Marc

Original published on my blog.

Come on, it continues to blow my mind, what is it really about being naked and nudism? We all have a body. All women are made the same way, all men too. Of course, some are fatter, thiner, bigger, smaller, darker, lighter, etc. However, we are all coming from the same mold (we share all a lot of the same DNA).

Therefore, the body you are looking in the mirror when you are naked is not very different from another body you could look at when naked. So what the fuss around naked bodies? Well, it’s just the way society wants us to rethink our relationship with our body: money and shame! You need to be ashamed so you can spend money, on clothing, on religion, on stupid useless stuff.

Of course, you need to get protection when it’s cold or dangerous. But in all other case, when the weather is warm, when you cannot be hurt, why wearing clothes? Because you were told so, I presume. Because you were told nudity is shameful. But no, nudity should be shameless, nudity does not equal sex.

In mathematics, equality is symmetric. Therefore if nudity equals sex, then sex equals nudity. However, you do not need to be naked to have sex. Actually, sexually attraction works generally better with lingerie or revealing clothing. Sex does not equal nudity, therefore nudity does not equal sex.

So if nudity does not equal sex, then what is it all about being naked? Actually, it should be nothing. Nudity is our natural state and should be accepted widely as soon as the temperature allows it. Nudity, once accepted in our daily life, feels really great and comfortable.

Every nudist will tell you that they love to be naked because they feel so good, without any hindrance from clothing or social convention. Nudism is a form of freedom. Social nudity places the human being at the middle. You are not judged by what you wear but by who you are. This is why so many people find relaxing to go to a nudist resort and why so many people find nudists so friendly. Nudism is pure freedom and happiness. So there’s nothing really to talk about nudism. Just get rid of your clothes and live naked! So what is it about being naked? Nothing, just be it!

The question is legitimate. Why getting naked in front of others? Why doing activities entirely naked, like swimming, hiking or cooking? Many blogs, articles, and books provided answers, including mine with articles like  4 good reasons to be nude or 7 reasons why nude is better for social activities with friends.

However, as I was preparing my lunch, naked as most of the time, the question why nudism? popped up in my mind. So I decided to look at it with a twist. So whether you are a nudist, an aspiring one or a pure textilist, here’s a way to look at the answer to this question.

Let’s start with the premises that nudity is totally normal. I know, for most people it’s not. Nudity and modesty are tied together, and nudity belong to private closed rooms. However, this is the twist. Let’s say that nudity is normal. Imagine it (it’s much easier if you are a confirmed nudist)!

Nudism is normal

With this in mind, you wake up in the morning and your first action is to prepare the breakfast, for you, your spouse and your kids if you have one or many. Since nudity is normal, you have slept naked and you go to the kitchen in the same absence of clothes. As you are preparing breakfast, your spouse joins you in the kitchen, as naked as you are, You greet her/him by hugging and you continue your preparation.

Your family is having breakfast, and so far, nobody is wearing anything but a bright smile for a great start of the day. Then, as this is a summer week-end, you decide to go for a walk in the forest with the whole family. You call a couple of friends to check whether they would like to join. Then two hours later, you meet them at the parking, for what should be a four to five-hour walk in the near-by forest and hills.

Hiking the natural way

There are three families, with a total of six adults and seven kids. Two of the other adults are nudists like you and get out of their car naked, like their two kids. The other family is clothed in hiking gear, however, their little 8-year old girl prefer to hike naked with your daughter. After hugs and kisses, the kids starts running ahead, shouting and singing, while the parents share the loads of water and sandwiches in various rucksacks.

During the walk, your little group meet many other hikers, all clothed. However, every body greets each other, without making any comment on your nudity. After a couple of hours, You decide to stop for lunch nearby a little stream of water. The clothed couple undresses swiftly and join the little nudist community. At the exception of a two early teens, every body is naked, enjoying the warm shade providing by the forest and the freshness of the water.

On the way back

The lunch being over, our clothed hikers dress again and the group continues its journey. By mid-afternoon, you are back at the parking, now full with many other cars. After some farewell, you drive back home. On your way back, you stop at the gas station to fill up your tank and buy some biscuits. Though you rarely stay naked to do those errands, you forget you are naked and step out of the car to go to the shop, while your spouse fill up the tank.

The gas station personnel stares at you, though not really surprised to see you and your wife wearing nothing but a pair of flip-flops. It’s not that non sexual nudity is forbidden, it’s just naked people are seldom seen outside of natural surroundings. However, past the surprise, they just continue doing their jobs, while some other patrons do not seem to even notice your nudity.

Spending the week-end stark naked

Back home, you enjoy the rest of the day, playing with the kids, preparing the dinner and enjoying some family time. The next day, the week-end continues with the same joy. However, because the weather is not as nice as the day before, you decide to take care of the house. It’s a great way to gather the whole family around a project. Minutes before lunch, the door bell rings. You open the door to your neighbor who is bringing you some veggies of her garden she just picked in excess.

Like you, she’s naked, as like you, she’s a nudist and spend most of her time stark naked. You greet her and invite her to share your lunch. She accepts with pleasure and tells you she’ll need to finish a couple of chores at her place, she’ll be back in thirty minutes.

After a pleasant lunch, you go to the lounge to have some coffee. You chitchat for a moment, then goes back to your home enhancement work, while your neighbor goes back to her home. The Sunday finished around a nice family movie. You, your spouse and your kids have not dressed for the whole week-end and nothing was more relaxing

What if all this was clothed?

Now, of course, you may say this is a very unlikely situation, and that you felt not entirely at ease the whole time with this nudity story. However, I told you to accept the fact that nudity was normal. Even if it’s not in your world. Therefore with nudity being normal, there was nothing shocking or disturbing about this situation. It was the story of a family spending a summer week-end, hiking with friends, doing errands, having dinner and lunch, and taking care or their houses.

