to Spencer Tunick. But for anyone who’s unaware of his work, he has been directing and photographing about 100 “installations” involving nude volunteers in public places around the world. Installation are announced beforehand – and there are almost always more volunteers who apply to participate than can be chosen. His latest work involved 220 selected volunteers. Check out some of the numerous articles published online for details, pictures, and videos.


  4. Naturist attacked by angry mob


    For a number of years, British Naturism has hosted an event for members and their families at an elaborate waterpark, Waterworld, in Stoke-on-Trent, England. (See here.) In the last few years, anti-naturist extremists have protested the event, on the grounds that “their” children might be endangered by “pedophiles”. That’s nonsense to begin with, since only families of British Naturism members actually attend the event. But logic is a foreign concept to such extremists. BN, of course, does not allow any known pedophiles among its members, and would not tolerate any improper behavior by anyone at the event. Further details can be found in the news stories listed below.

    Similar events for British Naturism members and their families have been held elsewhere in England without this degree of harassment and threats. (Although family naturist swims in other countries such as the U. S. and Canada have encountered such problems.) So what happened in this case shows that even in England there are people as ignorant about and hostile to naturism as are more typical in North America.

    The following stories appeared before the event and provide general information about it.

     
    On September 26 the event went on as scheduled. Unfortunately, threats of harm to their business were made to the owners of Waterworld by the protesters before the event and during an unruly mob protest outside the event itself. So the owners decided that in the future children under 18 will not be allowed to attend future naturist events, as described in the following articles.

  5. Lockdown Doesn’t Mean Locked In
     

    With the arrival of vaccines for COVID-19 and the cautious, gradual relaxation of restrictions on social activities, there’s hope that more of a normal life will be possible in 2021. However, many people – especially naturists – have enjoyed the freedom of spending considerable time naked while confined to their own homes. So dispensing with clothes can become increasionly routine – even the norm – at least at home and elsewhere it’s possible.

    As this article points out, nudity is quite possible outdoors – even after social distancing is necessary – if one has a sufficiently private yard or access to natural places nearby where nudity is acceptable. In fact, it would be worthwhile to invest time in searching for outdoor places that can be enjoyed naked. If only to be prepared for the next pandemic to come along.


     

  6. Top 5 Fears of a Clothing Optional Resort

    This article has advice for anyone who’s new to naturism. It allays fears that anyone who’s had even a little experience with social nudity has easily overcome. What’s noteworthy is that this is on a site (gogirlfriend.com) that’s especially intended for women traveling alone or with a partner. Most naturists, even men, probably have had the same concerns before their first visit to a naturist place. (Note: The resort named “Desire Resorts” and recommended in the article is definitely not a naturist place. GoGirlfriend includes conventional naturist places, but also some places with a more sexual aspect.)

    The fears, specifically, are: (1) Clothing-optional resorts are for swingers; (2) Being naked around strangers will make you feel self-conscious; (3) Full nudity is always expected; (4) You will be hit on; (5) Anything goes. To be honest, there are some clothing-optional or (supposedly) naturist places where such fears could be justified to some extent. For a first-timer, it would certainly be prudent to read reviews at sites like Yelp or TripAdvisor of any destination being considered – especially for a woman traveling alone. GoGirlfriend itself should be checked, though it covers only a few places.

    Here are a few earlier GoGirlfriend articles about clothing-optional places:

  7. Belgium’s second nude beach will open in summer 2021

    Belgium is located just south of the Netherlands and north of France. It has 2/3 of the population of its neighbor to the north, and beaches on the English Channel just like those two neighbors. But unlike the Netherlands – where most beaches have a clothing-optional section – Belgium has had only one “official” naturist beach (Bredene, which was not open in 2020 because of COVID-19). In addition, there are only about a half dozen naturist campgrounds and parks. (Lists here and here.)

