Tag: nude

Naked and civilised

Civilised society?
Civilised…

Do you think we live in a civilised society?

A while ago I listened to the podcast of the Dutch naturist foundation NFN, called ‘Blootgewoon‘ (note, link is Dutch), which means something like ‘nudely normal’.

I love that podcast. Too bad you need to know Dutch to understand it.

The statement that triggered this post was:

To be nude among each other, you need to be civilised.

Blootgewoon podcast

How did this sentence pop up? It was in an interview with the former proprietor of one of the most famous restaurant/bars at the Zandvoort nude beach, the Adam and Eve beach pavilion. The man said that, one day, a sales rep was there to talk business. As they were talking, an older man with a body that showed ‘the good life’ and also several signs of a hard life, came to thank the establishment’s owner for a wonderful day.

Adam and Eve beach pavilion

After the man had left, the sales rep said: ‘Well, you really need a good stomach for that.’

It was at that point, the interviewer made the comment about being nude and civilised.

He is right.

Making a comment about someone’s appearance is rude. Uncivilised. And guess what, that is probably the reason so many people dress up, pimp their outside, make their flabs and flaws ‘disappear’ under layers of pretty and expensive. That way, no one has “a reason” to make a comment about their appearance.

Image of 5 nude people
Image via ClothesFree.com

At a nude beach, there is no covering up of said flabs and flaws. People are real there. With marks and scars and hanging bellies and uneven bits. The works. You name it and you can probably find it at a decent nude beach / resort / etc. If you find a pin-up model person there, it’s something for the diary.

And no one makes comments or rude remarks there. Because when everyone has some kind of flaw, no one has a flaw. No one stands out then, and that is where the civilised bit comes into play.

Drop your clothes and we are all equal. We treat each other with respect.

We’re nude. And civilised.

Nude on Earth.

Nude in Space

Some of you may remember this book.

Nude in Space. A story that tells about a world that’s heating up and becoming unbearable to live in, unless you go naked or when you live in a sealed, cooled dome that adds to the heating of that same world.

A few days ago I read that soon the world’s population will hit or pass 8 billion people.

8,000,000,000 humans. Imagine that.

Many, many people with clothes on.
Not 8 billion, but lots of folks.

When is this going to stop? How is this earth going to be able to handle so many people, with needs for housing, food, water and other basic life necessities?

It’s a crazy place that we’re in and it’s about to get worse. And almost all of these people are wearing clothes. While the planet warms up. Which means more people want air conditioners. Which means more need for energy and more heat exhaust. I guess I don’t need to paint the entire picture.

I hadn’t thought that the world from “Nude in Space” would come closer this quickly, but at the rate we’re continuing to breed, that’s going to happen. Many places of the planet are already becoming uninhabitable due to the heat. Because of that, more people will crowd onto the places that are still fine, pushing more heat out, and so creating even more hot spots that, I guess, will just accelerate the speed of bad things to come.

Nude is not rude

Why don’t people come to their senses and accept that going nude is at least some help to face the problem? Sure, it won’t solve everything, but no clothes means less need for air conditioners, and less production and waste of clothes.

Humanity is at a crossroad, and it has been there for a while, slowly moving towards the point of no sustainable return.

I see this happen. And many do so with me. There has to be a way to make ‘the world’ see that nude people aren’t as harmful as all those air conditioners and (heat) pollution producing factories.

If someone knows, or has an idea, I’d love to know.

Be well. Be nude. Be happy.

And be vigilant.

A naturist’s view on sustainability

What is sustainability?

sustainabilityAccording to Wikipedia, sustainability is defined as “the process of maintaining change in a balanced fashion, in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations.”

Naturism and sustainability

nude joggingWhen we look back to the origins of naturism (nudism), the movement was all about a healthy lifestyle in harmony with nature. I am convinced there are still plenty of nude walking people who share that idea in some way or other. And that, for me, already points into the direction of sustainability. The harmony with nature part already shows that naturism’s basic philosophy underwrites a world that is a healthier and better place than many areas in our current world.

A while ago I posted a blog about the fashion industry and the amount of pollution that brings with it. The clearest point of that was that wearing clothes has a severe impact on the environment, so less clothes means less crap in the water and the air.

But it doesn’t end with clothes (for me)

Mankind has taken control of the planet in a way that’s totally irresponsible. Mankind thinks they are lord and master (or lady and Earthmistress) of this ball we still live on. A tiny flaw in this mindset is that ‘mankind’ is very wrong. Just because humans feel invulnerable doesn’t mean they win everything. When air is no longer breathable and water is no longer safe to drink, the all powerful human will be finished quickly.
Humans who think that way should spend a while in the nude, outside, in nature. I wonder if they still feel invulnerable then. Naturists and nudists know the fragility of man when faced the outdoors. When there is no fabric or plastic shielding that thin skin from the rough bark of a tree, things quickly look different.

Man’s place in nature

The author nudeIf we find our place in nature again, I am convinced things can still be set to right.

