body acceptance – Zjuzdme.org

Everyone has a body

“Everyone has a body. I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t have one.”

I heard this in a podcast from the Dutch naturist federation NFN.

It was a fascinating listen (link to podcast, make sure you understand Dutch) and when the above sentence came by, I laughed out loud. That made several people turn their heads, as I was out on a walk while listening.

The lady that was interviewed, Roos Schlikker , was very funny in her expressions.

The talk covered many different topics, ranging from being naked at home, visiting nude beaches and resorts, and going to nude saunas (there are saunas with specific ‘bathing suit only’ days here in the Netherlands).

Advertising was also a topic they talked about. They mentioned an advertising campaign from a soap and shower-gel company that had a television ad with a naked woman in it, and no one batted an eye:

Here is a similar clip, in French

A TV ad like this is absolutely impossible these days. I think this is a sad thing.

Because everyone has a body. It will not “live up to the expectations” that the beauty industry imposes on us (as I have talked about many times before e.g. [1] [2] [3]).

Something Roos Schlikker said in the podcast was that she had no qualms about walking around nude in her house. “If the neighbours see me, so what? They will look once and that’s it.”

And I agree with that. If people see me naked, I don’t care. So many already did, and many more will follow. If they don’t want to see me, they should look at something (or someone) else.

Another thing happened on twitter “just now” (as I compose this tweet).

Someone shared a tweet stating he would post more ‘shirtless selfies’. Someone responded with the words: “Just go ahead. I won’t. I don’t have the body for that.”

I had to jump onto that and sent him: “As long as you have a body, you can do it. All you need is no shirt.”

Because everyone has a body.

WYSIWYG

Remember when WYSIWYG was hot?

What is WYSIWYG ?

It’s probably mainstream now, but when computers were young and not so powerful, it was stunning to type and immediately see how it would look.

What You See Is What You Get.

Wysiwyg.

A few days ago I realised that this is the very same thing with nudists, naturists, clothes-free people and other denominations that prefer not to be dressed.

What you see is, indeed, what you get. Just the real person, with all its wobbles, welts, bruises, scars and smiles. Tanlines and all, that’s the real person, right there.

No need to use any prettifying stuff like hats, ties, scarves, skirts, pants, shirts and what-not. We’re real. Which, again, proves that the other world, the textile realm is more fake than people would think.

Clothes for keeping warm

Sensible. Going out in the snow and ice, freezing several parts off and getting hypothermia doesn’t sound smart. But is that a reason to keep fifty different kinds of the same piece of clothing, in different shapes, fabrics, colours and so on? You can wear only one at the same time (okay, some people like to overdo it. Please send shots of men wearing 2 pairs of trousers and ladies wearing a skirt over their dress).

And yes, diversity is good, but running after the fashion gods who are after your money is something else.

Stay naked, people. Be yourself. I want to see what I get, not the fake dream that someone tries to put out there.

Have a good one.

Paul

The body shouldn’t be an excuse

I keep being shocked by the ‘dedication’ that people have in pursuing the fake perfect body.

Yes, I’ve posted a gazillion times about that, so if you’re tired of that, stop reading now.

Still reading? Great.

We naturists/nudists know that there is no such thing as the ‘perfect’ body. We see bodies everywhere, without the ‘safety net’ of clothing, as often as we can / want. And what do we see? People. Nice people. Big, thin, black, coloured (see left), white, skinny, you name it and it’s in the mix.

The clothes-free community doesn’t care how you look, as long as you’re kind and not making a nuisance of yourself.

That doesn’t sound very complicated, does it? And most people I know are just like that. Ordinary people who just want to live a nice life. Nothing posh, nothing fancy (okay, occasionally a splurge is nice, I know that too), and having a good time. Fun.

The very things that naturists also like, most of the time, as far as I know.

It’s the body that keeps many people from enjoying our freedom. It is so sad to hear that, even from people who are somehow quite close to the resident evil – I mean the reigning beauty ideal. What is it that makes people so uncertain about themselves?

I think it is as much a small as a big thing. The switch in your head that has to flip. I think many of us have felt when that flip happened. Many of us don’t even know about the switch but for many people it’s there.

I wonder if there is a way to access more switches in this world. To help people get over a lot of insecurities.

Life is too beautiful to be hidden inside a few layers of fabric.

Naked Dreamers – No to body shaming

I am going to promote a group of people from Norway here. Why? Because they are going to make a film about body positivity. Anyone who is in any way active about that deserves my – and your – support!

HAVE YOU HAD IT WITH BODY SHAMING? ARE YOU UNDER 25? GIRL OR GUY. ARE YOU UP FOR BEING PART OF AN INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM?

If so, then go to http://bodyshaming.no/

Shoot a short video (e.g. with your mobile phone) or send us a few words where you present yourself and tell us about your relationship with your body.

Is it important to you how others see you? How do you deal with being naked? How are you affected by all these things, and do you want to change how you feel in relation to this?

Remember, we also need: your full name, email address, mobile phone number, date of birth – and attach a photo of yourself.

Send the email to film@bodyshaming.no
Use wetransfer.com or similar if you attach a video.
More information: http://bodyshaming.no/

If you want to see and hear Dalchows Verden, the person who wants to make this film, go to their facebook page and look at the video he made and where he addresses you.

What do you do?

As I was in the kitchen, cooking dinner, suddenly this question popped into my head as I was thinking about why some people shun naturism. Many of them consider naturism from (as we all know) the wrong viewpoint. They think that it’s not pleasant to look at all those bodies that “aren’t nice to look at”. And a moment later it hit me why these people are wrong (at least in my idea).

They go to look at bodies.

Naturists don’t go out to look at bodies. Of course, I see the bodies of the people I meet, but I go out for the people.