    However, things are looking up when warmer temperatures arrive in 2021. According to the article, “nudism enthusiasts will be able to plop down in Middelkerke, after the municipality decided to reserve parts of its coastal strip to the country’s nudist community.” Having just a single official nude beach wasn’t a tremendous hardship, as the new one is only about 8 km (5 miles) from the older one, a 15-minute trip by car. In the U. S., coastal beaches that allow nudity are hundreds of miles apart, in most cases. But 2 is twice as good as 1. So, why the change? As is often the case, tourists and the local economy are key considerations – as the Mayor of Middelkerke candidly stated.

    Chambers of Commerce and tourist bureaus in U. S. beach locations really need to get a clue. The heavy lifting here in the States seems mostly left to ad hoc local grassroots groups of naturists, such as Tampa Bay Free Beaches. And that sometimes works, as the example of Blind Creek Beach demonstrates.

How young naturists can in‍terest others in social nudity

Here’s a topic that absolutely needs to be discussed. This thread on Reddit galvanized the following response. If you’re a young person who’s very interested in social nudity, you’ll probably need to take the initiative to find others who share your interest. Don’t wait for someone else to solve the problem for you.

This is the very first step: Talk to as many of your friends as possible about naturism and invite them to participate in naturist activities. It’s true, as you very probably know, that most active naturists are several decades older than you. So it’s difficult to find naturist activities where there are people your age. The solution is obvious: bring any friends with you who’re willing to learn about naturism.

You may find that many of your friends are willing to go to clothing-optional places if they won’t be pressured or required to get fully naked. They may decide to get naked after they feel more comfortable with the idea. But even if they don’t right away, they may consider the possibility sometime later. However that may be, when you’re with friends you won’t feel so out of place at a naturist venue where most others are older.
Continue reading “How young naturists can in‍terest others in social nudity”

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, September 1-15, 2020



  1. Naked dance performance – Doris Uhlich
     
    Doris Uhlich is a dancer and choreographer based in Austria. According to her website, she
    “has developed her own projects since 2006. The choreographer’s work frequently focuses on examining everyday gestures but also artificial ones, such as the strict code of movement of classical ballet in SPITZE (2008) and Come Back (2012). All her performances are investigations into beauty ideals and standards of body image, as in her piece mehr als genug (2009). Since her performance more than naked (2013), Doris Uhlich has also been working on the depiction of nudity free from ideology and provocation.”

    There’s a long tradition of nudity in theatrical performances. Consider Isadora Duncan (1877-1927), for instance, who’s credited with being “the creator of modern dance”. Another article (Nude Vibrations: Isadora Duncan’s Creatural Aesthetic) states that Duncan “insists upon the human harnessing of earthly vibrations, the value of nudity and barefootedness”. Doris Uhlich has certainly carried on that philosophy.

    Since 1969, full nudity in theatrical productions has less often received attention in choreography than in dramatic productions and musicals, such as Oh! Calcutta! (which did incorporate segments of ballet and interpretive dance). Uhlich’s work occupies an extensive space between theater and pure dance – but plays a much more essential role in the latter, where spoken dialog is absent.

  2. Naturists visit a Paris film library
     

    In the past 20 years there have been a few occasions when museums have had special events – by reservation only – for an evening or two when visitors are able to be naked. In fact, nudity is usually required. (Shoes may be mandatory or not, depending on local regulations.) Mostly such events have been in Paris – as in the present instance – but a few have taken place in Austria, Italy, Australia, and elsewhere. It would be a well-kept secret if there have been any in the nudity-phobic U. S. Perhaps naturists in the States just aren’t too interested in “high-brow” events of this sort.

    According to the first article cited below, “Parisian nudists descended upon the city’s film library on September 13 for an exhibition celebrating a famous French comedian. With COVID-19 protection measures in place, the only mandatory accessory was a mask. The Association des Naturistes de Paris (Paris naturist association) organised the event at La Cinémathèque. … The Paris naturist association has organized regular visits to museums.”

  3. How looking at myself naked in the mirror empowered me
     

    Most people cringe, at least to some extent, when looking closely at themselves fully naked in a mirror. Partly this is because what they notice is the various ways their bodies fail to be “perfect”. Even though they realize that hardly any bodies actually qualify as “perfect”. But most people probably feel the same way about only their faces. Why else would they be so concerned with having their makeup “just right” (if female) or their facial hair exactly projecting a desired image (if male)?