Of course, you can read the story again, and imagine all those people are clothed. They wear their pajamas while having breakfast, their hiking gears while hiking or filling the gas tank, their lounge wear on the next day to take care of their home or having lunch with their neighbor. However, what are the real differences between both situations? There is just one: nakedness does not feel normal for most of the people. The first ideas that come to mind are: you cannot be naked in front of your kids, you cannot hike naked with other people, it’s impossible to go to the gas station naked, you would never open the door to your naked neighbor, those are all impossible situation.

Nudity is normal

However, coming back to the original hypothesis: if nudity is normal, all those situations are completely normal. And this is exactly what came to my mind as this question popped in my brain. Why nudism? Because nudity is normal. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being nude. We, human beings, created modesty, because we associated nudity to sex, and shame with sex, therefore shame with nudity.

Go to any nudist resort. You will find no shame. You will realize all bodies are different. You will realize that nudity can feel normal, can be seen as normal, and can actually be normal. Because this is what it is: normal!

Why nudism? Because nudity is normal!

Original published on https://nuetheureux.com

Originally posted on https://nuetheureux.com

The title asks the question, the post provides the answers. Answers because there are as many answers as they are nudists. This means there is everything for each of us in stripping down at any nudist beach or resort. Now, let's be 100% clear: social nudity and sex are two different things. Social nudity in the sense of being naked with friends and strangers is about spending time and having a good time without any sexual idea. Sex is private, naturism is social, this is the basis of the concept. So what's in it for each of us getting naked in front of others, friends or pure strangers? 3 key answers in my opinion.

1. Total body acceptance

I am who I am, you are who you are, with your scars, your six-packs or your piercings. We all know beauty is within, so the body can be freed from any clothing and convention. Many studies have shown that getting naked in front of others increase confidence and body acceptance. Society has created an illusion with the perfect body, the perfect outfit and the perfect sex. Perfection is now 100% Photoshopped. By getting naked and sharing your nudity, you are centering yourself to who you really are. This is a liberating experience, anybody can share.

2. Total freedom

Every time I take all my clothes away I am 100% free. Can I explain what happens, no? It's just this incredible feeling deep inside. Every nudist I talk to feels the same. Trying nudism is becoming a nudist. Of course, the newbie nudist will generally requires some time to become 100% comfortable with nudity. There are so many social, personal, religious conventions to set aside! But once you understand this incredible feeling of freedom is acceptable and actually normal, a whole new world opens in front of you!

3. Total acceptance

There have been tons of ideas shared about friendship among nudists. Getting naked in a nudist environment is just the norm. Therefore, you are about to meet tons of friendly people who share one common passion: nudity. This may sound cliché, but although you will not become friend with every nudist you'll meet, you share at least one common point, and this makes a whole difference in making new friends and acquaintances. Who ever you are, what ever you look like, you belong to this incredible wonderful family of naturists, and you are about to discover this means a lot!

So what's in it for you to embrace the nudist lifestyle? The question is still valid because there are lots of misunderstandings of the nudist lifestyle and nudists are still a minority. Being a nudist does not reduce your choices, to the opposite, it expands them. Some people will look at you as being weird and some may be will leave you. This is life. True friends will stay friends and will actually potentially join you as nudist. Others will leave. Although this is sad, it will carry a message of acceptance of differences, and IMHO, I'd rather have friends who accept who I am than hiding from friends who may leave. This is all personal.

With this in mind, what stops you from trying? Open you mind and join the movement! Naturism is just awesome!

Get Naked, Stay Naked, Live Naked and Share the Naked Love!

Originially posted on my blog nuetheureux.wordpress.com

The day you join a nudist resort, club or beach, you enter a new world of freedom and respect. However, there's something you may not know yet: nudity is about to become your new normal. Let me explain what I mean by new normal.

Becoming a nudist

A lot of first time nudists will eventually become lifetime nudists. Every nudist will talk about this wonderful feeling of freedom, as soon you understand nobody cares about how you look. Nudity becomes therefore an accepted state. Generally, this is when you start to stop thinking about being naked. You just are enjoying the moment, without clothes.

Of course, time will come when you need to get dressed again. A certain level of sadness will fill you, as you leave this wonderful state of freedom. Rapidly, if weather and security allow, you will feel the need to get naked again. This could be your home, your garden or any place that accepts your nudity.

After a couple of days or weeks, you will feel immensely better entirely naked than with any form of clothing, even light and small. This is the moment I call the new normal. Your nudity will feel natural, simple, a real no-brainer. Up to a point that you will feel the need to share this with your friends and family. This is also the moment when you will want to have some books on naturism to know more, to subscribe to the magazine of your local naturist federation and leave them on your coffee table, or to just ask your friends to join you in your naturist life.

The New Normal

And your new normal will be the beginning of a wonderful naturist life. Naturism is, IMHO, the most wonderful lifestyle. The levels of freedom, friendship and simplicity are just unmatched.

The only caveat is naturists are still a minority and nudism is not widely accepted. However, it's growing with movements like Free the Nipple or associations like APNEL, more and more people are exposed to non sexual nudity. It may need another century to be able to chose nudity as a possible clothing option, but I hope we will get there and the next generations can freely chose to be naked whenever and wherever they want.

Try nudism and you will discover a new world, where nudity will soon become your new normal.

Get Naked, Stay Naked, Live Naked and Share the Naked Love!