It won’t be fast because we’ve been doing our best to mess this planet up for decades already, but the nude mindset would be a great help in that.

A naturist’s view on classical art and music

Classical music and nudity?

Yes, you saw that. I like classical music. Not solely that but it’s amazing for me. And the good thing is that there are people who perform classical music in the nude. Alas, they don’t play in most theatres  but if you look around there are examples to be found.

For instance there is this: an aria from “Tales of Hoffman” by Jacques Offenbach. This is definitely a complex song to sing and this lady, Abigail Wright, who is a mezzo soprano, took on this song and performed it naked. That’s having guts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDcNNrL-k_I

France has nude performers as well.

This should not be surprising. France has a large amount of naturist places and they’re quite popular. A performance by the Bordeaux National Opera in the nude is therefore not something you should be surprised of. They performed Les Indes galantes, an opera-ballet by Jean-Philippe Rameau. Here is a sample of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AasJ2sOnlI

Not only in the western world.

Japan is known for being eccentric at times. Luckily they also cater to the naturist taste at times. For you: The Japanese Naked Orchestra, with The Nutcracker of Pyotr Iljitsch Tchaikovsky.

Do you know of other nude performers of classical music or performing arts? I know there are plenty of experimental modern performers. It’s the classical ones I am looking for. They break borders…

 

A naturist’s view on the bare bottom

A naturist’s view on the bare bottom

I thought I’d get you with that one. Not just because of the word ‘bare’ but because of the concept, I guess. And the odd one who is after some nice bottoms. Do I have news for you…

Bottoms. We all have them.

Bottom

And yours may look like one of those above. Maybe not. It’s interesting to me that the bare bottom is seen as something unpleasant. Uncalled for (which I understand, I never call my bottom, I sit on it).

The ‘seen as’ also is something I want to mention. Why do people focus on a bottom? It’s a part of the human body. A convenient one. Some have better looking ones than others but some people have crooked teeth. That doesn’t make them better or worse. Neither does a nice bottom.

Moving around is easier when it’s bare.
Or isn’t it?

bottom

As the gentleman here demonstrates, doing sports or other activities in the bare state (including the bottom) is good. Fun (I am sure, even if I don’t see his face). I for one am always ready to move around in the buff. The downside of that is that the weather needs to cooperate for that and in my area, the Netherlands, that’s not always the case. Lucky you if you live in a place that’s warm enough and allows you to go around naked! Power to you!

No butts. Nor buts.

3 bottoms

Really. No butts. Bare-bottomed you can do just about anything except take your pants off. Watching classic cars? No problem. Watching television? No problem (but remember your towel). Reading? That too can be done bare-butted. Apart from the clothing addicts and ditto industry there are no buts about it: you can do lots of things in the nude. Here’s someone watching paintings. I was at that venue in an Amsterdam museum. It was great.

But what about the outdoors in general?

That too can be enjoyed butt naked.

outside butt

Most of us know this, of course, and we all know we bare(bottom)ly get enough opportunities for that. Again, if you do then more power to you.

Being able to be nude outside, bottom and all, for simple things like a stroll, a hike, some swimming or just lazing in the sun, are just a few ways to enjoy the outdoors. Give your bottom that needed sunlight (but be sensible about it, it usually doesn’t see the sun that much).

What’s your favourite bare bottom outside activity? What’s the coolest, craziest or most enjoyable thing you did in the bare bottom state?

How to be nude when you can’t be naked.

If you want to be nude

Being Naked..and you can’t…

That’s really a crappy mode of operation.

We all know it, I’m certain.

Not everyone has the opportunity to drop their textile at will and be all fine and accepted.

Actually most of us can’t get away with that.

What to do?

The simplest thing of course is to leave out everything you don’t need to wear to appear dressed. Underwear is often overrated so you could do away with that. Wear light-weight fabrics. Wear, if you can, wide clothing that doesn’t force you to stand up straight as if you are freshly ironed.

Is there more?

Of course. If you can be naked in your home, do that as much as you can. Even if it’s just your bedroom or the bathroom. It may sound silly but if you have something you can do in either of those places, you’re good to go.

You can read a book there. Listen to music. Play games. In fact you could also clean the bathroom (of course the bedroom wouldn’t always qualify for that but I don’t know your home. Surprise me!)

Other ways.

Family body paintingIf there’s no way you can be Naked at home, you can go online and see if there are nudists in your neighborhood. You might be surprised to see how many nudists there are around you. It would be strange if none of them who are dressed all the time. If you can connect with others, they might invite you over for a nude coffee or tea, or a naked chat. Or for some fun body painting!

Are you impressed yet? Do you have other ideas that fellow-nudists can use? Don’t be afraid to share!

Digambara. The naked monks.

Naked monks.

Yeah, that got your attention, didn’t it? Naked monks. Yes, they exist. In India.

