Naturists - The Next Generation

In a recent discussion on Twitter with a 21 year old mother of 2 from the USA it became clear that she & her husband have very sensible views on bringing up their children to accept nudity and their bodies as they are.  As a grandfather myself, I totally respect and admire these parents for their sensible decision to raise their children without the common hangups or prejudices about themselves.

One of the things she said during the conversation was, "Being a child is hard enough without being made ashamed of who you are." That statement hit me like a steel bolt because my attempt at parenthood flashed before my eyes and I realized that I had been guilty of having misguided my own kids. This wonderful mother then went on to say, "People are so worried about sexuality that they don't understand stripping away the mystery takes away the allure." Another statement which is so obvious that most people are not aware of its benefits. The young woman went on to say that most of the parents she knows in the 18 to 30 age bracket have similar open-minded views.

As the discussions continued it became obvious that the children of these two parents are so privileged to have a balanced and open-minded upbringing where they are taught the values of life and the beauty of the human body.

At the end of our brief conversation on Twitter, I was filled with admiration, respect, elation and hope for future generations because it appears that some of the current generation of parents are bringing up their children with a correct and balanced moral view of nudity and the natural naked body.

As far as I am aware, these parents I am referring to live in a country with a very outdated and narrow-minded outlook on nudity yet they have succeeded in sifting through all the old puritanical taboos to give their offspring a balanced understanding of themselves as human beings and of life itself. Let these parents be examples to young parents in other parts of the world that there is nothing offensive about the human body except the sordid thoughts invading peoples' minds at the sight of that nude body.

I leave you with another striking quote from this amazing mother:

It's sad how so many kids are taught insecurities because of someone else's comfort

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Nobody or Somebody Freedom

“I am not a naturist, a nudist, a streaker, nor an exhibitionist. Labels are for clothes. My unclothed appearance is also not motivated sexually nor out of any gratuitous need to seek attention. I believe that while society continues to have a fundamentally negative relationship with the human body and appearance, we can never be a free or mature society. It’s the 21st century. Time to evolve.”

Russell Higgs


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Recently there has been an upsurge in body awareness and a drive towards body acceptance in the press, in advertising, on television and in the movies.  The trend  seems to be towards getting society to escape the shackles of the destructive and depressing negative notions associated with the appearance of our bodies.

Over the centuries societies have  developed the use of clothing as a mask to disguise the perceived imperfections of the human form and as a prop for the deficiencies of personality and character.  Clothing was originally designed to protect people from the heat and the cold, to stop themselves from getting burned or frozen.  Clothing was also used as an adornment to enhance attractiveness and for ritual and ceremonial reasons.  As the centuries passed people began to culturally depend on clothing.  Clothing has now become an outer layer which hides the perceived physical, emotional and cultural imperfections of the wearer.  People feel that by hiding behind clothing they can cover themselves and protect themselves from exposing these imperfections to the society around them.  It is usually people with low self-esteem who most feel the desperate need to hide behind this artificial outer shield.

The fashion industry along with the fashion media in their quest for financial gains, have promoted the idea that clothing is essential to the very existence of the human race.  Tragically most people think that clothing is on of the necessities of life rather than a practical auxiliary.  When people hide behind clothing they close down their body’s natural energy and nervous system along with the skin’s ability to breathe and function efficiently.  Suppressed body systems become rigid and inflexible which reflects in the rigid and inflexible attitudes in society.

Human beings are all born without clothes, covered only by skin.  Young children don’t care about clothes and are usually far happier, more comfortable and more contented without clothes.  As they grow older and begin to learn from those around them, they are taught to be ashamed of their bodies. Sadly it becomes instilled in them that their body without clothes is something to feel shame about showing in the company of others.  We are all born with natural body acceptance, then we are taught to be ashamed by those around us and especially by our very own family.  It is the parents own fears and prejudices that are taught and passed down to their children and it is that learnt behavior that the children exhibit for the rest of their lives.

