Why Be a Nudist?

12-06-2014

Since becoming a nudist, I have felt an overwhelming desire to share my experiences with friends and family who do not share our nude lifestyle. I have disclosed my nudity secret to most of my family and quite a few friends. Many smile, say how great it is that I am brave enough or confident enough to do so. Most of course are very surprised (mostly friends, though curiously, my family didn’t seem all that startled over my non clothing option) that someone who was as shy as I was at one point, or as religious as I was in my life would make such a decision… Deep down I feel they are asking themselves, why would she become a nudist?

I was talking with a family member (whom I shared our blog site with) the other day and we were discussing my writing matter. She still didn't understand why, after she’d read my blog and commented that she felt I hadn't truly explained my reasons for nudism or the why behind it. She basically said the “liberating” and “freedom” explanations didn't really seem to do anything to help her or anyone else who might not understand social nudism. I felt a little frustrated over this disclosure because to me this interpretation seemed extremely clear. Coming from the person I used to be, the freedom and liberty I experienced in nudism changed so many of my inner condemnations. It has helped me evolve into who I now am, lifting the many burdens and criticisms I had carried against myself for years and it’s meant everything to me. But I realize I've only been speaking from my perspective (though a very wise friend once said, “My perspective is my reality” and I tend to agree), so I’ll try to bring forth a more definitive rational for anyone who is trying to accept or embrace this culture.

One perception she still clings to is the logic that nudists are swingers or that being a nudist will lead to swinging. I understand this interpretation is one of the misconceptions many people have of nudists. They immediately think of sex when they picture a group of nude people getting together socially. They imagine wild orgies, perversion, swapping of partners.  In their minds, if you’re a nudist, you’re a swinger. Many think of people who are social nudists as immoral, living lewd sexually promiscuous lives, running around having sex in a hedonistic manner with any who can and will engage. Nothing is further from the truth. The resorts and facilities we visit are members of AANR (I mentioned them in a previous blog). Their purpose is to maintain clean, wholesome facilities for people who are nothing but naturists. Certainly, there are facilities that cater to other sorts of recreation (i.e. sexual activity, swapping, and exhibitionism) but not in true nudism. I guess the fact that our bodies are naked leads to the assumption that we are swingers. The reality is there are swingers in every walk of life. You’ll find them in your neighborhood, the bar you frequent, on the job, even in your churches. In actuality, one place you are least likely to find them are in a true nudist resort. No such behavior is tolerated and if the proprietors were to hear of any form of misconduct, those engaging in such actions would be asked to leave and not permitted to return. Bottom line, nude resorts are not “Swinger or Lifestyle” resorts. (But please do not confuse “Lifestyle” with my use of the phrase “nude lifestyle” in the description of my life now).

As I mentioned before, people think of sex when they think of nudists. I have been asked, “How it is men don’t walk around with erections all the time from seeing naked bodies everywhere?” That’s where there is such a difference in the mindset of the textile world and nudists. Honestly, nudists are not looking at others nude bodies. People find that hard to understand or comprehend, but it’s true. When we’re together or walking past someone, or if sitting in a group conversing with others, their eyes have always met with mine, never straying to any other parts of the body. Every nudist I have met looks at the person, not the body. I have never caught a man (or woman’s) eyes looking at my breasts while having a conversation (can’t say that to be true in the textile world). I’ve never seen anyone checking out any intimate part of my body for that matter. If I want to be looked at, clothing is what draws the attention. I always see people looking at the clothes on my body when I am wearing them; I’ve received comments or complements with clothing on but never over my naked body.

Another fact that eludes people’s understanding is that nudists don’t judge a person’s body image. My husband and I are plus size individuals and no one judges us for being so. Many people have scars, rolls of fat, are skinny as a rail, have no breasts, saggy breasts, and are of various complexions; we come in all colors, shapes and sizes… And guess what? Nobody cares! I can’t analyze the mindset that brings this into being a reality; I can only say I have found it to be a constant truth in the year since we have become nudists.

Though I absolutely love to be without clothing and crave the feeling of being freed from the textile bondage which I suffer every time I must put clothing on, what I have come to appreciate most is the friendship, laughter and conversation we have realized with other nudists. We have found the people we meet to be for the most part friendly, open-minded, fun individuals. When I engage in conversation with them they seem to understand and are willing to listen to my thoughts and views. My opinion doesn’t have to be their own and they never judge me or say I’m wrong when I don’t share their views.

