Why we feel naked without clothes

Feeling naked

This is a post that doesn’t preach to the naturist choir. We are used to being naked and we know how good it feels.

Clothes

If you have always worn clothes, you have no idea how good it is to be out of them. It’s a strange feeling not to be covered. It may even feel cold, despite the nicest and warmest weather. Your brain will scream at you because you’re doing it wrong. You’re not following the program or regimen that you’ve been brought up with.

Don’t worry. Give it a try for half an hour. Do the things you usually do, without paying attention to the clock (unless staring at the clock is what you usually do. In that case, what is your occupation?)

Why would someone want to be naked when there are clothes?

Of course, I understand that question. Clothes are perfect to stay warm. Clothes are also perfect to hide everything that you were told is wrong with your body. The scars, the flab, the stuff that’s not up to the standards of advertisement.

Now let me tell you a secret: no one is. Not even the perfect models you see on TV, on your computer and in magazines.

Nina Garcia. Before and after “treatment”.

If you want to know more about this, have a look at this BoredPanda page. Yes, even the prettiest people are ‘fixed’ up digitally before they live up to what the industry thinks is fine. In other words, it’s total BS.

Are you still with me? Good. Let’s skip the BS part of beauty. It’s impossible. I mentioned clothes to keep you warm. I totally agree. Nudists wear clothes when it’s cold as well. It makes perfect sense and us humans have been doing this for ages.

But then the climate changes. Summers get hotter. Temperatures up to 35C/40C, over the 100F, 110F, are becoming more normal than before. And still, despite the heat, people have to wear their beloved clothes. And when it gets too warm, we simply turn on the air-conditioners. Lots of them. And all of them eating up energy like crazy, and to supply that energy we need to heat up the earth some more and add to the climate change that is already threatening us.

People in underwear

Is that smart?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to wear fewer clothes so your body can deal with the temperature more easily? And once you’re down to just your underwear, why not get rid of that too? What’s the use of that, apart from hiding the parts you were taught to be ashamed of, that need to be hidden?

While we all know you have them…

Why not be naked?

Being naked has the advantage of letting your skin breathe, deal with heat, and also it allows you to move easier. When you squat down, nothing is tight in the wrong places.

Naked people

I would really appreciate it if you would give this a try. A few times, because your conditioning, your depending on clothes isn’t something you can undo in half an hour.

If you have seriously tried this a few times (more than 15 minutes, no cheating!) and you really don’t like it, okay. You tried. Switch on your air conditioning this summer and pay the bill for it. In electricity and sweat. And clothes. And washing them a lot (which also costs money and adds to climate change…)

As you have seen, being naked more has more effects than you might think. Thank you for reading. And giving this an honest chance.

Naturism on social prudia

Social prudia

I am sure you know what I mean. Prude social media. Did I hear someone say ‘Facebook’? Ding! Right in one. That one is, as far as I know, the most tight-assed, buttoned up place that allows murder and porn while being on a witch hunt against naturism, right?

Nope.

They are against nude images that show ‘too much’.

This up here is too much. Totally unsafe. You can clearly see body parts. Something that Facebook is against, unless – under conditions – it’s meant to be art. They decide what is art. Or unless it’s ‘educational’. They decide what is educational. (See, you’re picking this up quickly!)

This up here is Facebook-Safe. I hear what you say: this is bonkers, mad, crazy, bull-shit, BS, insane, unreal. In short: this is Facebook.

And still there is a way, but you may not like it.

Yes, there is a way to promote naturism on social prudia. And you don’t even need to deface (I mean de-body) images for that.

Victorian bathing fashion

The way is to be smart about your images, or forget about images entirely. You can write a good piece on naturism, add an image of someone in a bathing suit and detail how insane such a piece of cloth actually is.

If you are into blogging and you really want to post the links to your blogs on a social prudia, make sure you are careful with the imagery. The hard part is that it’s difficult to predict which image will show up on a Facebook page. When you use WordPress, you can assign an image to be the main one but Faceprude can select a different one. You can work around that by removing the preview from the link. Or add a prude-book safe image to your post there, which will remove the preview and still you’ll have something to show.

But I need my images to express myself!

I know there are lots of people who desperately want to show the world how nice it is to be nude, using pictures. Do so, by all means, in the places where you can. Diaspora is cool, Mewe is cool, Twitter, for now, is cool. Naktiv.net is a good place too. But Faceprude isn’t. You can spread the word there by doing exactly that: spreading words.