As we grow older and become more exposed to the barrage of media propaganda about the necessity to cover ourselves because we are conditioned to believe that our bodies are so shameful and imperfect that they should not be visible to anyone else.  We mature into adults with such prude, distorted and prejudiced ideas about body image that we are unable to accept our own bodies for the natural wonders that they are.  Adults have grown up believing that their bodies are so sinful, offensive, repugnant and unclean that they should always be covered and hidden behind an outer shield of clothing and never be exposed to anyone else except during sexual encounters with partners.  

It is these prejudiced notions that are largely responsible for society’s inability to understand that nudity and sex are two totally separate things that at times do co-exist but are not in any way codependent.  It is quite possible to have sex without being naked similarly it is just as possible to be naked without having sex.  It has taken many centuries of erroneous teaching for society to be indoctrinated with the distorted and prejudiced ideas it has today.  It will take many more centuries to rectify the situation so that the human body can be appreciated for what it is and non-sexual nudity can be accepted as a natural dresscode choice.

Each one of us can begin our own individual revolution to open our minds so that we can recondition ourselves to appreciate the natural beauty of the human body despite its imperfections, blemishes and irregularities.  Is there truly anything immoral about showing our bodies when each of us has one and already knows what is under the clothes? What exactly is so shameful and evil about our bodies?  Many people have a mental block against the naked body stating that nudity is immoral and evil basing their argument on the fact that the majority of society has the same idea therefore it must be wrong. 
The only reason that the majority of people believe that nudity must be wrong is because that is the the way their minds were indoctrinated by their superiors and peers as they were growing up.  There is also the argument that nobody wants to see a wizened old person with no clothes on.  By the same argument are we then going to ban anyone who is perceived to be too ugly from appearing in public simply because the majority don’t want to see them?  My response to this argument is, “If you don’t like what you see then turn away and look elsewhere.  When looking at TV and you don't like what you see you turn away to a different channel, so why not do the same if you don’t want to see a naked body.”

For those who believe that nudity is bad and evil ask yourself this, “What is it exactly that is so bad about the human body that makes me believe that it should always be covered?”  Think carefully before you answer and don’t fall into the trap of blurting out the common cliches such as “immoral”, “evil”, “corrupt”, or “weird”, because that is just following the flock and not really thinking seriously about your answer.  

• Morality is defined as ‘conformity to the rules of right conduct’  The right conduct for humans is to be naturally naked because that is the way we are born.  The notion that we have to hide our bodies behind an extra outer mask stems from the way humans have been conditioned to think by religion and modern society.  Immorality lies in not respecting your own body or the bodies of others.
• Evil is defined as  ‘Profound immorality’  This is the same as immorality but carrying a greater emphasis so the explanation above applies here too.
• Corrupt is defined as  ‘Cause to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain’  Being naked is being true and natural, there is nothing dishonest about it.  In reality hiding the body under a mask of clothing is being dishonest and secretive.
• Weird is defined as  ‘fantastic; bizarre’  The human body is perfectly natural and certainly not bizarre nor is it odd or grotesque.  Humans make their bodies odd or bizarre by draping the body with foreign coverings and decorations.

For those who argue that the naked body is offensive, can they explain which parts are offensive and why or do they see the entire body as offensive?  Why are some body parts offensive yet others are not?  What is it that makes some parts offensive?  In almost all surveys where questions similar to these are raised the most common regions of the body that are reportedly offensive are the genitals and the breasts.  Both these areas of the body are made up of flesh, muscle, nerves, blood vessels and skin just the same as any other part of the body.  The only difference is the shape and colour of certain regions of these so called offensive parts, so are the shapes offensive or are is it the colours that are offensive?  No, it is our mental attitude towards the genitals and breasts. It is because we were indoctrinated from an early age into believing that sex is dirty and that these parts of the body are to be shamefully kept hidden from view.  In reality sex in its original and purest form is exquisitely beautiful and is the very mechanism that creates another human being.  Sex has become perverted and sordid because it has been misused and abused to the point where at times it has become dirty and perverted but that is not the case with the majority of good honest people.  For most people sex is pure and wholesome so the question remains, why should the sexual instruments be considered dirty and offensive?  The most common reason for this seems to be that religion has been the main instigator of the idea based on the Adam and Eve story describing the perils of partaking of the forbidden fruit.  The truth is that breasts and genitals are equally as clean and healthy as any other part of the human body therefore they should be treated with the same degree of acceptance as is afforded to any other part of the body.