As many naturists, as soon as the temperature increases and the sun shines, I feel the urgency to get naked and wander around in my birthday suit. This morning, although the temperature outside was just below 15 degrees celsius, it was warm inside, got my breakfast in the buff and went to do my errands naked.
And then the sun rose on a gorgeous blue sky and the temperature increased slowly above the 20's. I had a lot of work during the day, the birds were singing, it was a wonderful day during which the need to get dressed did not even hit my mind.

Mindfulness is all over the place these days. For anybody interested in self development, mindfulness is almost a must. As Wikipedia defines it: « Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment ».

Lots of naturist will say they are feeling better when naked, they feel more « connected » to their environment and to others, they feel more « themselves ». The same thing goes with people practicing yoga, meditation or other mindfulness techniques.

It is interesting to note that in the same Wikipedia article, « bare attention » is mentioned: Georges Dreyfus has expressed unease with the definition of mindfulness as « bare attention » or « nonelaborative, nonjudgmental, present-centered awareness ». Naturism is nonjudgmental as well.

With those definitions in mind, I was able to link the dots of mindfulness and naturism that appeared during my morning naked meditation. I have been practicing naked meditation, naked yoga and naked workouts for years now, and nothing feels better than practicing those activities naked. Because of the increased awareness of your body as it touches the floor, of the air that you feel on your bare skin, I truly believe nudity increases mindfulness and allows to feel better, more relaxed and better connected to the present moment.

What do you think? Share your experience of naturism and mindfulness in the comment section! Thank you!

Get Naked, Stay Naked, Live Naked and Share the Naked Love!

Originaly posted on nuetheureux.wordpress.com

Okay, tons have been written about naturism, why it's so relaxing and its numerous and various benefits. However, as I was walking on one of the many tracks of the beautiful nature and naked retreat of SunEden, in South Africa, and I saw a naked couple walking towards me, a question and an evidence stroke at that precise moment! Why was I naked in front of those people, and why those people – I did not know – were naked in front of me?

There's only one reason: because they felt good! I feel good when I am naked and there's no other reason why I am a naturist. To me and many naturists, nudity is natural, it's comfortable and I just feel good naked!

Of course, this is not something that came overnight. Actually, yes, feeling good naked came overnight but realizing this was a complete natural feeling shared by millions of people worldwide took time. But there's no other explanation to being a naturist. Naturists know there's nothing sexual in being a naturist. Naturists know there's a big, big difference between being a naturist and being an exhibitionist, which is linked to sex and arousal. I'm not aroused because I'm naked and nakedness does drive arousal in a naturist environment.

But yes, this was it, this is the answer to give to non-naturists when they ask you why you are a naturist. Just because I feel good. Of course, this can drive the discussion to body shame, body acceptance, accepting our own flaws, looking at people in the eye, the benefits of naturism, and becoming who you really are. And the advice you should give non-naturists is to just try. Of course some people will be totally against trying. But at least, they should accept that naturists are just normal people who just do not see a naked body as something inherently wrong or to be hidden.

So next time you meet a naturist, get naked, and next time you meet a non-naturist, explain why he/she should get naked. Because in the end, there's no better lifestyle on this planet and no other way to feel really, really good in our own skin!

Get Naked, Stay Naked, Live Naked and Share the Naked Love!

After a good night sleep, a healthy breakfast and a welcoming shower, I was ready to commute to the office. I grabbed my laptop bag, kissed my wife, got my shoes on and headed for the bus station. The temperature was in the twenties and the sky lightly cloudy. While I was closing the front door, I waved at my neighbor who was opening the car door to his kids. She waved back. I started my five-minute walk to the bus station, letting my neighbor car pass by me. There were a couple of people walking down the street, heading to the nearest bus station, one was naked, like I was, the other was wearing beige trousers and a white t-shirt. Since government had passed the nakedness bill, nudity had become legal in public space and it was slowly gaining supporters.

At the bus station, I met my good friend Kelly, who was wearing nothing but a pair of flat shoes and a necklace. She greeted me, happy to ride with me to her office. Kelly had been a die-hard naturist, far before the nakedness bill and was relieved when it was voted, that finally she would not need to wear clothes to carry her daily activities. We chitchatted until the bus arrived. There were not too many people this morning, most of which were fully dressed. Beyond Kelly and I, there were two other naked men and one woman. One of the men had a backpack on, the other carried a laptop bag. The woman had nothing but a small bag over a shoulder, a pair of red mid-heeled shoes and a belly button piercing that I noticed when thee light reflected into the gold of it. The perfect naked business men and women.

As we approached the city center, traffic became denser and pavement more crowded. I noticed more and more people were naked. It seemed that with spring and the temperature getting hotter, people jumped into the naturist bandwagon, leaving their inhibitions and clothes at home. Even the so-called regulated profession, like our bus driver, could trade their daily uniform for nakedness, at the exception of shoes, cap and the traditional towel to sit on. It was the case of Rob, our dedicated driver on the 8 line, who decided to go naked the day the bill passed and his employer informed employees of the new policy.

It has actually been the case in all companies, public or private. At the exception of jobs that required protection, every employee had the choice of wearing clothes, prescribed uniform or go naked with limited clothing when necessary. This was for instance the case of police officers, who could keep their cap and belt with their badge. Government had recently released statistics that showed that 17% of the population has chosen nakedness over clothing over the last month, a 5-point increase since the beginning of spring. I would guess it would go over 20%, and even 30% when summer kicks in. It would probably take a year or two before over 50% of the population go naked on a daily basis. At the same time, rapes, sexual assaults and violent crimes went down.