I’ve met the most wonderful, interesting and kind people in nudist/naturist settings. Honest people. Fun people. Shy people. Weird people.

But always real people who don’t feel the need to hide behind fabrics. It’s one of the things I like a lot about naturists; they are themselves. Natural. Au naturel.

People who think that nudist areas are places to gawk at people are wrong. Wrong.

The body

There is so much talk about the body these days. Everyone has one but so many people don’t like theirs because they allow themselves to be influenced by the media. Media who tell they they have to look like they’re 18, fit, blond, slim, smart, and more of that. I call bullshit on that.

A body apparently also is ‘sexual’. Even more bullshit. When you are in the shower (and I assume you won’t wear much there) do you feel sexual? Perhaps sensual – because of your senses noticing the water running down your skin – but sexual? Only with a specific intent. Yes, the intent for sex. Then I can understand the mistake. But intentions don’t come from bodies. They come from minds. Minds that are fed by stimuli from outside. And guess where ‘outside’ is? The media. Because they are everywhere.

Look at these Native Americans. They show their bodies. Is this a sexual scene? If you think this is then please explain to me what makes you think so.

People from an African tribe. Most of them naked. Is this sexual? I think they’re looking at something, discussing something. These people aren’t ashamed of their nakedness. They take it as a given (which it is, they live this way) and there are no media around to poison their minds about it.

Every body is a good body, be it slim, not so slim, round, square, triangular (please send me a picture of that if you run into one because this somehow just popped up with the shapes) or whatever other shape you can be in. It’s you, and you count. Not the ideas that others try to force onto you.

Reblogged: nakedly refreshed

by hontouniheart on June 19, 2015

Originally posted on clothesfreelife:

Last night I had an amazing time being out with a small group of women and sharing from the heart. Every now and then, the group of us get together and catch up on the latest changes in our lives. In the past, I have talked about some things, but last night, I really opened up and talked about things I never thought I’d confess to others in all my life.

This level of openness I credit to my clothes free life for a number of reasons. Firstly, being willing to sit with myself and see my truth, rather than run away from it or ignore it, is due in large part to my practice of being clothes free. I find healing peace is letting my truth breathe.

Secondly, seeing myself clothes free and living my daily life clothes free has boosted my confidence. You know, I used to look in the mirror and think, “Yeah, I look OK, but as soon as I get those extra few pounds off and fix my hair and suck in my gut, that’s when I’ll really be there.” Now, I don’t place conditions on my beauty or awesomeness. I am wholly and completely beautiful and awesome right now, head to toe, inside and out. And that attitude is beginning to shift how I speak and share myself with others. It’s not, “I’ll be beautiful and great when I have my life together.” No, I’m beautiful, powerful and awesome right now even if I’m a hot mess, even when I make mistakes.

Thirdly, some of the things we, as a clothes free community, talk about with regards to public nudity laws and people’s reactions to our discussions of being clothes free or naked outside are actually helping me to be more mindful about how I share myself with others. We talk about some of the negative ramifications of being caught naked, including folks who immediately turn it into sex and impose upon others their sexual comments or images; shaming from family, friends or strangers; loss of jobs; incarceration and so forth. Being naked in heart is also a huge risk. Indeed, I had, perhaps a month ago, confided something in one woman, and she betrayed my confidence. In the same way that not everyone is ready to deal with clothes free life, some people don’t know how to respect or honor a naked heart. So, while I am feeling more powerful, confident and open about myself from my clothes free life, I’m also discerning more carefully when to take my soul’s clothes off and with whom to be naked in spirit.

Finally, having been clothes free in the presence of others now and seen how it can heal and inspire (see posts where I wrote about my mom and friend for instance), I am seeing how important it is to share openly and deeply, with discernment of course. I spent a lot of this year being secretive and closed off, worried about what people would think of me with regard to many aspects of my life. I just didn’t know who I could trust. But that hiding also made me feel hopeless and alone. Last night, in this trust circle, we women opened up to each other about some very intimate things on our hearts, and it was so healing and freeing to speak about our experiences. I was so freed up once I shared about things in my life, and it moved the others to hear me share. And I was incredibly touched and inspired by their bold and honest shares. We were so supportive of each other, and I left the gathering feeling free, empowered and grateful, and the others echoed similar sentiments.

This morning I feel refreshed and renewed after a night of healthy sharing with a great group women. It felt like our naked hearts spent hours at a clothes free spa just washing out, healing and being.

Every body is beautiful.

Not that again!

And why not? It’s not me who’s reading this, it’s you. And I agree if you’re moaning. Not every body is beautiful. Not in the light of modernday standards anyway. On a side note I am not sure which standards that would be because like everything in life, standards have a tendency to jump around and do different things every few days, weeks, month or years. Look at fashion (hey, a nudist who talks fashion!). What was great last year is entirely impossible this year.

Can you guess when the girls on the left were beautiful? Do you think these women are beautiful? This is 1920s beauty. It’s quite different from these days, isn’t it?

Compared to a 2015 beauty queen the 1920s girls won’t stand a chance with most modern people.

The odd thing is that there’s nothing wrong with either period. We’re real people with real bodies (although that might be reason for discussion in these days). With the visual overload and indoctrination of the media that we all have to be young and happy and smiling and all that crap, it’s no wonder that many people go berserk trying to live up to ‘the standards’.

Plastic is fantastic when your butt sags, or when your boobs are the wrong shape. (How can something natural be the wrong shape, can someone explain this to me? We’re people. We get old. Some don’t (often thanks to the attempts to keep up with being young and pretty).

Naturists / nudists have a much more healthy concept of beauty. They don’t give a damn about how someone looks. If there’s a nice person inside, that’s what counts. That is what makes someone beautiful.