People are not afraid to expose their arms, legs, face and torso they should be equally confident to expose any other part of their body because, as discussed, the entire body is composed of equally created components which are all equally clean and healthy.  It is only the conditioning we have been subjected to from birth that discriminates between the different body components.

Once we free our minds from the oppressive conditioning imposed upon us over the years we can begin to appreciate ourselves and our bodies in a whole new refreshing and enlightened way.  We can begin to enjoy life with a more enlightened outlook and enjoy body freedom as never before.  Once liberated from the perceptions of shame and guilt we begin to appreciate ourselves and our bodies as wholesome, vital entities that are free to embrace the fullness of life itself.

I leave you with this thought...

The body is meant to be seen, not all covered up.

Marilyn Monroe

Natural Is Criminal

Clothes make the man, but nakedness makes the human being.

Kevin Kearney

Something is fundamentally wrong about natural ever being illegal. We were born with an outer protection of natural human skin.  We were not born with a layer of clothing over our bodies.  Society accepts that babies and very young children can be naked in public.  Why then is it unacceptable for slightly older children to appear naked in public and for anyone older than about 5 to 6 years of age it is against the law in many countries?  Children don't care about clothes until they're taught to be ashamed of their body; not until it is instilled in them that their body without clothes is something to feel shame about showing to other people.

Currently people who are nude in public can at any moment be arrested (and usually it happens more swiftly than somebody stealing your car or robbing your house) and be branded a criminal, all because they made a clothing choice.

We are all built with essentially the same components, with slight variations for the male and female of the species, yet we find it uncomfortable or offensive to see someone who is not wearing any clothing.  I'm not saying that everyone should be naked all the time but I don't understand why it is unacceptable to be as natural as the day we were born when we wish to be.  Naturists are people who reject the idea that body parts are more offensive than attitudes.

Why is it that as we grow older and supposedly wiser, we find nudity increasingly difficult to accept, to the point where it becomes illegal to be unclothed in the vicinity of other people?  Why should there be laws preventing us from continuing to be the way we were born?  Is it because as we grow older and become more interested in procreation and sex begins to have a greater influence on our lives that we find it increasingly difficult to comprehend that nudity and sex are two separate things.  It is quite feasible to have sex without being naked, likewise it is just as feasible to be naked without having sex.  Unfortunately society seems to experience great difficulty in accepting those facts.

It is only the human race that is so ashamed of their natural bodies that they feel the compelling need to cover and disguise themselves with artificial materials and coverings.  People who chose to accept their natural bodies and are comfortable in the company of others are discriminated against by society for simply being natural.  It is no shame to be naked, it is just such a shame that so many people cannot or will not experience  the benefits and pleasure of it.  Law makers, politicians and conservatives forget that the nude human body in itself is NOT the criminal act, but it is what you do with it that may be criminal.

It is against the law to discriminate against other ethnic, religious or minority groups practicing their beliefs.  In the case of naturists it is this minority group which is deemed to be illegal when they practice their beliefs.  Why should naturists be singled out as the exception to the general law against discrimination?  There are already laws in place which protect people from other people who want to be trouble makers. Simply being nude anywhere, is not being a nuisance, it is being human.  The very idea that my body in its most natural and  normal state as being criminal, is repugnant to me.