I kissed Kelly goodbye as the bus stopped in front of her office. I had two other stops before I reached mine, a three-minute ride. As I was entering the building, I was greeted by Al, the guard on duty, with a full uniform. Al was in his fifties, with a light beer belly and told me he was not ready to show the world his naked anatomy. I told him that nobody would notice, as more and more people were naked, but he was still resisting. A position all nudists respected. This was the beauty of the nakedness bill: it gave choice, with respect. It's true that the first days after the bill was passed, there had been some giggles, wide-opened eyes and people looking away. But slowly, the situation normalized and people stopped reacted at others naked or not. One of the many positive aspects of the bill was that people started to look at you in the eyes and stopped staring. Something nudists were doing for years was now a common practice.

As I was reaching my desk, my phone rang to remind me of my 8:30 meeting with Bob and Irene. There were two of my colleagues who embraced nudism shortly after the bill was passed. None were nudists before, but as they knew I was one and I came to the office naked on the first day, they decided to join the movement very quickly. I get to the meeting room after dropping my bag and grabbing my laptop. Both were already there, having a coffee and chatting. I shook Bob's hand, gave two welcome kisses to Irene and grab a cup of coffee. The meeting could start. After fifteen minutes of so, Jo-Ann, our CEO, joined us. Not only she embraced nudity on the first day too, she encouraged employees to get naked, while respecting everybody's choice. She felt, nudity was providing a more open, transparent and relaxed work environment, and I felt she was right. The employee satisfaction survey showed a sharp increase, while some very reluctant employees left the company, repelled by too much openness.

The whole day went like a charm with great productivity and wonderful interactions. It ended by a quick celebration for the signature of a new large customer that would keep my department on its toes for at least the next six months. A very good news indeed. After a couple of glasses of champagne, I left the building, a little bit dizzy and decided to walk a few blocks. During the course of the day, the cloud cover went away, leaving a wonderful blue sky over our heads and allowing temperature to go up. It was just a perfect end of day, one of those when you wonder why some people still cling to their clothes. Being naked was just making sense, from freedom to well-being. I then decided to walk all my way to home, it would add thirty minutes to my commute time, but the weather was just perfect, and I would go through the park, just enjoying the naked walk.

I reached home, just before seven PM. Kids were still playing outside and people enjoying the first spring temperature in their backyards. I reached home and kissed my wonderful wife in her gorgeous nudity. We spent a nice evening, having dinner, sipping a glass of Chardonnay (which was probably a little too much for me after the two glasses of Champagne I had at the office party), then reached our bedroom for more private activities. While I was falling asleep, I thought it had just been another wonderful day, naked, as would probably be the next ones, as the country was getting more naked.

While I was reading "Naked Hiking", the chapter written by Howard Anderson, titled Free Range Naturist, made me realize the three reasons why naturism is not embraced and accepted by more people. In this chapter, the author goes into the details of the memes, those cultural elements transmitted from people to people by non-genetic means. This chapter brought back memories of conversations I had with my spouse or friends about naturism. When thinking about them, they revolve around three elements "transmitted" by the family and society against naturism and nudity:

You can't do that . You cannot be naked in public, nudity is private or nudity is for animals. All those sentences are preconceived, without rational objective reasons. This is my parents, my reverend, or my education that taught me that nudity was a private matter. Full stop! What happens if I feel good naked and am confronted with the "You can't do that" that I was taught? Well, you may end up with a shrink to solve your own internal battles or accept this well-being and decide to live the naturist lifestyle, a healthy and positive one. Because in fact, yes, you can do that! There millions of naturists in the whole world. Naturism is legal in a vast majority of countries, including, in some, outside of naturists structures that define naturism boundaries.

I am not beautiful enough . I'm too fat, too thin, have too many scars, etc. Society has applied so much its ideal body distorting mirror that body shame got into our minds slowly. When you go to a nudist beach or a nudist resort, you immediately realize there are very few, if any, perfect bodies. All naturists are men and women who accept their own body as it is. They can practice sports, eat healthy and take care of themselves, but they do not hide their body flaws being a clothing armor. The joy of nudity kills any body shame.

It's not hygienic . It's true that sitting bare bottom on a chair is not hygienic, no need for a deep explanation. It's the reason why every naturist always goes around with her/his towel, so she/he can sit on it. It's certainly the number one rule of any naturist respectful behavior. It's generally one that is on display in places like cafés and restaurants.

Those three reasons are memes, transmitted and replicated par our parents and society. The same goes with associating nudity and sexuality. Every naturist knows that by dissociating nudity and sexuality, le human body can be naked with it being seen as the precondition to a sexual act. Naturists are not having sex all day long. It's not that naturists do not have sex, but this is a private matter like for a vast majority of people, naturists and non-naturists alike.

The challenge with those memes is the stronger they are, the more difficult they are to change or to prevent from replicating, even by using rational reasons. Asking a religious fundamentalist to become naturist is near to impossible since his/her anti-nudity meme is so strong. As such, have more people accepting naturism et being able to be naked in a greater number of places is a never ending battle. However, by realizing the anti-naturist memes revolve around the above three reasons, every naturist can explain rationally and emotionally what naturism brings in joy, simplicity and well-being.

We cannot convert everybody to this wonderful lifestyle, but with patience and by living our naturist life, naked and happy, we contribute to a better world, where nudity will eventually become one of the available clothing options.

Get Naked, Stay Naked, Live Naked and Share the Naked

Yes, I know, beyond January, new year’s resolutions are generally forgotten. However, I found a simple way to make them all true, and it boils down to 3 things: make them realistic, have them handy in your diary (paper or electronic) and share them with friends so you can review on a monthly or quarterly basic. So here are my #nudist resolutions for 2016:

1. Spend a full week clothes free . Whether the NEWT or a clothes optional resort, I have not yet made up my mind.
2. Organize at least one clothes-optional party at home . Not all my friends are naturist, so I’ll need to pick the ones who are and the ones who are not and are OK to stay clothed while others are naked. It will definitely be fun!
3. Participate in one naked 5K . I will find the right one that fits with my schedule so I can plan ahead and run bare!
4. Make and display a “clothes optional” sign at my house . I have been writing about it, never done it. I want to do a kind of vintage signage. I have some ideas so I need to plan accordingly to find the right material and do it.
5. Visit one new nudist resort . You expand your mind by visiting new places and meeting new people. Based on my trips, I will ensure I spend a day or two in a nudist resort to spend time socially naked.

