How can nudism help in life?

Nudism is not something that comes naturally to most. In fact, it is not something that comes to mind for many when they think about dealing with body consciousness, self confidence or other emotional/mental issues.

I was recently amazed to hear that a friend I helped some time ago using the idea of nudism/natural nakedness to overcome her body issues had been blown away by the candid yet profound statement made by her 11 year old boy. This all stemmed from the way nudity was treated in the home and the positive effects it had on my friend with her issues.

For privacy I cant divulge real names so we shall use pseudo names. So here is what transpired between my friend an her boy.

"Both my boys especially Naruto are at an age now where they compare penis sizes in the shower, talk about boobies you know all that pre teen stuff and because they have both had age appropriate sex Ed at school so it provokes thought. Naruto asks me often about body parts and sex Ed questions.

He shares so sincerely and honestly. Anyway I said to him the other day ... Naruto I really appreciate your maturity around the questions you ask me and they are never asked from you for you to mock when I give you the answer. You actually think about it. I said how do your friends go asking that stuff with their parents. He said they are all really immature mum and disrespectful and giggly in their answers. I said oh well what do you think is different for you ? Do you know what he said Michael .... he said mum because you walk around naked at home half the time and you let us do it if we want to ... (Stevie especially can go naked all day at home . ... ) he said I have learnt that our bodies develop the way they do, girls and boys should never be sexualised for being naked or asking questions like I do mum.

It’s taught me to respect you as a woman so I must do it to my partner and it’s taught me about my body and not being self conscious cos I am a bit chubby mum but also being naked and in your skin or being naked and intimate is something that is normal and should be respected !!! Blew me away. I took from that kids who see their parents natural and naked will be the more mature ones when it comes to body image, intimacy and what’s normal innate behaviour."

"The other thing with Stevie too you might find interesting is that at school he has to be medicated because of all the bullying trauma so it helps him not be impulsive and he can self regulate and not get too overwhelmed with his day. However he doesn’t eat a lot as it suppresses his appetite. He lost a lot of weight. So me being earth mumma did a little experiment. Because I saw how calm he was naked on weekends ... (most people would feel exposed ) I stopped medicating him on weekends to see if there was any difference. He doesn’t need it if he is naked so we have a naked happy unmedicated boy who eats all weekend. Weight going back on."

Nudism or natural nudity can hell people in many ways. It may be an odd ball kinda fix but there is no one way to deal with some of the issues people face in their lives. Nudism has helped me be more accepting of my body. As most young men are I was very conscious about certain elements of my physique growing up. Being a nudist really did help me overcome those afflictions and allowed me accept myself how I was.

If there were more people willing to step out of their comfort zone, they may find that doing something as dramatic as getting naked, could boost self confidence, heighten spiritual awareness or even just shock themselves into addressing the fears or afflictions they may have.

There is something about being naked that strips away the layers of comfort. It exposes the vulnerabilities and leaves no place to hide. It offers liberation and freedom from the constraints of societies imposed status values.

I am so very glad I had the opportunity to coach my friend through her transition from being completely un-able to look at herself naked in the mirror, to spending the day dancing and cleaning naked or getting out in the garden with her buns in the sun. It has led to a healthy way of life for her and her boys to the extent where they respect themselves, their mum, women and others as natural beings. Not to mention, being able to reduce medication for one Stevie and seeing them both grow with a healthy mindset toward nudity.

While they may not consider themselves nudist, they are very much living life the nudist way. Well done earth mumma!!


The boys names were chosen to reflect their character which is represented by the characters of whom I chose.

Why I Dont Go To Events

As some may be well aware, many nudist communities and groups have events or gatherings designed as private functions. It is great to see many of these events happening all over town and even to read about them on blogs or articles from over seas. 

Contrary to what the title suggests, I do get to some events but not as many is i would prefer It can be sometimes difficult as a number of factors are at play when I think about joining one of these events., and its usually timing, money and location... Usually in that order. Life can often be a bit of a hurdle when it comes to these things especially if you are in a working family with kids, school, sports and other social get ups with non-nudist friends. 

Timing

Often it is as simple as dates for events falling on the same day/night we are already doing something. This can not be helped however, sometimes it is a matter of not enough notice for the planned event and the event date. It is unfortunate as not everybody is as flexible with arrangements for a quick meet up or making a night out for dinner or some other kind of event.