Violence & murder vs naturism

Recent new headlines are reoprting that a 15-year-old boy who murdered his mother with a hammer and set her body on fire has been detained for a minimum of 16 years.

  The court heard he had been particularly interested in a Coronation Street storyline involving the character John Stape, wherein he had murdered a woman with a hammer and then left her body in the wreckage of a tram crash.  It was also revealed the boy had been watching violent horror films since he was eight and had viewed the film Saw hours before killing his mother.

Children frequently mimic the actions of people that they admire which is all part of learning how to deal with various situations in life.  The problem arises when children are not provided with sufficient moral guidance and clear definitions of what is right and wrong.  This is not the first time that a child has imitated something that they have seen on tv and in films with devaststing consequences.

There are a multitude of pictures, films and videos which children see which are packed with death and gruesome scenes of violence and viscious brutality.  These visual scenes are seldom banned but are usually age restricted but that doesn't guarantee that children under the prescribed age won't view them.

     
What I don't understand is that violence & murder seems to be acceptable for an age restricted audience but non-sexual nudity & naturism is not acceptable for any audience.
  To my knowledge there has never been a case of anyone suffering injury or death as a result of anyone mimicking the activity of naturists, so  I cannot comprehend why nudity should be banned when it's a perfectly natural state.
I cannot understand why people pay good money to view images or violence, gore and human suffering yet these same people express shock and horror that naturists shed their clothes and enjoy being naked which is perfectly natural.  It seems that the horrors in life are socially acceptable but the   natural naked body is not.  Has the world gone mad,  why does society accept gruesome suffering yet not accept the natural beauty of the naked human form.

Summer Holiday - A Typical Day

Introduction

To obtain the most benefit from this article please read through the story before reading the final couple of paragraphs in small print at the end. 

Waking early and realizing we are on holiday which means that we don't have to get up and go to work is such a lovely satisfying feeling, so I snuggle down in the pillow and drift off to sleep again.  Some time later the sound of the kettle boiling wakes us and as we stir in bed and stretch, Irene asks if we would like some coffee and we both accept thankfully.  Drawing the caravan curtain aside and gazing out at the clear blue skies of the new day I can see the sun is still struggling to rise above the nearby mountains yet the morning is already very warm.  We all know that as soon as the sun pokes its head above those mountains the temperature will begin to climb rapidly above 30°C and by late afternoon it could well touch 38°C.  We all know it is going to be a very hot day but nobody objects because this is why we come to Spain for our summer holidays, to enjoy the warmth and sunshine which we have been missing all winter in the UK.  After kissing my wife Yvonne good morning I climb out of bed and go down the couple of steps into the caravan awning where the rest of the family are already awake and occupying themselves quietly.  The smell of the freshly brewed coffee that Irene made fills the air as I bid Richard, Irene and the boys a good morning.

Our dining area

The first sip of morning coffee is so refreshing and rejuvenating and it starts off another wonderful day of our family seaside holiday.  Shortly after going outside the awning with my mug of coffee, Yvonne comes out of the caravan, picks up her mug of coffee and joins the rest of us sitting outside in the fresh morning air.  There is a gentle breeze rustling through the trees while the rhythmic sound of the waves on the beach introduces a new and exciting day.  Soon after the sun exposes itself from behind the mountains the boys are wanting to go go down to the beach so we all head off the the ablution block to wash and brush up before breakfast.  The ablution block is usually quite a busy place in the morning so there is sometimes a long wait, but most people are always very friendly and cheerful.
Breakfast usually consists of cereals and toast with tea or coffee, but some mornings we decide to have a fried breakfast instead.  Whatever we have for breakfast we all set about our individual tasks and soon the breakfast is ready and we are all tucking in.