As you can see, nothing’s unrealistic, but it may require some planning, and it will go with other resolutions I have that are not linked to nudism like some work I want to finish in my house or goals I want to achieve with my family. So let’s meet in a quarter and see how those resolutions progress. What about you? Do you have any nudist resolutions?

Get Naked, Stay Naked, Live Naked and Share the Naked Love!

Original published on my blog nuetheureux.wordpress.com

Professional activities have once again brought me to South Africa. Going southward in December is going "back" to summer and opening possibilities of some naked activities. This will be the case of the coming week-end I will spend at Suneden, a naturist resort north of Johannesburg.

In the middle of the South African bush, Suneden is well named, a corner of naked paradise in Africa. This week-end has been in my mind for many weeks now and the closer I get to it, the more excited I am. Just the idea of dropping the clothes for a full week-end, having long walks in nature and a couple of beers with old naturist friends make me happy.

I know I will stop the car at one point on the road and get naked well before getting to Suneden, extending my naked time, and just the idea makes me smile. I know I will only meet nice people, all sharing the same freedom of leaving all clothes behind. I know this will just be a great time, chilling and relaxing.

Naked time is always the best possible time. I have not one bad memory while being naked. May be because my brain cut them off, however, even if I try to think hard, I cannot remember any. Surely because nudity makes me more relaxed and calmer, more human! Over the years, nudity is more and more imposing itself to my life, it has become my new normal, the way I live in harmony with others, nature and me.

I still have a mere 10 years before my last kid is out of the house and flying autonomously, this will be the time, I plan, I will drop clothes for good, change life for the third (or fourth? :-)) time and will settle in a fully naturist environment. In the meantime, any naked time is precious and I really look forward to this week-end!

Originally posted on my blog https://nuetheureux.wordpress.com/

As I am more often than not entirely naked at home, nudity has become a natural state, up to a point that I do not think about it. However, while hiking naked in the forest a while back, I came to think about my journey to nudism and without going into too deep a reflection on nudism, I came to realize there are 3 states of nudity that you encounter on your journey of becoming a nudist. Let's go through them together, as it may enlighten you if you are not a nudist yet, and make you realize that becoming one is nothing special than just embracing nudity for what it is: a natural state!

Home Nudist

You become a home nudist when you can walk around your house entirely naked. At the beginning, you just walk from your bathroom to your bedroom, eventually grabbing a cup of coffee from the kitchen. Then, you will carry some activities, like cooking, vacuuming or watching TV. You may even go out in the garden, if you have one.

However, during all those activities, you realize you are naked. You may still feel some shame: "what if somebody was seeing me?" you may ask yourself. You are on the first state of nudity: you realize you are naked! Don't get me wrong here, being naked feels good at that stage, you just realize you are naked, that's just it. Nothing wrong or right about being naked, it's just a conscious state.

Beach Nudist

For most people, the first encounter with social nudity is at the clothing-optional beach. You hesitate the first time you get naked on the beach. You feel everybody will look at you. Sometimes, you may even not get entirely naked or wrap a towel around your waist. "Who knows what can happen while I'm naked? "you may ask yourself (particularly if you are a man and think about a potential erection).

However, quickly, you will realize everybody is naked around you. Nobody watches you, everybody carries their activities entirely naked with no shame and no questions. You are entering the second state of nudity: you realize others are naked too! Once again, nothing wrong or right here. You are not judging others as others are not judging you, you are naked and feel good, and others are naked and feels good. However, you are still in a conscious state of nudity.

Resort Nudist

Then, one day, you go to a clothing-optional or nudist resort. You feel anxious and excited at the same time, feel some tension while registering, but are greeted with a smile and made comfortable. After having settled down, you get naked, wrap a towel around your waist and go to the swimming pool. It's likely you will meet other nudists in the pool and potentially being pulled into a volley ball game or a walk around the premises, or any other activities done entirely naked with your new friends.

Before you realize what is happening, you will have spent a very good time, chatting, walking, playing, with people entirely naked, like yourselves. You are entering the third state of nudity: you do not think about being naked, you just feel good! You are now in an unconscious state of nudity, you feel good and do not think about being naked. When you meet others, you do not think of them being naked, they are just human beings, you do not think about them as naked persons, but as persons.

In the third state of nudity, you do not realize you are naked, you are just like you are and it feels comfortable. This is up to a point that, if you're home and somebody rings the doorbell, you may open the door naked, or you want to fetch mail and you go to your letter box entirely naked, with potentially all neighbors being able to see you. And this is where, some nudists, like myself, are frustrated by laws that forbid us to be naked when and where we want, not because we are exhibitionists, just because nudity is a normal and natural state for us.

This is the state I am in almost every time I am naked, should it be at home, at the beach, at a nudist resort or on a hiking trail, or like now, while typing this post on my computer. While I cannot explain why nudity feels so good, I embraced nudism years ago now and it just feels great to me. So, get naked, stay naked, live naked, and share the naked love with friends and family. Nude is not lewd, it's awesome!

What are the reasons that lead a person to not embrace naturism if the latter was offered him? This is the question I asked myself. Having partially gone around the classic question why to be a nudist, or what drives people to being naked socially, I think it is important to understand the motivations of the "textile" to remain so.

