Don't be Clothes Minded

While not an activist when it comes to nudism I am an advocate because I truly believe it to be a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle. My beliefs about this come not from reading about the experiences of others but from experiencing it myself. That is of course the reason I began this blog. I hope to start a dialogue with those who have some very honest, sincere reservations and objections to the naturist lifestyle for the purpose of helping to debunk many of the myths associated with nudists. While I haven’t had anyone comment on anything I’ve posted here yet, obviously some are visiting based on the hit count and I hope many are staying to read some of the articles. At this stage my efforts are more of a monologue than a dialogue but if what people read here encourages them think and examine their beliefs about nudism then in a very real sense we are communicating in a positive way. As I have said before, my intent is not to convert anyone to naturism but simply to help people understand what the lifestyle is really about and hopefully to earn more tolerance from those who choose for their own reasons not to practice it. So often we hold negative opinions about things that we only know about in a superficial way and it is human nature to embrace the stereotypical views we manage to pick up here and there in the course of our life experiences. If you will take the time to examine what nudism is really about, I feel you will be hard pressed to find any real reason to be intolerant of it and those who practice it even if you never develop an interest in experiencing it yourself.

Nudism is nothing more than the practice of being without clothes. I enjoy nudity for many reasons but here are just three. I enjoy the physical way it feels to be nude, especially in the outdoors. Being nude is very emotionally liberating. I find the environment of social nudity to be typically less stressful, more honest, accepting and friendly than I have experienced in many of the clothed social environments I have experienced. The social aspect of nudism is what many non-nudists have the most difficulty with. While they might understand why someone would enjoy being nude at home, they just have difficulty understanding why people would want to gather with other naked people unless it had to do with something sexual or something perverted like exhibitionism or voyeurism. Nudism can be practiced alone and in fact I do spend a good deal of time nude at home but nudism is also a natural social activity. In fact I think a good deal of the benefits of nudism come from experiencing social nudity. Humans are social animals and like most everything else we do, the enjoyment of nudity is more rewarding when done with others. We like spending time with and socializing with others who hold similar views and like similar activities. Think about the social activities you personally enjoy and why you find them enjoyable and rewarding and I think you will readily come to understand why nudists seek and value social nudity.

Nudists tend to be much more accepting of everyone for who they are without regard to shape, size or any physical attributes. Not long ago I was talking with a non-nudist acquaintance and he said that the reason he would never be interested in going to a nudist gathering is because nudists typically are not the kind of people you want to see naked. From a voyeuristic perspective I’d have to say that there is some truth to his observation. If you were to visit most nudist resorts or clubs you would find that the typical male naturist is not “perfect”, past 40, perhaps hairy and has some extra pounds. It is also unlikely that you would see many “hot chicks” there in the sense Western society has conditioned us to define that; younger, thinner, firmer and big breasted. No, what you would find is what you might call the “average” type of bodies. Nudists come in all shapes and sizes and the best part is no one feels uncomfortable about it. You see it’s the freedom of not wearing clothes that naturists enjoy, not looking at other people’s bodies. In a very real sense nudism is more about the mind than it is about the body. The essential wholesomeness and beauty of the human body is actually enhanced by the naturalness of social nudity. Physical health benefits are derived from exercise and relaxation and mental well being is enriched through the body-positive values inherent in social nude recreation. In a nutshell, naturists enjoy the same things everyone else does. We simply do them without the restrictions of clothing.

Naturists have the right to practice social nudity in appropriate settings, provided they do not infringe on the rights of others and that really sums up the whole point of this article. The majority of those who identify with nudism are just as sensitive to the rights and beliefs of others as they are of their own. Nudism isn’t about forcing nudity on others. Nudists don’t lobby for the right to appear naked at every public place or beach. We simply ask that parts of existing public lands and recreational areas like beaches be set aside and designated for us to enjoy them in the way we find meaningful. If you sincerely find nudity uncomfortable or even offensive, it isn’t my design to force you to change your beliefs to accommodate mine. I hope only that the next time they hold a town meeting in your area for the purpose of denying or further restricting the use of public lands for nude recreation you won’t be clothes minded, but open minded. I hope that you will seriously give consideration to the fact that there is really nothing to fear from nudists or any harm in people enjoying what is to them a meaningful and healthy way to live, relax and enjoy nature.