I thought I’d dump this info here, in case you are a dedicated Zuckerberger. I understand that – the whole world and their aunt is on Faceprude. If you want to tell the world there about your nudism, your naturism, your clothes-free lifestyle, use the right words and the safe images. Using images that show the opposite of what you want to tell the world is a good way, especially when they are funny.

Dedicate some words to the benefits of looking great in a bathing suit and how it keeps you warm in the water.

Sing the song of your people about the benefits of walking around in smelly, stinky clothes after a hike.

Be creative. Don’t hold back. Use what’s available.

Naked activism

Nudity as a lifestyle as most of us practice it isn’t the only way the naked body is ‘used’.

The World Naked Bike Ride is a prime example of this. You probably know about it; a world wide event where, at a certain day per location, as many people as possible come together to ride bikes through a city naked, to protest car and promote the safety of cyclists. London is a famous location, as is Bristol and Brussels. Many more towns have a similar event, which is good.

WNBR London 2016

But there are other ways as well.

Here, women are protesting against bullfighting, using their bodies to attract attention for their cause.

I can only applaud this kind of action, since these ladies are making themselves vulnerable – even when they aren’t entirely naked. There will be plenty of people with cameras and smartphones around to take pictures. As long as that’s for the right reasons...

This naked protester clearly is against war and pro nudity. I find it striking that there is this one naked man in the image and half a brigade of policemen who don’t seem to know what to do about the situation.

Also our good enemy Facebook hasn’t gone without nude protests. We all know that the microcosm of Mark Zuckerberg isn’t the most welcoming place for nudists and naturists. They have even banned images of nude artwork, after all.

2019. Anti-Censorship Activists Strip Nude Outside Facebook HQ to Fight Nudity Ban .

I found this gem on RollingStone.com. And this was published on June 3rd of this year. I didn’t even know it had happened. The event had been organised by the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) together with Spencer Tunick. More about this on the NCAC website.

So yes, nudity can be used for many purposes. As long as those are positive, uplifting, I am quite alright with those. No people should be hurt by such activities though. And I mean physically. There is no way that we, the nude people, can avoid “offending” others with our naked lifestyle. People are offended too quickly as it is, these days.

By the way, if you want to be counted as a proponent of more realistic nudity on social media, you can sign up here.

Naked Heart 2012 – Appletree Garden Festival

I found this video in a Twitter feed. I know the topic (Free Pussy Riot) is dated (2012) but the sentiment remains, and the enthusiasm of the people in this video is so great that I had to share it with you all.

Enjoy!

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.

Tanline free activism

Original article in Dutch in De Volkskrant from December 6, 2014.

Tanline free action against inequality

Opinion: Women should not be discouraged to visit a nude beach or a nude resort.

(Ine ter Berg is cultural anthropologist and board member of the Dutch Nudist Federation.)

Why do men have so much difficult to respect my personal freedom on a nude beach? Often it happens that when I’m enjoying the sunshine on the beach, that a man takes pictures of me. You won’t believe how often it happens that a man thinks it’s normal to come and sit very close to me (on a deserted nude beach!) and stare at me for a long time. Is it me?

If I have to believe the normal debates then it’s indeed me. It’s not uncommon to hear that, as a woman ‘you shouldn’t put yourself in this kind of situation’. If you do that then ‘you’re asking for trouble’. But is that really so?

The statements above result in creating a social norm in which isn’t not ‘normal’ that a woman visits a nude beach. What I see happening around me is that women often cave under the pressure and submit to this norm. Women avoid public places like nude beaches.

The result is that public spaces more and more become a masculine dominated area. This is how we reach vicious circles. While women of my mother’s generation in the 60s and 70s could sun bathe topless without any problem on a ‘regular’ beach, women of my generation apparently are unable to do this on a nude beach. Only in my back garden it’s possible for me to enjoy the sun with bare breasts.

This development, where public locations for nude recreation are less accessible for women, is remarkable. The most recent verdict of the court in The Hague (in the case of the Delftse Hout nude beach), the (well known) Tiki pool that opens its door for nude swimmers and the increasing popularity of saunas make me believe that the Netherlands is going in the right direction to get nude recreation (rightfully so) out of its taboo corner and make it more accessible.

Nude recreation

Concerning nude recreation in general we’re certainly on the right track. On a warm summer day we can enjoy being naked in many places. Resorts, a local lake, a beach or a wellness centre. But my experience is that this is mainly true for men. The options for women are a lot more restricted. Resorts and wellness centres are no problem, probably because they don’t emphasise naturism. Beach visits however is a bigger problem.