In order to understand where I found the arguments that I will explain below, it is important to know that my wife is not naturist, although she respects my nakedness and accompanies me on nudist beaches, where she generally keeps a swimsuit bottom. We have often talked about naturism. I also often tried to convince her to undress more often and consider naturist holidays together. I did however not (yet) succeed. But I don’t give up, someday, I will succeed.

This being said, here are the main reasons for refusing the naturism.

– Not wanting to expose her naked body, nudity is something private.
– Being comfortable with clothes, including a wet swimsuit.
– Not feeling, not rationally understanding the need to be naked.
– Binding nudity and sexuality, so leaving both in the private sphere.
– Seeing clothes as a differentiating element between human and animal.
– Not standing the sight of bare body.
– Being afraid to be judged by others.
– Not being sufficiently "well made" to undress.
– Being afraid of the excitement caused by the sight of other naked bodies.

In the end, one can consolidate these reasons under three themes:

– Belief – related to the "you cannot do this", religious or not.
– Trust – linked to the imperfection of his own body.
– Feeling – linked to the fact that we feel no particular wellbeing when we're naked.

If it is possible to influence belief and confidence, by reason and explanation, the feeling seems to be more delicate.
Beliefs can evolve. To a believer, you will always find a text that does not ostracized nudity and so create doubt, and have the dogma to be doubted. With a non-believer, it is possible to understand his refusal and to demonstrate that the opposite is also true. It seems possible, with patience and conviction, to turn off the “you cannot do this”.

Confidence is built with patience and gentleness. Self-confidence is a funny animal. By making a person aware that perfection is not of this world and that she must love her body, we can make her enjoy her imperfections, big or small, and gradually bring her to no longer be afraid to look in a mirror. So, to potentially accept the gaze of the other.

With respect to the feeling, the question seems different. The main reason why a nudist is naked is wellness. For my part, I never feel as good as while completely naked. This is no rational explanation, I feel well, full stop! If someone does not feel this well-being, how to make him feel? Certainly not by forcing him to get naked. This is the strategy that I set up with my wife. As long as I can be naked, she may be dressed in full respect for the choices of each other. On the other hand, when I am naked at the pool or I am having an activity naked, I share that I feel super good naked and that she should enjoy being naked too. She sometimes undress, slipping naked into the water of the pool for my greatest happiness, or stroll through the house in her birthday suit.

Over time, it is possible that the sensation of well-being of nudity settled in and that she sees "the light." I think that it is only with respect and deep listening that one can bring a reluctant textile to become a nudist. In the meantime, I remain naked.

You can be a nudist alone in your home or you can become a social nudist who is nude with others, nude or not. Social nudity is shared by millions of nudists worldwide, whether at home with friends, on a beach, in a nudist resort or camping, in nature while hiking, or just anywhere it’s not illegal to be nude. Here are the 10 reasons I believe are good for anybody to be nude socially.

1. We are all the same
Yes, some are thin, some are fat, some are small, some are big, etc. But in the end, we are all human beings and we have been made on the same mold. So nothing to be scared about. You will notice nobody stares at you, and if it happens, ignore it. If it’s an insisting look, you may want to ask the person to stop but at the exception of voyeurs, just ignore them and enjoy your nakedness.

2. There is no judgment on how you are clothed
Brands are no longer useful to state who you are since you are naked. You may judge people by who they are not by what they wear. Some will use jewelry to enhance their naked bodies or will display tattoos. If that’s good for them and they are comfortable with them, then it’s cool by me.

3. Most nudists are friendly
Nudists are generally friendly with other nudists as they share this passion of being naked. Yes, this is a passion. Nudists love being naked and generally find all occasions to undress, finding like-minded people. Of course you cannot be friend with everybody, and that’s ok. Nudists are normal human being with different tastes, just one taste in common: nakedness!

4. It breaks all social barriers
There are no CEOs or unemployed people, there are only nudists, whoever they are in the textile world. And this is one of the coolest things. Nudity tears down all social barriers. Go to a nudist resort and you will meet tons of friendly people, and you will eventually discover very diverse jobs that may not have bumped into each other in any other setup.

5. Nude is beautiful
Non nudists find bodies awful and tend to see others with their flaws. A nudist is well in his or her body and believes other nudists feel the same. Therefore, all bodies are beautiful. This is one of the things I enjoy with nudists gathering. No piece of garments to show off, just our beautiful bodies we show the world.

6. It allows to discover new friends
When you are a nudist, you love being nude, but not everybody is a nudist. By meeting other nudists you increase the number of nudist friends with which you have more opportunities to be nude. This is the creation of a virtuous circle: the more nudist friends, the more opportunities to be nude.

7. You get no tan lines
When you go to the nude beach or to a nude resort, you can stay nude all day and avoid those horrible tan lines. Beautiful all-over tanned people.

8. Do all your preferred activities with a total body freedom
You can play tennis, go to the pool, cook, read, etc. without having to think about what’s you are going to wear. It’s easy, nothing! Stay as you are (as long as it is not cold, nor dangerous), since most activities can be done nude.

9. It’s natural
Being nude is natural. It’s living in our body without constraints. Nude is natural, it’s religious and social believes that has demonized our bodies and our commercial society that has sexualized it. Being nude is just living our life in our best suit: our birthday suit!

10. It’s fun
As nudists are friendly people, you do more fun activities and share great moments. My time is never dull at the nudist resort.

Hiking is a great way to stay fit and enjoy nature. Whether you hike in the countryside, in the mountains or on the seaside, you come to appreciate the sceneries you cross at a slow pace. If you find a great place, you can stop and enjoy the view. But for us nudists, hiking naked adds the lack of clothes and the wellness that is attached to nudity to a great activity. Naked hiking has become such an important activity for nudists and hikers, Richard Foley has published a book about it, Naked Hiking, that I encourage each of you to get a copy of.
Now, here are the 10 reasons why I am hiking naked whenever I can and encourage you to do so.