Money

Unfortunately this is usually the deciding factor on weather most people go to an event. Often as venues need to be hired or booked out for the event the associated cost is usually a little on the steep side. This again can not be helped and makes it difficult for some to attend.

Location

This is a big one for me!! Often events are located a reasonable distance from where I live. Often the event organiser will plan the event and its location near to where they reside. This is fair enough however, something to consider would be the location of other nudists. Trying to set up events that are more centralised would potentially increase the chance of greater numbers attending. Now it is understandable that perhaps the venue in that area has offered to host the event and it has worked well for the organiser as they are locals.

It would be great to see more affordable events and more of them spread over a wider area of the city. So I guess all I can do is try and support the ones that are organised locally and hopefully regular affordable events will present closer to home.

Neighbours

Always an interesting one, and sometimes a fun discussion when you get busted by your neighbours. I have had my neighbours bust me on a number of occasions. While I have heard from some that the experience was distressing for Mrs Mackle over the fence, I have been quite lucky that it has not been so for me.

On a few occasions I had been walking back up the yard from the shed and my neighbour was hanging the washing. She caught a full view, gave an awkward hello and carried on what she was doing. Her Husband, on a seperate occasion just came out and began having a chat over the fence while I was clearing the fence line to install a privacy screen. To give you an idea, the fence is 900mm high and they are on the elevated block, so yeah...good vantage point if I'm in the middle of my yard. These are just a couple of occasions of quite a few more., not just by one neighbour but three that have seen me doing my usual daily nudescapade.

Oddly enough I never seem to get any complaints from them...(or a visit from the boys n blue) which I am thankful for. I do make some effort to be discrete and if they have visitors I avoid moving in view as to not freak out their party goers. 

We do have one neighbour who is quite ok with it, so much so that whenever she visits I need not get dressed. It is a real pleasure to be amongst people who are willing to accept me for who I am, and not insist that i change that within my own home. This all came about when she popped over for some reason to which I can't remember. I had a knock on my door and true to my door sign which forewarns people that if they visit un-invited, they would likely be greeted by nothing but a smile. Well, it was my lovely neighbour. She didn't bat an eyelid, and when I apologised she told me it was no problem and said its all good, no need to get dressed.

I have usually made it a point to let my neighbours know that I am a nudist and not to freak out if they see me naked in my yard, but this time around, I only got a chance to do that with one of them. Now we enjoy an occasional visit, me remaining naked. My other neighbours were not so lucky and had to find out by surprise.

I guess at the end of the day, if you try to be considerate and go about your business as normal but bare in mind that they may be out and may see you. Keeping out of sight might not be the easiest or practical option but being somewhat discrete may help to ease that awkward hello over the fence.

Return

Its been a little over 4 years since posting on this blog. I was not sure if I was going to continue but i have been receiving a substantial amount of likes and increasing interaction on the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/The-Nudists-Journey-520120901462247/ so i decided to have another crack.

I am not sure how often I will post, and am unsure of which direction I will head with the content. As the Facebook page indicates, the concept is to create a coffee table book filled with storeys and images of everyday nudists willing to share their experience with nudism, in particular how they became nudists.

So... here we go. Hopefully, I can gain more traction than I have in the past and am fortunate enough to make some kind of start to the book I would so much love to create. 

Please help by sharing this blog page as much as you can.

Why Are There So Few Young Nudists?

As a nudist of over 20 years its has always been a question that has plagued my mind. Why are there so few young nudists? As I have grown to love this lifestyle I have at times become a little disheartened with the lack of people in my age range enjoying such an amazing way of life. Lately I have been pondering this question and have come to the assumption that its not that there are so few young nudist but rather there are so few that have the ability to join in.

Traditionally the most common place for us nudies to hang out is the beach, camping and nudist retreats. This led me to think, what if it didn't like the beach so much? Or what if I cant afford to visit a nudist retreat? It was not till I had a discussion with a young nudist couple I am fortunate to be in contact with that I realised its simply just that. It may be that young people don't have time, they have uni or a busy social life which leaves them so little time to frequent nude beaches and retreats.

Another hurdle may be finance. Its simply not cost effective or affordable for young people to spend what little money they have on visiting a nudist retreat. I know when I was younger and had limited cash flow I could never afford to go to a nudist retreat. Even now I am reluctant pay all that money just to visit for a day and sit around doing nothing but gas bag next to the pool. This leads me to another point. There is nothing to do...