‘Then go to a resort or a wellness centre’, you may think. ‘Women always make problems…’ But in this case women make a problem of it with reason. After all, it’s not the issue that there’s the choice of just one more or less nude location. This situation touches the uneven options between man and woman.

My experiences are written above don’t bother me because I am ‘objectified’ without wanting it (even though it’s very annoying). It’s not so much that I feel threatened at times (which is much more annoying). What troubles me is that, being a woman, I just have to accept this.

Last summer I was confronted with this oppression of acceptance. Two physically imposing, male friends had nothing more to say to me than “Yes, annoying, but what can you do” after they saw that I was hindered by another man on the nude beach.

I’m glad to see counter-activities rising. Recent initiatives like ‘free the nipple’ show that women are putting this social norm up for debate and no longer accept this imbalance between man and woman. The nude beach is a perfect place for this.

Regaining public space

Ine ter Berg ©

I want to call upon women to physically go against this imbalance and not to let themselves be discouraged to go to a nude beach or nude resort when they feel like it. By simply being there they can regain this public space.

Despite the ‘inconveniences’ I described earlier, nude recreation is the best thing. Nothing is better than to go into the water in your bare butt and come out of the water without a wet cloth (swimsuit) around you. Grab this winter period to dream of this prospect and pick a nice spot to go to. And when you go to a beach or a lake, take your (male) friends with you. Inequality is best battled when you do it with a group.

And be honest, what’s better than taking on equality while you get a tanline free tan?

Clothing…

Via tumblr

Should nudists be represented by beautiful people? | Naked Historia

Reblogged from NakedHistorian:

Should nudists be represented by beautiful people?

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Colin H

I was thinking about this whilst writing about Lady God1va. Being an attractive woman, she is the sort of person the media want to have as a spokesperson for naturism. It is unfortunate, but many people’s aversion to nudism is not directed to nudity as to ugliness. How many times have you seen ignorant trolls posting “I don’t want to see that” and similar comments in response to articles which include pictures of old or overweight naturists. A lot of people are very superficial. Recent interviews in Portsmouth about whether men should be allowed to go topless often got the response “It’s ok if they are not fat.” The media would rather show (and the public would rather see) young, fit naturists; preferably female ones, who are seen as less threatening.

However, interviews with attractive female naturists are likely to attract the wrong sort of attention. How many people watching “My daughter the teenage naturist.” chose to watch it because of an interest in naturism and how many were watching it because it featured a young naked woman? Perhaps people might tune in to see boobs, but learn something useful and interesting about naturism. However it could also perpetuate the sexualisation of nudity.

The use of attractive spokespeople also leads to the opposite effect, with people saying “It’s ok for people who look like her.” This was the response of some people when nudists in Manchester were promoting a naked dinner party. If attractive people are talking about being naked people with poor body confidence will compare themselves and think “I’m not good enough”. If older, overweight people are advocating nudism, them shallow members of the public with take the attitude of “I don’t want to see that.” Which leads to wanting nudists to keep out of public areas.

The only solution seems to be having us represented by a mixed group of people of all ages and shapes, but this potentially invites both types of negative responses.

What do people think?

(Original at Should nudists be represented by beautiful people? | Naked Historia.)

Meeting Peeping Tom

A few days ago I was confronted by a problem-seeker, a man who lives in same apartment building. (See here for the first post about it in case you missed it.) Today I met him again, as I came home from work. It was in the hall, so on “neutral ground”.

At first he tried to ignore me, but of course I wouldn’t let him do that. He didn’t ignore me nude, now he wasn’t going to ignore me dressed. I asked him if there was something he’d like to say to me, because I had something to tell him. He asked if I was going to take my clothes off again. Yes, absolutely, but not in the hall of course. To that he shared that he still thought it strange and wrong. I replied that I still think that staring into other people’s house the way he did is strange and wrong, and that it was his own fault that he saw someone nude in their own house. His response was that this wasn’t true, if I had not gone around naked he wouldn’t have seen me naked. Then I just asked him how he would like it if I were to appear in front of his window, fully dressed, and stare into his house in the same way that he’d employed.

“You won’t see me naked,” he said to that. Well, that wasn’t exactly the point. I just wanted to know if he’d have a problem with it, when I were to stare at him while he sat watching TV, or reading the paper, or doing something else. “Not at all,” was his first reaction, but when I urged him to really think about that, to envision it, he changed his mind: it wouldn’t be very pleasant.

Home nudist cooking — Home nudist me.

Then I left him standing there with the words: “I don’t mind. Look into my house all you want. But don’t scream at me when you see something you don’t like. I’m right and you’re wrong, and next time I will call the police for harassment.”