wellness – Zjuzdme.org

Bathing suit days

No, that’s not here and now. Please, stop that thought 5 seconds ago!

Last week, my girlfriend and I went to a wellness resort. The day we picked had a problem, though. That day, at the resort we frequent, was a bathing suit day.

We are not bathing suit kind of people, so I looked around a bit further and found a ‘sister branch’ of the resort. 100 km away. I’d rather drive 100km (and 100 back) than do something bathing suit related.

In a weird manner I can ‘accept’ that many people mentally tend to jump to ‘bathing suit’ when they see ‘swimming pool’. From day 1, this has been ingrained in most people’s minds – and hooray for those who escaped that lunacy – but why do people insist on bathing suits in a sauna? Most people (at least from my generation, which is probably semi-stone age) remember that saunas originated in Finland, and people were naked in there from the start of the tradition.

Covered people in a sauna — Who would cover up like this in a sauna??

Perhaps it has to do with this faux interpretation of sauna visits, that being covered is normal. Which, as we all know, has to do with the ‘prudish’ attitude of our society that seeing skin is lethal for people’s mental health, unless it’s used for sex.

The drive was worth it. A great place, surprisingly busy for a Wednesday, but due to the size of the resort it wasn’t crowded anywhere. And many people who didn’t feel the need to wear bathrobes or go wrapped in towels most of the time. Normal people with normal bodies. It was good to see there were many younger people too. (Note, for someone of the semi-Stone age, 30 and up is ‘younger’.)

I will always avoid bathing suit days in a spa or wellness resort or sauna.

Nude rules.

A glorious day in September

Sunland_Holiday_Village_by_Tripadvisor — Glorious day

The past Saturday, my girlfriend and I were off to a sauna/wellness complex in the neighbourhood. It’s called “Thermen Berendonck“. We knew the day would be good, but it turned into a glorious day, because the weather was amazingly kind to those who want to relax in the nude.

Sunshine and 21C (70F), barely any wind and a wonderful area, inside and out, to enjoy. What more could you ask for? I mean, have a look at this:

Thermen Berendonck arrangement | Hotel Cuijk — Indoor swimming pool Berendonck

It was good to see “many” people there. The sauna still maintains a strict count on the people allowed in at one time, due to Corona measures, which is great, but to see so many people enjoying this place was nice.

Again it struck me that there are many folks who cover up to the nose when they’re not in a sauna, a steam bath or a pool. Bathrobes, towels, anything goes. These are the people who also keep their towels around them until just before the moment they sit down in a sauna. As if that small difference between standing and sitting makes that no one can see their nakedness. And some people actually keep their towels wrapped around, to keep their ‘dignity’, or whatever they would call it, intact. And that while there are plenty of people walking around naked and carefree, the way such a day should be enjoyed.

To each their own, of course, but I do wonder what could go on in the minds of the people who keep their ‘shields’ up. Are the appalled by the sight of all those naked people? Curious and peeking? Proud that they, at least, maintain their chastity and don’t throw themselves at the mercy of the world’s eyes?

For me it will probably always remain a mystery why some people are so scared to unload their clothes, even when so many nude ones are around. Don’t they see it’s normal to be naked? That not every naked one is the symbol of physical beauty-standards and youthful attractiveness? Or don’t they want to see that?

It’s probably something else. I can’t help but pity those people, but I do hope they enjoyed their version of that glorious day to the fullest. Like we did.

The beauty of the differences

Last week I had the joy of going to a sauna/wellness centre again. Always a delight, something like that.

The benefits of a wellness centre

For one, it’s good for you. At least for me, and judging from the number of people there, not just me. 🙂

Such a place is where I can wind down fully. Relax. No stress allowed there. Take it slow, go where you want to go when you want to go. And another good thing: no clothes needed.

This is the most important thing. Your towel. Have it with you to sit on, as any proper naturist knows. In a sauna that’s very important. With all that heat and sweating, you don’t want to sit where someone else has been perspiring a few minutes ago.

That’s a given, I think.

Another wonderful benefit is what you can see.

And no, that’s not the staring at the pretty people there. The same goes for a wellness centre as it is at a nude beach: no staring. Also: you’re there for you, not for the others – unless you’re there with friends, then you’re there with each other. And still, no staring.

What I mean is that you encounter the greatest variety of body-types at such a place. Again, just as you do on a nude beach. We are all so different in the way we are the same! And despite all our different bodies, we’re all the same.

At a wellness centre, nude beach, nude swim, you name it, everyone is there for the same reason: to feel good in their own skin. Perfect. Just before starting this post, I thought about how it would be to run into all the same kind of perfect, beautiful bodies in such a place…

Ehm. Nope. Not for me. I said ‘the same’, right? And that is what I meant. Not just everyone being pretty, ripped, toned, tanned, but the same. Just to add some more dullness to what’s nice to look at once in a while.

To me it would feel like looking at a stream of identical-looking robots.

Give me the differences. The big and the small, the thick and thin, the perky and the flabby, the dark and the pale. Those are the things that show people are people. Every kind of people.

A day at a sauna

A few weeks ago my girlfriend and I spent a day at a sauna. A Wellness resort, as it describes itself.

It was great. A whole day of relaxing without the need to wear clothes. Can you think of a better way to spend a day?

I can.

Spending a week like that. Maybe not a whole week at a wellness resort, but in the nude? I’d take it!

I keep being surprised about how wonderful such a day is. Total relaxation, no need to wear clothes. We had a walk outside to cool down. It started to rain. No problem. Who cares about getting wet when it cools you down directly at skin level?

Days like that should be obligatory, at least once a month but preferably once a… day? At least the walking around nude part, without people throwing a hissy fit over that.

I had a good laugh when we walked along and, at a separate building, a relax room with a view over a large pond, there was a bucket with umbrellas waiting for those who were in need of one. Note that I didn’t see anyone there who was holding an umbrella. Naked people in the rain don’t need those things. When it’s too cold out there, an umbrella won’t make much difference anyway.

A stupid thing of many Dutch saunas is that they introduce more and more bathing-suit-days. What the bleep? Who wants to sit in a hot, wet sauna with such stuff clinging to you? Prudishness seems to be more important than hygiene, because all the bacteria you sweat out get stuck to your privates if you keep fabric wrapped up there. Eeeuw….

Do you have a favourite spa, sauna, wellness place, or another way to relax in such a manner? If so, spread your knowledge down here and you might inspire people to go there as well.