Historically, naturism has played a role similar to that of any other kind of uniform today: having rules to be dressed at school in a certain way is meant to reduce distinctions based on what we own and focus on other characteristics. Germany in particular has a long-standing naturist tradition that focuses on equality and health: dropping all of our clothes does exactly the same thing as does wearing a uniform: it’s the ultimate leveller and makes it harder to exclude someone based on what they own and how they show it off. As for the health aspects, there is reason to believe that exposing the body to the elements is good for the immune system, catching sunshine increases our level of vitamin D, and moving freely does the soul good and helps keep the skin healthy. It's interesting to note that Scandinavian countries in particular seem to have less of a hang-up about nudity than those living in warmer climes do. Their approach is very much an indoors one, of course. The naturist movement in Germany was obviously trying to emulate an innate sense of ‘nakedness being a natural state’ that corresponded to the many philosophies of the time (mid-19th century), but pushing it to the limits by introducing other elements to it, including nudity outdoors, a focus on physical exercise, games and aesthetics. These days many places in the world have their naturist spaces. Those could be naturist beaches, holiday camps, hotels or cruise ships, but sometimes it’s just a matter of a naturist group taking over a ‘regular’ venue and turning it naturist as a matter of attraction to those who are looking to spend time out of their clothes without sticking out like a sore thumb. It is often mentioned that ‘naturism just gives rise to people looking at other people’s bits’ and ‘it creates a sexual tension’. Well, if you have ever been to a naturist beach, you’ll see people of all shapes, sizes and ages, and it seems extremely unlikely that you’ll see anything you cannot see on those sites on the internet you will not admit to even knowing! There is a clear distinction between going cruising in a gay sauna and lying on a naked beach or playing shuffleboard naked on a cruise ship. The sheer normality of the situation makes it difficult to even have your mind go that way, but also it is very much frowned upon and taken care of in dedicated spaces by the supervisors. Also, once the initial thrill subsides, it's just another place to be and do things you would otherwise do with your kit on. That brings us to the last point: naturist spaces are considered safe spaces, and anything disturbing that peace will lead to quick expulsion of the person who steps out of line. All that said, of course you do not HAVE to be comfortable being naked in the great outdoors, but you may at least want to give it a go to see if it does something for you. Indeed, it will feel awkward at first – just like a lot of other things feel strange the first time around: think sex, your public dance appearance, wearing clothes you are not used to or standing in front of a group of people and giving a talk. Be brave, live a little!
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These are my own thoughts on aspects of my work I feel strongly about. Archives
September 2021
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