Let the Nudists/Naturists speak for themselves:
What is Nudism and Naturism?
Nudist (noo-dist) n. a person who believes that going unclothed is good for the health.
If you're sitting around the house reading this and you're fully dressed, ask yourself why you aren't nude. You may have already removed your shoes to be more comfortable. Why stop there? Why would anybody want to wear a swimsuit while swimming if they had a choice and had experienced the alternative? Why do people teach their children to be ashamed of their bodies, instead of teaching acceptance of their form, and those of others? Unless still cold after piling on blankets, why would anyone want to wear pajamas or other clothing to bed?
If you think that way, you understand nudism. If not, maybe you should try. The more conventional definition of nudism is that a nudist is someone who goes out of his or her way to be nude as often as possible. There are degrees to just about everything. Some people are just brought up to be more or less "clothing-compulsive" than others. The difference, in my opinion, is that our culture has corrupted and twisted people's views of our natural form to the point that it takes a big leap to realize that the prevailing attitude is not only unhealthy, but that we should do something about it in the way we live our lives.
The general public associates the term "nudist" with a cultural stereotype - a group of secretive wackos who run around naked behind the walls of their "colonies", doing only God knows what. First of all, our demographics are, in fact, quite impressive. We're your neighbor down the street, your coworker, your friend. We're that family who sits next to yours at church. Studies show that we're more likely to be college educated, faithful to your spouses, and have less screwed up kids than the "general public". We aren't nudists because we're screwed up; we're nudists because we aren't screwed up.
Secretive? If so, only to the extent needed to protect ourselves. We don't form "colonies". Clubs, resorts, and campgrounds, maybe. There's the Windjammers, and we do sell out several large cruise ships a year. OK, there is that city in France... But most of us live and work in the real world. The "God only knows" things we do behind our walls are games of tennis or volleyball, family picnics, strolls through the woods, laying out by the pool, and other "day at the park" stuff. No public sex. No on-going strip tease shows. Nothing to be ashamed of. People are as well behaved, and the environment is as family friendly, as you'd expect at a church social.
Many nudists feel comfortable in these protected environments and believe that what the rest of the world thinks of it is the world's problem, and that its none of the world's damn business. These people more commonly use the term "nudist" than "naturist".
OK, then what's a naturist? Most nudists/naturists don't get hung up on one term or another. A "naturist" is more likely someone who believes the world ought to wake up and get a healthier attitude. A naturist is more likely to visit nude beaches and other publicly owned areas. They fight to have nude use of public lands accepted, and have additional lands designated for nude use. They resent the fact that just being themselves in their natural form is sometimes illegal. An activist nudist, if you will.
Personally, I prefer the term "nudist" since most people here in the USA know what the term means (though few understand it). Most nudists and naturists fit both descriptions to some degree, and don't differentiate between the two labels.
Why might you find nudism/naturism interesting? (also see "205 Arguments" for more)
It can drastically change your attitude about your body and your self-image.
There is a lot bad baggage associated with compulsively hiding one's self behind a veil of cloth day in and day out. Advertisers constantly shout that we don't look good enough, and that their product will help you become, if not beautiful, at least tolerable in "polite company". Magazines constantly show us what our bodies "should" look like, if only we had the right genes (or wore "their" jeans). Clothing imprisons us in various roles, depending how we're dressed. Our clothes tell others more about how response we are to fashion, than about who we are as people.
Feeling good about yourself and accepting your body is a huge step forward. Feeling comfortable while nude in a mixed company of like-minded strangers is the next step. They accept your appearance, and you accept theirs. God provided each of us with a perfectly good uniform for the role of being human. Lighten up and just be yourself!
It feels great!
You'll love the unbroken feel of the sun, wind, and water on your skin. You'll feel immersed in your surroundings, instead of being artificially cut off from them. Get used to going to a nude beach, and you'll curse the invention of the swimsuit. Feel the sun on your entire body, and you'll taste freedom. You'll never know how badly clothing can get in the way of enjoying life, if you don't free yourself of it every once in a while. Something inside will say, I like this, keep doing it! Listen to it. It's a cry of relief.
You'll run into some of the most interesting, friendly, people you'll ever meet.
Because social nudity isn't a mainstream activity, being open-minded and having the guts to thumb one's nose at cultural stupidity is a prerequisite in this group. That alone would insure an interesting mix. Moreover, much of the baggage that our culture entangles with clothing seems to come off with the clothes. People tend to be more open and themselves when they're nude. Maybe it's because it is such a special thing. Maybe it wouldn't be so special if the world wasn't so screwed up.
You'll meet men and women of all ages from children to grandparents. You won't know or care if you're talking with a janitor or a doctor. You'll meet interesting people who you might otherwise never meet. For many, that is the primary attraction.
It has nothing to do with sex.
I might have lost you on that one. Contrary to popular myth, the mere sight of naked bodies is not by itself arousing. Arousal is a function of context and behavior. Even with a lifetime of cultural conditioning that associates nudity with sex, therefore arousal, you'll find that it doesn't work that way. You'll have no problem enjoying yourself without getting "turned on". First time anxiety and the sensuous nature of the situation is balanced by natural social instinct. Your subconscious will know that this isn't the time or place for sexual feelings. Calm down, and you'll quickly find the situation quite "normal" (because, of course, it is).
Don't worry, your brain doesn't forget when it is the right time and place. But a day at a nude beach or at a nudist resort is neither. That's not why people come, and sex is not what we want to see. Nudist clubs are not "swingers clubs" and any reputation to that effect would tend to empty a club faster than a hive of angry bees. There are other places for that sort of thing.
geocities.com
And just for kickers, here are a couple of sites devoted to "Christian Naturism":
cheef.com
vistapnt.com
You personally might get turned on if you were a tourist in some African country, where women go bare-breasted, but that would be because you are not used to that societal custom. But I would submit that for a man who is used to it, a Western woman wearing a special, padded wire brassiere under a tight sweater, trying to call attention to her "parts," might be more "provocative" than an old granny with spaniel ears where her bosom used to be.
Josn |