    Another aspect of this is the social conditioning people from a young age feel that there’s something inherently wrong with full nudity itself, that paying too much attention to “private parts” – even one’s own – just isn’t acceptable.

    Is it any wonder, then, that most people dread the thought of their naked body being fully exposed to the scrutiny of others – especially strangers?

    The article here explains why overcoming these attitudes is so important, and why seeing yourself naked in the mirror is a big help. Although it’s written from a woman’s perspective, much of it is relevant to men as well. Here are some key points, in the writer’s own words:

    • Watching myself naked in the mirror was the start of my empowering journey with my body.
    • I felt like a strong and independent woman who was ready to take over the world.
    • I had learned to stand up for myself, to not believe in what others were trying to make me believe.
    • I had found renewed self-confidence in the mirror glaring right back at me, making full eye contact.
    • Once you accept and own your own vulnerabilities, there is really nothing that someone else can point out to you which will make you see yourself differently.
    • Looking at myself naked every day makes me feel more comfortable in my skin every day.
    • Looking at myself naked in the mirror has given me the power to know myself deeply. It has given me the power to ignore what others say about me and to make a move forward.

     
    A key step to fully enjoying naturism is getting very comfortable with the appearance of your naked body just as it is. That doesn’t mean you can’t choose to work on “improving” your appearance – in your own opinion – if you so desire.


  4. Naturism during lockdown
     
    Probably the most common story about naturism in 2020 is how well naturists have coped with the Covid pandemic. This wasn’t, intuitively, to be expected, since naturism is inherently a social thing – and in-person socializing is severely constrained by the pandemic. Nevertheless, naturist organizations in various countries have reported surges in membership.

    There are several articles cited here about this counter-intuitive phenomenon. Here’s another one: ‘There’s nothing weird about being naked’: Inside the lockdown naturism boom. It says that, for example, a spokesperson for British Naturism claimed “The organisation has seen a 400 per cent increase in members since the start of lockdown, rising from 184 to 930 new members since the day restrictions were announced.” The article goes on to offer several anecdotal accounts of how people who are deprived of other sources of enjoyment – and have unexpected free time on their hands – have discovered the significant pleasure of simply being naked.

    Another article (One Way People Are Dealing With the Constraints of Lockdown: Being Naked) delves somewhat more deeply into reasons that more people have discovered the pleasures of nakedness and naturism while mostly confined at home. What it boils down to is that confinement at home allows for dispensing with clothes – thus avoiding the trouble of deciding what to wear, getting dressed, and washing clothes that have been worn. Choosing to be naked directly confers additional benefits.

    • Going naked allows people to become more aware of their own body, to get used to seeing parts of their body that clothes generally cover, and to become familiar with the overall appearance of their naked body.
    • Limitations on where it’s possible to go causes frustration. Frequent nudity has mental health benefits to offset that, since familiarity with one’s naked appearance leads to increased body acceptance, self-confidence, and feeling empowered. (See the article above about looking at oneself naked in a mirror.)
    • There are also physical health benefits from eliminating the restrictions of clothes, such as lack of discomfort and skin irritation caused by clothing, freedom for the skin to breathe and evaporate sweat, and improved blood circulation.
    • The very pleasurable feeling of total nudity contributes directly to overall happiness and enjoyment of life.
    • Wearing nothing while living with others who may also be clothesfree makes being seen naked and seeing others naked become considered normal and unobjectionable.
    • Types of healthful fitness activities – such as yoga and using exercise equipment – are easier and more natural without restrictive clothes.


  5. Europe’s best nude beaches
     

    People interested in finding the “best” experience of almost anything to be had for a limited amount of time, money, and effort naturally seek out advice from reliable sources. Understandably, when you want to visit a clothing-optional beach, you’d like to know which of the possibilities have the nicest sand, friendly people, easy access, good swimming, and so on.