Most establishments don't have much and usually don't cater for the younger crowd or young family. There is simply not that much that interests young people to venture out and visit such establishments.

There are however on the rise, more nude events such as nude ten pin bowling or nude pub nights and even roller skating. These are great tho can also be a little on the pricey side. With the rise of nude events we may well see a change in the age balance but I believe it may take some time.

One reason may also be that some people simply prefer to enjoy nudism at home or in private. They have no desire to engage in social nudism and usually do not search for anything else outside of the comfort of their home.

A major factor I believe is lack of progressiveness. In Europe we see many more younger people enjoying nudism/naturism and we also see accompanying this a more progressive society. In almost all occasions my conversations with European people about nudity and nudism they have shown a much more progressive view on this aspect of life. They have less hangups about the concept of somebody enjoying an active nudist lifestyle while here in the western world the sentiment is different. In my case I have not been met with negative response but positive support however, many people I know have experienced otherwise.

With a society as closed minded and prudish as ours its not hard to imagine that many would be hesitant to reveal to others that they are a nudist. This would make it difficult to meet and find other nudists to socialise with. I have experienced this personally and have noticed that until almost 2 yeas ago I was having great difficulty meeting other nudists. It was only when I decided to reveal my lifestyle to all of my friends and family did the change come about.

I no longer had to hide facebook posts about what I was doing, I could speak freely and educate those who did not understand and most of all I could meet friends and have them in mixed company without fear of someone slipping up and busting us all for being nudists.

Young people have a lot on their plates with uni, part time work, busy social lives just to name a few. If we are to draw their interest we need to come up with more interesting ways to do so. I don't consider myself young or old but I have a few ideas up my sleeves which I hope will bring some young guns out of the woodwork.

A new outlook is needed and some fresh ideas and more exciting activities. It would be ideal to have a group similar to YNA (Young Naturists America) to do some progressive events and lead the charge in healthy body acceptance. The YNA is a prime example of this kind of positive promotion for nudism and body acceptance. They have done nude body painting with expert body painting artists right in the heard of New York City!! they have a nude Sunday session at a local gym and have planned and executed plenty more events since their inception.

A good friend and very active nudist in our community and a member of a very active group called QSN (Queensland Social Nudists) has done an amazing job of organising nude 10 pin bowling for three years running and as a result others have now begun planning events of their own. Nude snorkeling (which I regrettably missed out on), and soon to come roller skating.

Let's just hope we can attract more young people to these events, shift the tide and debunk the stereotype that nudism is mainly old lumpy and bumpy folks standing ankle deep on a beach looking out at the ocean. It will be a long journey, but I'm sure we will get there eventually.

Legalise a clothing optional beach in QLD

Hi all,

Its been a very long time but I have finally started to get back into the swing of things here in the blogasphere, and what better way to start then by highlighting a pettition that requires ALL of our support. We NEED a legal cloting optional beach in QLD (actually we need about 3 at least) but lets just start with 1. I ask and beg of you all who follow my blog (and I know I havent been around for a while), to follow the link and sign the pettition in support for a legal clothing optional beach at Alexandria Bay AKA A-Bay in the noosa area of QLD.

For many years this beach has been generally accepted as a clothing optional beach however, of late there have been a few complaints from prudish and narrow minded locals that they have been offended by the sight of naked pople on the beach. In each instance the offender was recognised to be not a typical nudist but a weirdo that has exposed themselves on the trail or in an area not actually on the main sections of the beach. These reports may become damaging and as proven in the past, the best way to combat this is to designate a specific area for nude use and anybody outside those areas can be liable for being served with a penalty.

Genuine nudist do not behave this way and strongly oppose lewd behaviour in public places. It is very damaging to the peception of our community and we will do all we can to keep the perves and wackos away from said areas.

This is very important to us a community and we could do with all the support we can get. You do not have to be a nudist/naturist but as my friends and family you have shown support for my lifestyle with your positive feedback when I opened up to everyone. And now I ask that you show it once more by helping us upgrade the status of this beach which is so important to my lifestyle and thos of my nudist friends.

Please follow the link below and help us win the right to skinny dip in the ocean and suntan naked without fear of being handed a fine for enjoying life as nature intended.

