Yes, I am a nudist, so what?

The title of this post is the reply I gave to an acquaintance during a dinner at a friend’s place. The conversation went over swimsuits and I shared that I was avoiding wearing one whenever I could. She looked at me and ask: “are you a nudist?” To which I replied: “Yes, I am a nudist, so what?” We then started a conversation around nudism, what it is, really, and why it matters. It was a cordial conversation although I doubt that this person will ever become a nudist, having too many reservations and insecurities.

Over the years, I elaborated a simple strategy to talk about nudism and explain what it really is, beyond the cliches and preconceived ideas. With such conversations, I have three main objectives: sharing nudism, demystifying nudism and having nudism accepted. A side objective is to recruit new nudists by inviting them to experience nudism. With the latter, you need to develop some resilience as out of ten conversations, you may get only one may be and one yes. However, this one yes opens a fantastic opportunity to expand your personal nudist circle.

For the moment, let’s stick to the three main objectives above. Here’s how I talk about nudism when asked. It helps people to understand what nudism is, why it’s important and why there should be no shame about simple nudity.

Simple Nudity Is Not Sexual

This is the first myth to dispel. Nude does not rhyme with sex. It’s not because I’m naked that I want to have sex. It’s not because I’m naked that I look for sexual gratification. As a nudist, I’m naked because it just feels good and comfortable. This is probably the one thing that many textiles don’t get: how can you feel good naked, without feeling aroused? For many nudists, it’s totally normal. I personally don’t think about it. Being naked feels normal and does not feel sexual.

Society, culture and religions have associated nudity to sexuality. Many parents explain to their kids that they should not be naked, that nudity is bad, that they should get clothed in all circumstances, even those, like at the beach, where nudity would be reasonably more appropriate. With such behaviours, at puberty, the feeling of shame anchors deep and nudity becomes tightly associated to sexuality. Add today the ubiquitous availability to porn and you have a magic potion. Nudity and sex become entangled.

For kids raised in nudist environment, this association is loose and good discussions about puberty may ensure the link between nudity and sexuality is not established, while shame vanishes. However, if you’ve not been raised in a naturist environment, it’s possible to train your brain to disassociate nudity from sexuality. It may be a little bit difficult at the beginning and may require some time and effort, but you will get there.

Many newbie nudists feel aroused when they get naked. There’s nothing to be scared about, it’s totally okay. Just go about it and carry on your activities. The most important aspect of nudism is to do activities that you would do normally clothed. For instance, washing the dishes, watching TV, gardening, or writing blog posts. Just learn to associate nudity with day-to-day activities and soon you will see nudity as it should always be: a simple and comfortable way of being.

Simple Nudity Is Natural

Our evolution as an animal species has made us to be naked. We need nudity to be healthy. Our body requires air and sun to function healthily. This is the reason why young kids tend to take their clothes off naturally, obeying their primitive brain. It’s only because adults using their neocortex, the reasoning brain, to tell kids to get clothed that kids “learn” that nudity is bad. Inherently, nudity is our natural state and kids know this, without realising it as it’s an innate bodily function.

When we reason that nudity is not sexual and can be something to enjoy and feel comfortable with, we come to the realization that we were told wrong things about simple nudity. As you could have guessed, I’m naked while writing this post. To me, it’s not only natural, it’s entirely normal and comfortable. I cannot really work from my home office clothed. The moment I come back home, after running errands or coming back from the office, I get naked, sometimes take a shower and go to my home office to work. Nudity is my normal state of being at home and wherever I can be.

When you embrace simple nudity and nudism, meet other nudists and talk about nudism a lot, as I do through this blog and other occasions, simple nudity becomes your norm. It so become “normal” that you forget about it and start feeling it should be allowed everywhere.

Simple Nudity Should Be Allowed Anywhere

This is controversial, even among nudist and naturist communities. For instance, if nudity were allowed everywhere, would you go shopping naked, for instance, knowing there are risks that you would be the only one naked? Many nudists would not do it. I definitely would, but hey, it’s because I’m passionate about nudism and simple nudity. Most nudists won’t, at least this is what they say. However, I feel that if one nudist leads the way others would join.

Nonetheless, if it’s not about going shopping naked, it could be about going to the beach, hiking in the woods or just gardening. What harm does a nudist do by just being naked and minding her own business? Not much, except in the eyes of the haters. If nudism were allowed everywhere, I believe that not only very few would use this right and it would make people more aware of our fragility.

I would just love to be able to walk out of a hotel room naked to go to the pool or to the gym. I would just love to be able to go to any beach and not looking for a clothing-optional one. I would just love to be able to travel as light as possible wherever I’m going. Nudity should be allowed everywhere, because it should be an inalienable right, society should recognise there’s nothing sexual in simple nudity, and above all because it truly matters.

Simple Nudity Matters

Why does nudity matter? For three reasons: mental health, consumption sobriety and love of simplicity.

Mental health is a societal issue and body shame is one area that nudism helps preventing. Benevolence is an incredible quality of nudist environments. Whatever your body size and shape, you’re welcome and quickly realise there’s nothing like a perfect body. Perfect bodies are Photoshopped. Normal bodies are never perfect. Going to a nudist resort helps appreciate your own body and escape the hell of the perfect body image.

Climate change and loss of biodiversity question our way of living. It’s not about going backwards in terms of comfort, it boils down to consuming less, but better. Living naked and embracing nudism help realise the uselessness of many clothes you purchase and own. I came to purchase far less but of far better quality. In the end, my closet if not full of useless clothes but only the ones I really appreciate. Being a nudist help on the path of chosen sobriety and discover the virtues of simplicity.

Simplicity is a concept I discovered with Marie Kondo and her KonMari method. It helps declutter your life and focus on the essential, the objects, clothes and elements that “spark joy”. It’s a great way to go back to a simpler life centred on joy and happiness, by tidying your life and getting rid of things that don’t really spark joy! It seems a simple concept, but it’s a deep one. It has allowed me to focus on what is essential to my happiness. Nudism is one of those that participates to a joyful simpler life.

Nudism and simple nudity matter for humanity. I understand that they may not be for everyone, as social, cultural or religious beliefs are sometimes anchored deep in people’s lives. Anyhow, with a reasonable discussion and acceptance of diversity, I come to believe that more people are inclined to give nudism a try and even more are inclined to accept simple nudity. This is probably why I’m so passionate about nudism, naturism and simple nudity. And this is how I talk about nudism and what people can expect for it.

What about you? Are you a nudist? Do you think simple nudity should be considered an acceptable, normal and natural way of being? How do you speak about nudism? What shall we do to have nudism more widely accepted? Don’t hesitate to leave comments and points of view in the comment section below!

Strip Nude, Stay Nude, Live Nude and Share the Nude Love!