    Many lists of “best beaches” consist mainly of subjective opinions of writers who may or may not have criteria similar to yours. OnBuy – a UK online shopping site that claims to be “UK’s most trusted marketplace” – took a somewhat more systematic approach. In early September they consulted Google reviews for 50 European clothing-optional beaches that garnered at least 200 comments. The data was then summarized by averaging the number of “stars” in each review to single out the 10 beaches having the highest average rating. The results are here.

    Spain’s Playa de Ses Illetes beach on the island of Formentera came out on top, with an average of 4.8 stars out of a possible 5. Spain had 2 beaches in the top 10. The remaining 8 countries, with 1 beach apiece, were England, Croatia, Portugal, Italy, France, Greece,, Germany, and Belgium. The following list includes some news reports that describe the findings.

  6. Last weekend’s most interesting race: a naked 5K
     

    There was a report on naked running in the previous collection of articles. The subject also came up before here. The present report is about a 5K run at the Sunny Rest Resort in Palmerton, Pennsylvania. According to this report, there were “hundreds of competitors”. Check out the earlier reports for other such events. The only thing to add is that naked runs like this are a good example of how nudity goes well with activities centered on exercise and fitness.


  7. Nudity in protests
     
    Nudity is not infrequently found to some extent or other in social or political protests and demonstrations. World Naked Bike Rides are perhaps the best known examples. Louis Abolafia – who (sort of) waged a naked campaign for U. S. president in 1968, using the slogan “What Have I Got to Hide?” – is an instance from more than 50 years ago. There have been many other examples since then.

    Last year we had an extensive report on the subject here, and another example in a Black Lives Matter protest here. Well-known celebrities also went naked in a video to encourage voting in last year’s presidential election. (More about that here.) There was also this, about protest in Australia.

    Two new examples turned up in September. One is another Black Lives Matter protest, which occurred in Rochester, New York, and was reported here and here.

    The other example, which isn’t from either the U. S. or Australia, is probably more unexpected. Would you guess there’s a long history of women in some African countries using nudity as a means of protest? Evidently, according to a professional historian, there is: Undressing for redress: the significance of Nigerian women’s naked protests.

    I’ll let the professor explain:
    “Hundreds of women – mostly naked – staged a protest in the northwestern state of Kaduna, Nigeria. Wailing and rolling on the ground, they protested at the killing of people in ongoing attacks on their community. … The protesters, mostly mothers, demanded justice and called on the government, security agencies and international community to intervene. Such naked protests are not new in Nigeria.”

    Although the focus of the article is on naked protests by women, it should be clear that using nudity in protests is powerful because it attracts attention to whatever the grievance happens to be. It also demonstrates that protesters will dare to violate social norms in order to communicate their resolve to bring about change.

    “The female body is a site of immense power both inside and outside. Through naked protests, women engage in re-scripting and reconfiguring their bodies. These women who have stripped naked to wage a righteous war must be duly acknowledged.”

  8. Edmonton group clashes with naturists over nude bike ride
     
    As noted, World Naked Bike Rides aren’t protests with just a single focus. WNBR participants are concerned with making various different points, such as the need to eliminate use of fossil fuels, concern for the safety of bike riders on public roads, and (of course) the pleasure and wholesomeness of nudity. But obviously, the fact that large portions of the population dispute or ignore these ideas is what makes demonstrating in favor of them necessary. And so there may well be counter-demonstrations to denigrate some or all of the original demonstators’ views. Although that rather seldom happens with WNBR events, it does occur.

    The Canadian province of Alberta is just north of the U. S. state of Montana. People in both places tend to be politically and socially very “conservative”. That means they’re very strongly in favor of “freedom” for themselves – and just as strongly opposed to freedom for people they don’t like or agree with. As a result, the “conservative” freedom lovers are interested only in their own selfishly imagined “freedom” not to see naked people in a World Naked Bike Ride. Of course, they’re almost as fervently opposed to the WNBR message of curtailing the extraction and burning of fossil fuels. Especially since the nudity in WNBR events is very effective in calling attention to the event’s environmental message.