Legalise a clothing optional beach in Noosa

The Onsen Experience

While in Japan I was fortunate enough to experience an amazing part of Japanese culture. I learned of the great benefits of the bathing custom and how relaxing it can really be. When we think of bathing here in the western part of the world, we think of getting in the tub and scrubbing down. While this is true in Japan they do use this time to scrub down after a long day at the office or being out and about however, there seems to be another element to the whole process.

Bathing has been a long time tradition in Japan and some other parts of asia. Japanese used to bath in public bath houses called “Sento”. This was because most people could not afford a bath in the family home so off to the sento they would all go. Many decades ago these sento used to be mixed gender known as “Konyoku”, The whole family would go and wash and relax in the warm steamy bathing areas. Now this was in a time when the idea of mixed nude bathing was not even a thought in the forefront of the mind, it was simply done an no body had any hangups about it. Now days the Konyoku almost does not exist any more. The only place true konyoku exist now are deep in the mountains in natural hot springs called “Onsen”. They can be accessed but are usually very difficult to get to and quite often involve a little bit of hiking.

As the economic wealth of the average family increased so did the ability for them to afford a bath in the family home. This has changed the social element of the sento which are usually located in and around the cities. People no longer socialised as a community from the neighbourhood they would go as a family unit as a night/day out and most likely not as regularly. Families will go for relaxation and now days they are split by gender as social attitudes changed toward mixed gender nudity. Dads will go off with the boys and or son in-law or friends, and likewise for the mums.

The etiquette of bathing in Japan is different to the way we bath in the western part of the world. When one enters a bathing area be it at home or in a sento/onsen the rules are the same. When you arrive in the onsen the first thing you do after you pay is to go to the respective dressing room, strip down nude and make your way into the bathing area. Next, you must rinse or wash your body before entering the bath and the bath is not for washing but soaking only. This is the reason a whole family can use the same bath in a night as they do not make the water dirty and the bath is designed to keep the water hot and filtered. Many onsen/sento have a few different kinds of baths ranging from mineral, cold, extra hot and many more including green or red tea. After a relaxing soak in the bath(s) people would then spend time scrubbing down shampooing and all the personal hygiene acts one would normally perform during wash time. They sometimes also have outside baths called “Rotenburo”, these are magnificent in winter when it is cold outside and the steamy 42deg water is up around your shoulders!

Going to an onsen or sento can be daunting for those not familiar or comfortable with nudity in a public setting but its not all that bad. The key to enjoying the experience is to simply follow every body else and pretend you have been there a million times. As a nudist I never had this issue and it felt like such a natural thing to do. I did learn how good bathing can be for the body and soul. I found my body was not as sore every day and my injuries from a car accident was never a problem even when it was cold. Its a good chance to de stress and relax after a long day at work and until I learned to bath every night before bed I never knew what I was missing. Now as we have been back in australia for some time now I do truly miss the night time bath and even more the Onsen.

I will be looking forward to visit Japan again with my family and as usual we will go to an Onsen and I will enjoy it immensely! If you should ever travel to Japan or even Korea it would do you well to seek out an onsen or sento, your hotel staff can direct you to one and most big hotels will have either their own or a partnership allowing guests to use another hotels or a local establishment.

Give it a try and lose yourself in the amazing custom of the Japanese bathing experience.

How Do I Convert Others?

A common Issue people have with Naturism/Nudism is they have trouble convincing their partners to join in. This is something that should be addressed carefully as it is not something many people would ever consider doing. We are not here to convert but rather educate people about how wonderful our lifestyle can be. Its not the conversion that is important but rather acceptance. Being accepted by the rest of society with an open mind and non-prudish attitudes will naturally bring more to the ranks of nudism. Unfortunately most of society will follow the salmon run and not think for themselves but rather latch on to sensationalist media and poorly presented press about a lifestyle that is so often miss represented. This in turn creates a miss interpretation of what we are all about.

If you are in a relationship and have recently revealed you are a nudist, depending on the reaction of your partner you may get a very different response to the suggestion of joining the fun of such a wonderful lifestyle.

If your partner accepts what you do and holds no objections or reservations about how often you are undertaking your love of nudism then you may be well received in an invite to your local nude beach. How well received will depend on a few elements within your relationship. Firstly, how long have you been together? If you just started dating good luck!! Unless your partner is very open minded and has no hangups about trying new and adventurous things. If you have been together for a while there may be enough trust and enough discussion about the ethos behind what you do to open a small window of curiosity. This may lead to a healthy growth toward a open view on an alternative lifestyle.