We were welcomed without standards or judgment, not by our physical appearance, jobs, financial status, sex or age. They accepted us for who we are, not what any of those other statistics represent and have never tried to conform us into anyone or anything different to fit into their society. This has been the most desirable of all to me personally. Throughout my life I was always told I had to act a certain way, like or dislike what others did, live my life in a manner that others thought acceptable and I just never managed to stack up to their ideals. I always felt as though there was continuously something wrong with me.

I have evolved greatly since nudism entered my life, to the point I hardly recognize the young girl I once was. I was painfully shy, staunchly religious, afraid, controlled, and I never liked myself. I was always trying to be what everyone else thought I should be (and I never could please anyone with my selections). Throughout the years, the layers of the onion have been slowly peeled away and I have come to the point where I finally feel like I know who I am. I owe a great part of the confidence to meeting my husband and finding great strength and confidence in our relationship. But the deeper peeling away has come through becoming a nudist. I am comfortable with myself, confident about my appearance, and have found a peace and relaxation that eluded me for so many years. I don’t know how something as simple as taking off one’s clothing and being social with others in this manner has brought such realities to fruition in my life, it simply has.

I wish I could break it down further for those who don’t understand, but then it just seems to make it too difficult. I enjoy the “take me as I am” sense nudity has brought to my life. If it’s that difficult for people to grasp after I have explained it to this extreme, then they probably never will get it.  Apparently it’s something in their own subconscious that prevents them from wanting to understand. People will believe what they want to believe, think what they want to think, and you know what? That’s okay with me; I’m not trying to convert anyone, I only hoped to shine a little light into the darkness of misunderstanding that surrounds our lives as nudists, nothing more.

As an addendum, I googled “Why would anyone want to be a nudist?” after I’d finished writing my blog (just for the heck of it). I found a very informative “Yahoo response”. I’m going to copy/paste the question and response here so you can read it for yourselves.

Why would anyone want to be a nudist? 

Q: I mean being a nudist seems to me very stupid considering the amount of protection we have from our clothes the only good thing my might be the heliotherapy that they get from the sun such as some people buy light boxes to replicate the sun or go into the sun nude mainly I am asking this because I don’t see any practical use in being a nudist

R: Mortified Penguin and Rick have given you some excellent answers. It may seem stupid to you because it's different from what you learned throughout life. Just the same, nudists/naturists look at most wearing of clothes as stupid because most times the clothing serves no practical purpose. That's not to say clothing never has any practical purpose, of course. Nudists still own clothing and wear it when it is necessary for protection from a hazard, weather, or the unjust laws that criminalize the body. But when it's 85° outside with 95% humidity, what is the practical purpose of wearing clothes? All they do is hold in the heat because they insulate, and prevent sweat from evaporating. One time when it was about 95° outside I went into my bank and the tellers were all wearing sweaters and shivering because their air conditioning was turned so cold. Impractical, inefficient, and wasteful. Some people claim nudists are setting themselves up for skin cancer because of sun exposure, but in reality nudists/naturists are very aware of the sun's effects and take the appropriate precautions. All those sunscreen application jokes do have an origin, you know. Plus, when the sun is very intense, some nudists do choose to put on clothing or something for protection, or go into the shade. 

The reason people become naturist/nudist is because it allows them to shed their fears and phobias about nudity (seeing it or being see nude) and affords them the tremendous feelings of comfort and freedom that being in one's natural state bring on. It allows them to cut back on expenses of laundry, detergent, clothing replacement, and air conditioning. A dirty project requires only a shower rather than a shower plus laundry. Children raised in nudist families grow up to be much more well-rounded individuals with a much better developed knowledge of the body, sex, what distinguishes nudity from sex, and what is and isn't appropriate. It also eliminates them growing up with the phobias of nudity that affect so many people throughout life, some to the point of being almost debilitating. 

These are only a few reasons to become a nudist. For many more reasons have a look at the link below, "205 Arguments and Observations in Support of Naturism". And finally, I'd say don't knock it until you've tried it. You can very easily try the nudist experience by first going nude around your home for your everyday routine, and then expanding that outwards to nude beaches, naturist resorts, or simply finding a secluded place out in nature somewhere where you can enjoy nudity alone or with like-minded friends. If you decide it's not for you it's entirely easy to go back to a clothes-compulsive life, but at least you'll gain some understanding about what it's like to be a naturist. 

AZNusistCouple