Acharya Vidyasagar, a prominent Digambara monk of modern India

I was very surprised to find information about monks who are not allowed to wear clothes. Clothes are seen as embellishment and these monks don’t embellish themselves.

This sounds all sweet and wonderful, but there is more to being a nude monk than not wearing clothes. If you love your big screen TV, kiss that goodbye when you become a Digambara monk.

There is a Jain text that says:

Salutation to the Ascetic (Sādhu) abound in faith and knowledge, who incessantly practises pure conduct that surely leads to liberation.

— Dravyasaṃgraha
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Naked monks in Nepal

Attitude and… weather.

It may be obvious that you need the right kind of attitude to become such a monk as you have to give up all worldly goods. You need to beg for food and you can own only the fewest bits of man-made utensils. A Digambara monk is allowed to keep only a feather whisk, a water gourd and scripture with him.

Also make sure you live in the right region. When you’re in an area where it gets cold it’s smart to choose another occupation. One that has heating and/or clothes.

Sources.

Information for this post mostly came from Wikipedia and Quora.

Nude or naked?

Some of you may know that I write books. Writing books and stories means you have to consider the meaning of words carefully.

Considering the words ‘nude’ and ‘naked’.

They both refer to the state of being undressed, uncovered, clothes-free, yes. Still, to me they have a different charge as it were. Wikipedia’s take on these point to the same thing. Nudity. To me there is however an underlying difference.

What nude is to me.

ZMDSC01418

To me this is nude. You may argue that I’m naked in this picture so let me explain. When I am nude, I’m undressed, I appreciate it to the max and I am ‘in my power’. I am undressed by my own choice and proud of my state of being. When I took this picture it wasn’t warm. There was fog all around. Still I felt wonderful there, in nature, one with the elements of the moment. That is when you are in your centre of power.

What is naked to me.

caught_naked

Here is an example of someone I think is naked. It’s the ‘oops’ moment, the shyness, the not wanting to be seen like this.

It is when someone feels exposed and vulnerable.

Look at it this way: when you are nude and you walk around in the rain when it’s not cold, that’s all fine. You’ll get wet but you won’t shiver, you don’t feel bad.

When that same rain comes over you and it starts getting cold, you’ll feel naked. Exposed and vulnerable because this is not pleasant at all.

Note that this is just one example.

Naked does not always mean you’re weak.

Absolutely not, unless you make yourself weak. Having the courage to make yourself vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of a different kind of strength. The world live in is a hard place where being weak is frowned upon. You have to be strong, in armour, fast and in control. Daring to be naked means you dare to be yourself, to be a real person who doesn’t want to be strong all the time. Trying to be strong all the time will wear you out on an emotional level or even detach you from your emotions. You become a machine, a robot.

Naturists and nudists, as far as I have met and talked with them, have the deliberate ability to go beyond that trap. They bare themselves. They make themselves naked as well as nude. They want to be vulnerable. Go into the mountains where you encounter nothing but sharp rocks and take off your clothes there.

ZMRocks
Me on the rocks in Wales

See? You are vulnerable. This doesn’t mean you’re weak. This just means you acknowledge you’re not made of iron and you understand how thin your skin is, especially when you scrape against that rock.

The vulnerability is where you put it.

As you see, there are more ways to feel vulnerable. Good ways and bad ways. Getting caught in something you shouldn’t do makes you vulnerable, even when you’re completely dressed. The power of allowing yourself to be vulnerable, naked, is something different. You bring that upon yourself. You say to the world, “Yes, this is me as I am. Naked, unprotected.” That kind of vulnerability should gather respect. It does from me.

naked-and-afraid-cambodia-2

It’s entirely different from the popular TV series ‘Naked and Afraid’ where people put themselves in danger willingly.

I certainly respect the courage of the people who do this, but I don’t respect their nakedness as the kind I described earlier.

Be nude, dear friend. And dare to be naked. It makes you more complete as a human.

Paul.

(This post appeared originally on ClothesLifeFree. I thought it important enough to share it here.)

Naked meditation – 6. Progress

Welcome to part 6, probably then end of this short and simple trip into the world of meditation. How are you doing? Are you feeling more comfortable with meditating? Do you experience anything out of the ordinary?

If you want you can post your experiences here in the comments. If you feel unsure that’s a good idea you can of course always drop me an e-mail.

Note for norther hemisphere people: the weather is getting colder now. If you notice that meditating isn’t going that great because you focus on shivering, be smart and pull a blanket or so around you.There’s no need to feel cold while meditating – in fact that won’t help you at all. Don’t use anything restricting like clothes: a blanket will work. You’ll be naked and warm beneath that.

Notice:

If you already feel that this form of meditation is not working for you, that’s okay. Perhaps you are not one for a “sitting still meditation”. You can look for a yoga class near you and practise the forms you learn there naked, at home. Or you might even find a naked yoga class near where you live. Just don’t give up on this form of meditation too quickly. As I said before, it may take weeks or even months for your overloaded mind to accept this peace and quiet-stuff as a good thing. It will happen.