Have you had discussions about what naturism is and why you love it so much? If not then now is a good time to start. Never lead in with "Do you want to give it a try? or Get naked with me". This can be off-putting, especially for one who had probably never thought about being naked for any other reason than having a shower. Uplift the lifestyle by talking about the positives in your life and how it has made you who you are today. Be sure to address the negatives also but make sure they are kept in context and re-affirm the the good far outweigh the bad. If we don't discuss how we feel about naturism/nudism and open peoples mind to the concept that nudity does not equal sex then there will be no advance in the acceptance of a relaxing and beautiful lifestyle.

If you have had discussions about Naturism and they have all shown positive response then it may be a good chance to offer an experience at a nude beach. Remind them that they don't have to be nude and they can remove as much or as little of their bathing suit as they wish. It is far better they see the locations and how everybody there behaves than them taking the plunge and freaking out about a first public nude experience.

If on the other hand you are in a relationship where your partner does not like what you do, then your pretty much stuck between a rock and a hard place. Your partner will most definitely not want to join you and will most likely not like you frequenting nude beaches and nudist venues. For reasons only they know they will forever be closed to the concept of nude recreation until somebody opens them up to it. The only way find out what makes your partner dislike your activities so much is to front up and ask. It may be the kick-start to a conversation (or feisty debate) giving you the chance to demonstrate that your lifestyle choice is nothing more than a relaxing way of life sans clothes.

The most common problems I've heard from nudists is that they cant tell family or friends what they do because of fear from being ridiculed or that their family wont accept it and call them dirty or other nasty names. It is also often that I hear the partner does not like what they do. Of all the people that should support you it is your partner... but this is about converting others. When we talk about converting others as mentioned above, we are not trying to convert them to nudism/naturism, we are trying to convert their thoughts or opinions about nudism/naturism. They way someone percieves you and what you do is very important in being able to change their opinion on what they dont understand.

The reason I led with partners is because it is usually the partner that carries the most influence on a persons personal life and the support they get from this person is important to how they feel about their lifestyle. If you are made to feel like nudism is wrong or dirty then you will eventually portray it that way. You will do it in secret and never talk about it openly with others and make a conversation out of it. With full support you can talk about it more openly and not be ashamed about you love of the lifestyle.

People who know you and have known you for many years or since you were a child would probably surprise you in the response they give when you tell them you are a nudist/naturist. They might have a bit of a poke at you and tease you a little but they know you as a person and they know your character so in all reality will probably support you and most likely not really think much of it. I did reveal via Facebook not so long ago because I was tired of hiding my lifestyle and picking and choosing who to tell and who not to tell so I decided to just open up and reveal to all. Every one now knows in my family and friends and nobody really cares. I still cant be nude in their company, except for the few friends that already knew and have already told me I can do so whenever they are around, but the main point is that it is out in the open.

So now to the question of how to convert them. Well it not really that difficult really. There may be some who have very strong opinions about what they believe the lifestyle is all about and may offer a quite strong resistance to being swayed from their views. Don't be discouraged, there are not that many of them around and they probably wont really care what you do with your personal life any way. The best way to convert a person it to talk to them, be open about this aspect of your life and be straight forward about your views, the positives and negatives of the lifestyle. Don't let peoples fears of the unknown draw you into a firestorm debate but rather help address them and show them that Nudism/naturism is simply another way of life.

Invite your friends to your local nude beach so they can see what goes on. They don't have to get their kit off but go as a group and show them how great it can be and introduce them to some of you nudist buddies. Just tell them you want to show them first hand what it is like out there in the nudist community. If anything it will be an experience they will never forget. Who knows they may get their kit off any way!!

If you love this lifestyle and you want to become more involved in promoting it then you have the obligation to be honest with yourself and the people around you and let them know what you are all about. You may as well because if you end up getting a lucky break and get an interview on a major TV network they will find out any way. You are your ambassador for your way of life, be proud of who you are and what you believe in. We aren't trying to convert others to nudism, we are trying to convert them to accept nudism.

How long does it take to become a nudist?

This is not a question I hear at all really but when I look back on my journey as a nudist I see that I actually wasn’t really a “full on” nudist for the good part of about 10 years. I loved being naked and wished I could be naked all the time but I didn’t identify as a nudist till I was in my mid 20s. It was at his time when I actively began searching for groups and people to meet with who shared my love for the nude mode of living.