1. Because clothes suck
I am a nudist and in my birthday suit every time I can and this means as much as I can if environment and weather permit. Since I am a nudist, hiking naked is as natural as taking a shower naked. You do not get dressed to take a shower, so why getting dressed to hike?

2. Because it’s comfortable
I am comfortable when I am nude, like all my fellow nudists. And I am doing all sorts of activities in the nude, from writing this blog post to hiking, from going to the beach to cooking, from jogging to playing with the kids. So yes, hiking naked is comfortable.

3. Because you can feel the sun and the wind on your body
I would say this is probably the number one reason. Feeling the air on your whole body is just great. You feel free and you are actually free. Free as any animal who does not get dressed to live.

4. Because my dog do not care if I am dressed or not
Ah, ah, ah! She exactly knows when I am going to hike or jog, because she sees me putting my hiking or jogging shoes. The shoes are the signal we are on our way to going into the nature. Whether I am nude or not, she does not care and I do not care either. Well actually I do care, I prefer being naked.

5. Because I can sweat and have no clothes to wash
On a hot summer day, I am sweating. Sometimes a lot. When I am naked, I do not get soaked with sweat, it just goes down on my body, drips and evaporates. A very pleasant feeling too. Therefore, no clothes that smell sweat to wash, avoiding to pollute the environment with detergent.

6. Because I can hike with cool people
I have yet to meet not cool naked hikers. It seems nudists are generally friendlier than clothed people. They tend not to judge people. Hey, we do not hide anything, so being all born equal, we just live this naked truth.

7. Because I do not need to undress if I come to find a place to take a swim
This is another great reason to hike naked, even with clothed hikers. If you arrive to a lake, a pond, a river, no questions, you can go. Whereas your non-nudist friends should have carried their bathing suit and will have to carry it wet.

8. Because it’s great way to convert non nudist to our lifestyle
Whether you hike naked with open-minded non-nudists or you meet open-minded non-nudists, you can start a conversation on why you enjoy hiking naked. It’s a great way to have more people joining as they see how well you are.

9. Because our body is beautiful
Honestly, I prefer people naked than people clothed trying to hide their body or to show off with their expensive clothing. A naked man or a naked woman are just beautiful, whether old or young, heavy or skinny, black or white, we are all just beautiful. On top of this, I find that nudists tend to smile more.

10. Because I am who I am when I am nude
Nothing to hide. I am who I am naked. I am a nudist. I understand nudity will shock a lot of people who sexualize the body, and I respect their point of view. They should respect mine to be naked because I feel good naked.
Enjoy hiking, stay naked!

As we progress through life we meet other nudists and of course non nudists. I do not know for you, but I have been sharing openly with more and more people that I am a nudist and I am spending a lot of time nude. I am intentional about this because I want people to feel fine and let them know that if they come home without warning or if they are invited to spend a Sunday at home, I may be naked.
The first question I generally get is why I am a nudist. Here are the best reasons I found over the years to answer to this question.

1. Because it feels good
This is to me the number one reason. If I had to choose one, this would be this one and no others. No clothes, no constraints. You can move around completely free of clothes. Your skin breathes. You feel the air, the sun on your skin and nothing comes close to this feeling.

2. Because I find tan lines graceless
When you tan without any suit, your all body gets tanned evenly and when naked on pictures or with my significant other, I find it better to offer the best body I can. No tan lines makes beautiful bodies.

3. Because it’s healthy
Swimsuits are not only uncomfortable, they trap sand and germs. Being naked in the sun has tons of virtues proven by doctors and medical research. Of course, you need to pay attention not to stay in the sun too much or you may get sunburned, but other than that nothing compares with swimming in the nude or just sweating nude when jogging or working out. Much healthier than keeping the sweat and germs in clothes.

4. Because it’s ecological
By being nude, I buy and wash less clothes. Therefore I use less washing powder. Not taking into account that I because I wash less, my chores are less too!

5. Because it builds confidence
Being naked builds your confidence. The confidence in your body and the confidence in yourself. It takes confidence to undress completely and know that people will see you without the shield of your clothes.

6. Because it’s friendlier
Go to any nudist resort and you’ll make more friends in a day you could in a year in your clothed environment. I do not know if it’s because there’s no barrier, but it’s an experience I’ve lived dozens of times. Nudist smile more!

7. Because most activities do not require clothes
Why wearing clothes when it’s hot and you can do things nude? Walking, running, swimming, waterskiing, playing volley ball, tennis, or cards, or pool, cooking, dining, having a drink, kayaking, sailing do not require clothes in most situation. So honestly why wearing clothes when you can be nude?

8. Because we are all human beings and there’s no need to hide behind clothes
We are all the same, aren’t we? If you’re wearing an Armani suit and you discuss with a jean and T-shirt guy, you’re establishing in most cases a difference. When naked, sure some are fat, some are thin, some are muscular, some have scars, etc. it brings back our humanity and you can look people in their eyes and their heart.

9. Because I can travel light
As I try as much as I can to take naked holidays, I can travel light with just a small carry-on suitcase. No waiting for luggage at the airport, no need to rent a big car to get a big boot, and no need to wash clothes on holiday!

10. Because it shows who you really are
When nude, you cannot pretend to be cool by wearing the latest trendy swimsuit from Victoria’s Secret or American Apparel. You cannot show your wealth by wearing the latest Armani suit. You cannot brag how often you go to the gym and athletic you are. You cannot pretend being someone else. You are just you and it boils down to honesty and truth, and leads me to my bonus reason.

