Do you remember the feeling when you were a child of running around happily without clothes, oblivious and innocent to the rest of the world, smiling and laughing? Maybe you do not remember that of yourself, but perhaps you’ve seen children do this thing before and people don’t bother at first trying to get them to put clothes on, because it’s just so cute. What differentiates the image of a nude baby as opposed to a nude teenager or nude adult? Why is one okay and the other is ‘taboo?’ The answer lies in a mass cultural association of sex with the image of nudity, and after our early childhood is where puberty and sexuality occurs. But nudity in itself is not inherently sexual at all. Sex is a part of human nature that carries on with or without clothes’ existence.

Everyone, I introduce you to the world of naturism, or nudism. But before I get into the heart of this, some of you might be wondering why I’m choosing naturism as a topic to talk about. For one thing, I simply have a hard time not saying really good things about it, and also holding the firm belief that the whole nude craze really can make a big difference in people’s lives, their perspectives, and when compared in parallel to other societal frustrations, shows a great deal about the problems of the global culture at large as well as the commonly encountered stubborn mindset of the average human being.

As sort of an introduction into the entire idea of naturism I did a Spotlight on Naturism a long time ago from my old site, YoungPRer.com. The entire feature is still widely popular and serves as an ideal resource to dive into the very concepts of naturism itself.

To some, the whole thing just seems loony. “Who on earth would just hang out naked all day?” some people ask. To others, the idea might seem excitingly(or disgustingly) sexual, “what kind of a sick person takes off all his clothes and lives life nude all day?” But to the naturist community at large, the entire concept is sound, relaxing, and the ideal choice for how to go about your day. Without the association of sex, many people imagine that naturism might be a bit boring, and to some of the strongly religious population the very notion of nudity for the sake of relaxation and comfort seems morally wrong. And again, under the commercial industry of naturism itself, be it nude beaches, nude cruises, or nudist resorts, none of the activity is sexual, nor is it at all meant to be.

But one thing remains common with all but a few of these views that oppose naturism. For many, this means they have created this belief without ever having tried it. One very good thing to remember is that it is often better to know an experience by experience, and not just by watching. So why not give it a try? One day, when no one is home, take off the clothes! And you don’t have to do anything special – just carry on with whatever you usually do during the day, but nude, and see what the experience is like.

Naturism has been under serious threat for, as far as can be seen, the entire time that civilization has existed, and after three thousand years, it almost seems like the entire principle is under an attempt of being phased out. These threats I speak of are no small threats either. New laws, political rulings, public outrage, and everything similar opposes the nudist community every single month, and possibly every single week. There have been many times when more cruelty has been given to streakers or just those nude than that of what is supposed to be more detrimental, like prostitutes, or even the equivalent of what has been seen in the circles of civil rights movements, like peaceful assemblies that are violently stomped upon by law enforcement. In most states and most places, being nude in eye of the public means having a day or more of jail time, paying a several hundred dollar fine, and then being given the label of ’sex offender,’ but purely on the basis of nudity. This means that even if you were walking on the street nude, en route between point A and B in a totally non-sexual, neutral context you are, by legal definition, a sex offender. These very concepts show how well engrained the association of sex to nudity is, and also how distorted society’s view of sexuality is at large.

I’ve been a naturist since 15 years old, and it’s been a challenge to get many people to accept the idea that nude is the way I like to be. Everytime I’ve mentioned it, my friends have become painfully uncomfortable with the idea, my mother never could break her traditional associations, and the only way I’m ever able to be nude comfortably is often by myself. By age 18, I’ve never been to a nude beach, resort, or anything like that. I’m purely what you call an at-home naturist. And funnily enough, if you’re a naturist but don’t tell anyone, you’re a “closet naturist,” almost as if you were homosexual or something.

What you will likely find out after being nude for an extended period of time, is that your senses become amplified, and everything is able to be felt a lot easier. You will, given the unusual sensory experience, notice things around you you don’t normally notice. The whole experience is unique, and after a long while of being without clothes, the thought of putting them on may seem like a chore to you. Of course, being nude by yourself and being nude with others are two entirely different things.

‘Social nudity,’ or being nude with other nude people, can be unnerving the first few times you do it. Considering that I haven’t been nude in front of more than my girlfriends before, I cannot really feel too qualified to speak on this area. But what I will say is that there is likely no greater tool for body acceptance than that of social nudity, and no greater impression for new perspective than social nudity. After being around others nude for a long time, you tend to forget about the whole ‘nude’ thing at all, and it becomes something unthought about, simply the state of where you are. A whole new appreciation for the human body begins to come about, as well, when you might realize that bodies are not at all perfect, and no one is living up to the commercial version of human beings. Most girls are not models, most guys are not Calvin Klein; everyone comes in different shapes and sizes, and often when seeing it you get the distinct impression that this is the way it’s meant to be, that genetic variability is vast, and with purpose.

Some people know me and know that I’m a naturist, and for those people I have posted this, but also for others who may have wondered about the topic. Or perhaps, you just happened to stumble here somehow through your journey of net surfing. Whatever the case, I hope I’ve done a decent job of enlightening you a bit on the subject, and again, be sure to check out the Spotlight for more information. The below links are also good resources for getting information on the topic:

Federation of Canadian Naturists
Clothes Free International Inc.
Free Body Zone
American Association for Nude Recreation
Naked Nudism Blog