The time at which someone would consider themselves a nudist differers from person to person. Some will discover this lifestyle and almost immediately fall in love with it and begin to identify from the on set. Others will simply develop a love for the nudist way of life but simply enjoy it for what it is and think no more of it. There are probably some who simply just enjoy not wearing clothes and don’t wish to identify as a nudist. As I have described in my journey I was enjoying the nude life where I could for the good part of 10 years before I called myself a nudist. My choice was simply because I did not know there was such a thing or such a name for the life I wanted to live.

The more difficult part about being a nudist for many would be the secrecy around their new found lifestyle. Many fear the worst if they were to tell family or friends about what they do. Fear of ridicule, hatred, being shunned from their circle of friends, and the list goes on. Could this be the reason some don’t identify so easily? This could be possible but who knows. There is one thing for sure, there are many who wear the nudist uniform proudly and have no problems telling people they are nudists.

If we as a collective of people want to uplift the names of our respective clubs and improve peoples understanding about nudism we should be proud to admit and identify ourselves as nudists. I felt the change in the universe the moment I opened up and told all about my life as a nudist. I can now be proud to identify as a nudist and feel no more restriction when I want to participate in events or even try to organise our own.

So I guess true identification as nudists in my opinion comes from the revelation that you are one because how can anyone be identified if no body know who they are? My revelation came about 20 years after I discovered the lifestyle. I called myself a nudist for 10 of those years but only truly identified myself 10 years after that, when I opened up my lifestyle to my family and friends. It has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life and do not regret it at all.

Find the courage to believe in who you are and find your identity so that you can share a beautiful unique lifestyle with those around you. I could be the very thing that makes you truly feel like you.

Im still here

Yes I know I know, I have been lazy/busy/pre occupied but im just letting you all know im still here and working on a new blog. Rest assured as a proud and avid nudey i have been lazy/busy and pre occupied mostly naked when I can.


Keep an eye out for a new blog coming soon.

The Locker Room

Tho not really a nudist issue as much as its a body issue, I have noticed that there seems to be a vast number of men who I would assume have body issues or rather insecurities about their genitals. Why do I say this you may ask? Well its something I noticed when I went into locker/change rooms at the swimming pool or gym. From what I have been told and I'm only referencing from my experiences between Australia and a few Asian countries Ive been in, women tho its common for women to have body issues and hangups about thighs, bum, legs breasts or any number of things on their bodies when in the change room have very little hang up about nuding up showering and moving through the locker room for the purpose of getting changed to or from their sports gear/bathers etc. Men however, typically I have not heard of any such hangups about their bodies although men never talk about their genitals with other men, will almost in every occasion I have been in a locker room here in Australia shower with their undies on, dress with a towel on and hide themselves tho not from modesty but from who knows what. Is it because men never talk about body issues? Are they really that in secure about their bodies or is it they are insecure about their genitals? Or do they simply not want other men to see their dangly bits?

In my travels to Japan, Korea, and Singapore I have been in locker rooms in all these countries and have seen exactly the opposite. Why do men in these countries seem to not have any hang ups about being nude in front of other men? Only they will know. Perhaps its cultural. when you look at the lifestyle and things that these people do for relaxation we may find the answer there. Lets pick Japan for instance, I lived there for about a year and a half. My beautiful wife is Japanese and I have spent quite a number of hours in the hot springs and public baths over there. The public bathing culture is very rich and stems back many centuries, as it does in Korea and some parts of Europe and Greece in particular.

Going into these bath houses may not be every ones cup of tea however, there is a certain etiquette involved. When you get inside you strip off all your clothes, dump them into a basket on a pigeon hole style shelving and make your way to the bathing area. The first rule in the bathing area is that you are naked in the bathing area. Yes naked!!! What a big surprise!! think about it this way, would you shower with your bathers on at home? probably not. Second, you wash or rinse off before entering the bath. And third you wash/scrub after your soak and before you get ready to leave. As little as a couple of decades ago public bath houses were mixed gender and were frequented by families as many people could not afford their own bath in their homes. Only more recently have they become gender separated due to changes in the mentality in society. Because every one is naked and this has been common practice for such a long time, the generally nudity is much more accepted in context. Most of these Japanese Korean and Singaporean cultures are less open about social nudity and nudity in public spaces however, in the context of bathing in a public bath house there is an unspoken acceptance when a man or woman walks around the locker room naked after showering or while they shave or dry hair. It seems there is no need for these men or women to scramble to put their clothes on (with some exceptions tho not so common) after relaxing in the baths or finishing a workout in the gym.