Part of the campsite

With breakfast over there are the dishes to wash and beds to be made before heading off down to the beach.  Once again each of us has our own jobs to do and it doesn't take long before everything is done and we are collecting up our towels, umbrellas and beach gear and walking down to find ourselves a spot on the beach.  While walking down to the beach past other people outside their caravans there is always a friendly greeting or a wave and sometimes a quick chat before continuing on our way. We have found most campers at the campsite are friendly and often ready for a chat or to lend a helping hand.
Selecting a spot on the beach we set up the umbrellas while the boys lay the towels out on the sand, then it is a race to see who can get into the sea first. The water is usually calm and relatively warm because it is in a bay and therefore protected from the open sea.

Panoramic view of the beach & bay

Richard and his eldest son Bradley often take the goggles and snorkels and go off snorkeling around the bay together.  They have seen some wonderful sea creatures and multitudes of small fish and on one of their excursions they came across a fair sized octopus rummaging around on the seabed.  Occasionally Yvonne and I go snorkeling together in the shallow waters of the bay where we have also seen numerous small fish of different types and colours.  The younger boys love taking leftover bread and toast down to the water where they have such fun feeding the fish.

Some fish seen while snorkeling

Several people take bread down and spend a considerable amount of time totally fascinated with the antics of the fish competing for the pieces of food tossed into the water for them.  There are so many fish all struggling to get a piece of bread that the water becomes a boiling mass of thrashing fish all vying for the food.  Last year Yvonne & I bought an underwater camera so that we could film the fish during the feeding frenzy as well as film things we see whilst snorkeling.  We usually spend the mornings sunbathing on the beach or swimming and playing in the sea, but by about 12 noon it becomes too hot on the beach and the sand is too hot to walk on so we usually go back to the caravan for a cold meat and salad lunch which we eat at the table outside in the shade under a tarpaulin.

The beach

We all help to prepare the lunch, lay the table and pour out the cold drinks and it is not long before we are all busy  enjoying a lovely cold and healthy meal.  Occasionally we decide to have a change and go to the Beach Bar for a couple of drinks and a meal rather than preparing lunch ourselves.  The meals on offer at the Beach Bar are typically Spanish and quite different from our UK meals but are interesting and generally quite tasty.  The Beach Bar is always very popular as it is easily accessible from the beach and it has a pleasant atmosphere with easy access to the main swimming pool area.

Main swimming pool area

The photo above shows a view of the swimming pool area showing the thick lawns with trees & palms which provide ample shade from the harsh afternoon sun.  The smaller pool in the photo is the young childrens' shallow pool, and there is always a life saver on duty in case of accidents.  Both pools are kept clean and the lush lawns are always well trimmed.  Our grandsons love going to the swimming pool in the afternoons because they make friends with other children and have so much fun in the water while us adults enjoy lazing on the grass and getting nicely tanned.  We usually spend most afternoons at the pool before stopping in at the Beach Bar on the way back to the caravan, for drinks and ice creams.  Before preparing dinner some of us take a walk up to the campsite supermarket to buy our basic daily supplies.  Back at the caravan Richard gets the barbecue fire going and he & Irene usually prepare the evening meal then Yvonne and I do the washing up after the meal, while the kids lend a helping hand with the meal and the dish washing.
The warm evenings are usually spent sitting around the remaining barbecue fire chatting while the kids watch movies on their Dad's laptop or play games on their little games consoles.  Some evenings we go down to the beach the kids can play games or we occasionally go to the Beach Bar if they have any live entertainment arranged.  Usually at around 9:30pm we all go for showers and then get ready for bed as we are all pretty tired at the end of the day.


If you are still reading down to this point and haven't fallen asleep through boredom, this story probably seems like a lot of other holiday stories but there is a difference =========>>>




This story reads and sounds like many other accounts of holiday activities, and for the most part it is just another holiday story.  There is one main exception with this story of mine which you may, or may not have noticed, there is no mention of clothing or getting dressed.  Even when shopping in the local camp supermarket we don't wear clothes. This is my account of a typical day during one of our naturist holidays, and it only goes to show that naturists are the same as everyone else and they do the same things as everyone else with the exception that they don't wear clothes.
Naturists live their lives much the same as anyone else and go about their daily activities much the same as anyone else but do it all while being comfortably naked.  Naturists are not perverts, wierdos, sex-maniacs or any of the other names we are labeled with, we are normal people leading normal lives like everyone else but with a preference to be clothes free as often as practically possible.