11. Because it’s who I am
And the bonus one. I am a nudist, not an exhibitionist. I do not care you see all my body parts and I am not going to “show” any of those to you, I will just be naked because I am a nudist and I feel good when I am naked. You can stay clothed, or you can throw your clothes away and feel the exhilaration of being yourself!
Nude one day, nude all day!

A lot of us, nudists, have started nudism naturally, as something we wanted to do. We feel comfortable naked. But it’s not the case of all our friends and family. So how do you help people get comfortable with their body and being able to be socially nude? Here are 10 simple steps I came across to share to become 100% comfortable with your own body in your birthday suit.

1-Start in the bathroom
This sounds obvious. Generally, you take a shower or a bath naked. For a lot of people this is the only moment of nudity of the day. Well, take on more step. Once you step out of the shower or the bathtub, stay naked to do what you have to do: brush your teeth, comb your hair, apply some make up, shave, etc. Do this in front of the mirror. You’ll see you naked and will get accustomed to your nudity. You are beautiful naked, be proud of your body, even if you would want smaller love handles, thinner thighs or larger breast. You are who you are!

2-Sleep without wearing anything
If you are used to pajamas or boxer shorts, try to sleep without. Add an extra blanket if you feel cold and enjoy the pleasure of feeling the sheets on your skin. Ensure you use your best sheets either cotton with high quality thread or satin. You need to feel good slipping in your bed and getting this unique feeling of the sheets on your skin.

3-Walking inside your house
If you are comfortable nude in your bathroom and have spent a good time sleeping nude, you may move from your bedroom to your bathroom. Get up naked and walk to your bathroom, do what you have to do and go back to your room to get dressed. Of course, if you feel good naked, you can go to your kitchen to prepare your breakfast. I personally never dress for breakfast. So I am naked from the time I got home until the time I leave in the morning. It just feels good.

4-Watching TV
You feel better and better naked and now start to enjoy the feeling of moving around with this new freedom. So why not strip off much before going to bed. If you intend to watch some TV before going to bed, strip off. Do this ritual: take a shower, brush your teeth, and get comfortable on your couch to watch your favorite program. Once you are ready to go to bed, you just have to move to your bedroom and slip in your bed, in your best pajama, your skin.

5-Housework
If you followed the first four steps, you should now be fine to walk around your house. If you are used to doing your chores on Saturday or Sunday morning, start a nude day: wake up, get your breakfast, take your morning shower and continue your day naked, starting with your chore. And without noticing, it will lead you to your next step: cooking.

6-Cooking
This is one of my preferred naked activities. Preparing a meal is great done in the nude. Of course, if you are frying, put an apron, getting hot oil on your skin is not a pleasant experience. What I generally do is opening a good bottle of wine, pouring a glass, putting some good music and start cooking. Being naked makes you more aware of your environment. After a couple of minutes, you forget you are naked, because it becomes an integral part of who you are.

7-Gardening
Now that you are hundred percent comfortable naked inside your house, if you have a garden, your next step is to go outside and enjoy the feeling of the wind and the sun on your bare skin. This is one of the finest enjoyments in life. Go and walk on the grass barefoot. Plant veggies, herbs and flowers enjoying the sun (or the rain) on your skin. I actually love when it’s raining (of course if it’s not too cold), because your skin is your best possible clothing under the rain. It dries quickly and does not require additional washing.

8-Go to the nude beach
Now that you are comfortable with being naked outside, you are ready to visit your local nude beach and get in the middle of other naturists. On a nude beach, nobody cares about who you are and how you look, because everybody is naked. You may fear meeting somebody you know. Well, there are chances this someone will be naked as well and if he or she has been a nudist for a long time, will welcome you among the nudist community.

9-Spend time at a nudist resort
Spending a day at the beach is great to get the feeling of being naked in the middle of others. You are now fully ready to spend a couple of days without wearing any clothes. This is an exhilarating feeling to be able to walk around, chat, dine, have a drink, play games, just nude! Nudist resorts are great places full of friendly people. Go and do some research on the web before. Check if it’s affiliated to the local/national nudist/naturist federation. This is a guarantee of quality and respect of the nudist spirit. Then call to chat how things happen for newbies. Generally greeters in nudist resorts are really, really nice. Book for one or two nights and jump. There are chances you will never ever go back to clothed resorts and you will find any possible opportunities to get naked.

10-Naked hiking
The last and final step of our naked journey is going out in nature to enjoy nature the best way: entirely naked. By discussing with fellow nudists in the resort you will now be visiting regularly, you will find people who are hiking naked. Find the right group and the right date, and jump on the bandwagon of naked hiking. Walking with friends naked, possibly meeting textile and resisting the temptations to dress, and getting comfortable being outside completely naked is when you can feel you are a complete naturist.

11-Throw a clothing optional home party
And an eleventh step, an extra bonus. Once you are a seasoned naturist, you are ready to do party at home with your nudist people. So invite your friends to a clothing optional party. This could be a barbecue for instance in the summer. It’s great to share your nudism in your own place. The great thing about clothing optional parties is you do not need to wonder what you are going to wear. Just your own skin! Have fun!

You may not go through all the steps I highlighted before. You may stop before the nude beach and stay a home naturist, or you may go to naked hiking. In my opinion, there is no good or bad naturist, there are only naturists with different level of comfort. However, the one thing that I believe being and undisputed truth among nudists is respect. All nudists have a high respect to other nudists and to textile as well. Nudists do not care if you are thin, fat, ugly, beautiful, having scars or boobs job, what they do care is your humanity and your friendliness. So jump, become a nudist, there’s nothing to lose (except you clothes) and so much to win!