It is interesting to observe the behavior of people in different situations in respect to nudity. We are told that being nude is wrong and offensive when nudity alone is not sexualized and lewd, when on the other side of the coin, the same people that tell us "oh no!!! I could never be naked around other people and strangers!!" are happy to go shopping for bikinis that are ultimately designed to draw attention to the person wearing them. All clothing in fact has the same design factors in mind. Women are constantly bombarded with images of how they should look, and now more than before men also. Constantly being told that we are fat, or over weight or not fashionable if we aren't wearing the latest style clothing. Don't get me wrong, I love good and nice looking clothes we we go out but it doesn't dictate the way I decide what I think of my body and personality.

Is  this the demise of our individuality? Is it the beginning of a social culture which takes us to the point of not even being comfortable enough to change in front of others of our own gender? Stripping away the layers of clothing can be like stripping away the layers of societies ill conceived values. If you are nude then no body knows what you do or how much money you have. They will have to talk to you to find out more about you. Oh but that would mean I have to interact with people!!! Funny, that's what people used to do. If you are willing to talk to somebody and have a conversation you may just find they don't care about your penis, boos, bum, belly or any other part of your body.

So here we go, trundling back into the locker room. If we all spoke to each other instead of hiding silently in the corner of the locker room we may find that we are all the same. We may find the atmosphere becomes less awkward and we forget that we are standing face to face all nuded up while we rummage for our socks in our bag.

People go to the gym to look good and feel good about them selves and to improve their health and fitness. Some do the same at the swimming pools, while others are there with their children and family or friends. We all have a good time doing what we do and feel good when we do it but I feel that subconsciously there are many that don't feel good about themselves, or parts of themselves. Surely this must be the result of the conditioning of society, schools media and religious orders telling us that we need to look or behave like a model or public figure. If we are to learn to accept ourselves then we must realize that what all these groups tell us, it is not the way we should think about our selves. We do not need to be super skinny, we do not need to have big breasts or large picture perfect genitals or rock hard abs. We do need to look after our health and with that will come better shaped bodies and flat tummies, we still wont look like an air brushed pin up model, but we will be happy and we wont have the hangups we do in our lives.

If there is one thing I have learned from being a nudist, its that we are all the same and all we need to do is talk with one another. Nudists are among the friendliest people I have met and generally do not care what you do or how much you are worth. They care about the value of your opinions and beliefs and how you conduct your life as a decent human being. They care not so for the way society dictates that we must all fit a certain mold. And yes, I do change full nude, shower nude and walk to and from my belongings in the nude inside the locker rooms. Give it a try...... its not that bad.

A New Chapter

Hi All,

I have been quiet here for a while as i have been in the process of moving from Melbourne to Queensland. We have started a new chapter in our life, and hopefully a new chapter in the nudist world. The weather is fantastic here for nudist and am working hard a forging new relationships to help strengthen the ndist community.

I look forward to returning to the blogasphere and expanding the content of this blog.

See you all soon!!!

What to do when you cant be nude

What can you do when you cant be nude? Ask...

I recently decided to take the plunge and ask my mother in law who is visiting for a month and a half if she would mind if I swam with my son nude in the pool. She had no problems and said yes straight away. So off I went and stripped down right in front of her and jumped into the pool. By no means can I be nude all the time but I am able to do my usual nude routine and move between the bathroom bedroom and occasionally chase my son through the house to bring him to the shower.

We had a short conversation shortly after the initial ok was given and she said there was no problems with it. I figured that if she was going to stay with us for more than a month I would want to at least try and get in some of my usual nude activities.

So I cant be nude all the time but I have at least a compromise that I don't have to hide when I want to swim shower or go to the loo in the night or even get dressed in the morning in my living room as usual for work. So What do I gather from all this? Not everybody is afraid to see someone they know nude so if there is a chance you might want to be nude in their company for what ever reason, there is a chance they may allow you. All you have to do is ask.

Nude and proud

Sharing my story about my biginnings as a nudist via the AANR website.
Some pretty nice stories there.

http://www.aanr.com/nudist-proud#content