Nude is not rude, in fact it is the oldest style of fashion!!

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A Naturist's Views About Clothing

Personally, I am not fond of clothing, I cannot say I dislike it because it does have its advantages at times but I prefer to be clothes-free whenever possible. I have my own views about the advantages and disadvantages of wearing clothing, which I will attempt to convey in the following paragraphs.


Clothing carries bacteria and viruses as well as chemical residue from detergents and fabric softeners which cause skin irritations and infections. The body's natural defenses are then wasted trying to fight off these artificially produced invasions instead of regenerating itself to become stronger and healthier.

Clothing restricts the skin's natural ability to breathe properly and often restricts the body's normal blood flow. Modern fashion styles are very close fitting and therefore tend to restrict normal blood flow more than loose fitting clothing. Some of the clothing is so tight that the person wearing it must surely be very uncomfortable and must often experience 'pins and needles' because of restricted blood flow.

While tight jeans and clothing may be extremely popular, they can also cause health problems. Women who wear tight clothes can be subject to yeast infections. Clothes like tight jeans retain heat and cause a woman to sweat in the vaginal area. Despite medicines like Vagisil, this annoying problem can persist if women continue to squeeze into jeans two sizes too small. Men who wear tight pants can have problems with fertility and even damage the testicles. Yeast infections are a common medical condition, particularly among women. Yeast thrive in a warm, moist environment where they set up an infection that's itchy, irritating, and sometimes painful. Wearing tight clothing, particularly constrictive pants, sets up the ideal environment for yeast to grow and flourish. This is particularly true when the weather is warm outside and you're wearing an outfit that restricts airflow. Your nerves can be affected by clothing that's too tight. Tight, low riding pants that have been so trendy recently can compress the nerves in the back resulting in numbness and tingling in the legs. This can be a particular problem if you're carrying excess weight and try to squeeze into a size four pair of pants.

Skin is the largest organ of the body and forms a protective layer between the inner tissues and the external environment. Being clothes-free allows the body to function as it was designed to do by the Creator. A naked body can breathe and absorb natural sunlight more efficiently and therefore it is able to regenerate and repair itself more effectively. When the body is free of clothing it can better regulate its own temperature at normal healthy levels. Being naked has many health benefits but it is not without its hazards as well. Naturists are generally more aware of their skin than non-naturists and therefore they usually take more care to ensure their skin is healthy. One of the biggest hazards on the skin is excessive exposure to the sun's UV rays so extra care should be taken when sunbathing or when exposed to the sun.

Without clothing the body can move, breathe, stretch and regulate body temperature naturally. The free flow of air over the body allows the layer of sweat on the skin to evaporate and cool the skin surface. When the skin is exposed to the elements it is subject to natural exfoliation rather than having a build up of stale sweat and dead skin cells as happens under clothing. Naturists feel a sense of freedom and relief as they shed their clothing and their bodies begin to function naturally again.


Not wearing clothes saves money because there is less laundry, less wardrobe space required, less mending and less time wasted wondering what to wear. Living a naturist lifestyle means that you don't have to worry about getting caught in the rain because your skin is naturally waterproof. You can't get into trouble for getting your glothes dirty when working in the garden or workshop because your skin washes up clean in the bath or shower.

Being naked...

Being naked is the joy of being human.
Being naked is the freedom to be human.
Being naked is our birthright.
Anyone who is ashamed of the beautiful nude and natural human body, is ashamed of being human.
It's that simple.


I saw this on the i-naked.info  website and it really impressed me by its simple and powerful message.