Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Body Image: Did You Grow Up in a "Naked House"?

Did you ever see your parents walk around naked when you were growing up? When I was in high school, one of my friends' lived in a naked house--you know, mom, dad, kids who often walked around sans clothing like it was no big deal. I don't think they considered themselves nudists; I just don't think they liked clothes. It made me wonder about you--and the whole nudity/body image debate...
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My old friend's clothes-optional family always kind of freaked me out. Whenever I'd drop by, I was never quite certain of the degree of nakedness in which I might find them in. I was especially worried about walking in and finding her dad nude on the couch (um, nightmare!). Fortunately that never happened.

But I hear from others that naked houses aren't too unusual, even though it's hard for me to relate to. For the record: I grew up in a home where everyone wore clothes all the time--thank goodness.

So, I was wondering: Do naked houses scar kids for life, or help them along in accepting their body?

Click here to finish reading

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Zogby Poll showing that 79% of California residents support nude sunbathing.

The majority of people who responded to a statewide-poll said they support nude sunbathing at beaches that are designated for that purpose, according to a poll commissioned by the Naturist Education Foundation.

The foundation is the non-profit informational and educational adjunct to The Naturist Society, an organization that promotes clothing-optional recreation.

The same group of nudists recently lost a fight against state officials to keep San Onofre's Trail 6 a clothing-optional area. In September, the California Department of Parks and Recreation won a legal battle to ban nudity at the 1,000-foot stretch of the beach, which had held a 30-year tradition of nudity.

"I think this poll mainly shows that the Parks Department should go ahead and designate clothing-optional beaches in California because that's what the people of the state want. The people want to have safe, legal, clothing-optional beaches," said Allen Baylis, a Huntington Beach attorney who led the fight against the nudity ban at Trail 6.

Read more

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Take It All Off: China's 5 Best Nude Bathing Areas

Communal and co-ed nude bathing doesn’t only take place in Cancun hot tubs during spring break celebrations. In fact, for several Chinese minorities, nude bathing has long been a part of their traditions. It may not be purifying yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka, but here are the best five best places in China for nude bathing; you can leave those bathing suits at home.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Nude model Joanne says it’s all about the art

FOR most people, being naked in front of a room full of people is the stuff of nightmares.

But for Hornsby life model and artist Joanne Cunningham it just feels natural.

Ms Cunningham has been a life model for six years and models regularly for the Pennant Hills Drawing Group.

She said nude modelling was a way of expressing herself creatively.

``The experience is like a physical challenge and I’m able to explore my creative side with the poses I choose,’’ she said.

more

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Six Good Reasons To Take A Nudist Vacation


It's that time of year when my loved one and myself set aside an evening to open a bottle of wine and discuss one of the most significant events in the Egger family calendar, to whit, the Great Annual Holiday.

As always, the first decision we have to make is whether we choose nude or not. As confirmed nudists, we naturally favour a naturist vacation, or at least a vacation during which we can get naked for part of the time. However it's not an automatic choice and this year there is a particularly tempting selection of textile holidays on offer. There's a Mediterranean cruise that looks appealing, and the Rocky Mountain Rail Adventure takes my eye. Maybe we should support one of the Indian Ocean countries devastated by the Boxing Day Tsunami, or stay at home and redecorate (ugh!) However, we'll probably choose nude, and here's six reasons why.

I'll Catch the Sun

This is an audiobook for anyone who loves the sun and the joys of 'skinny dipping', or who wants to. Travel with Richard on a global journey, sharing his nude experiences in the Mediterranian, Japan, Hawaii, South Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States. Woven between amusing anecdotes about the nudist lifestyle, are thoughts on Celebrating Nudism, Finding a Mate, Japanese Bath House Etiquette, Cooking in the Nude, Culinary Delights, and Nude Cruises. Home page.

5 reasons to bare it all on your next vacation

Nakation, anyone? The skinny on clothing-optional vacations

An article to match the MSNBC video posted earlier. Here.

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Naturist Olympics

As I take my place on the starting block, a hush sweeps around the spectators at the side of the swimming pool. A race is about to begin.

The Union Jack is emblazoned on my swimming cap and to my left - poised and at the ready - are two lithe and toned Germans. I am competing for Great Britain at an international swimming competition and it should be a great honour.

But I can't shake the feeling that there is something very, very wrong. For, apart from a silly stretchy hat, I am completely and utterly stark naked. And about to take part in the world's largest nude swimming gala in front of hundreds of total strangers.

Read more:

Thursday, November 19, 2009

El topless

Although this is a bit out of season, who doesn’t enjoy reminiscing about the warm summer days spent at the beach? Sand, sun, water, skin... Especially skin, if we are talking about Spanish beaches...

Now it’s not to say that in the U.S. people don’t like to get naked. Certainly, in the 70’s we had our fair share of nudist colonies, and there are indeed still some [more secluded] beaches—like the conveniently named Gay Head on Martha’s Vineyard—where topless sunbathers are welcome. However, when it comes to nudity in public, Americans tend to be shyer than Europeans. Read on.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A Couple of Recommended Blogs

Diary of a Nudist

Nude, we resemble one another...

and

Nudist Day

Nudist Day’s mission is to provide relevant information to people who adhere to this lifestyle. Nudist Day believes in true naturism, and will not knowingly promote anything that it deems is an affront to the wholesomeness of nudism.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Recommended link for free search engine submission



Search Engine Optimization and SEO Tools

Naturist-Christians.org

Welcome to Naturist-Christians.org where we are serving God naturally! Want to know who we are or what it means to be a Christian and a naturist? Click on learn below. Want to get connected with other people? Choose community. If you want to know how you can get involved and help us out, click on give.

Visit the site!

Telegraph.co.uk: Nudity in the home

Outside the home, families tend to behave with a certain conformity. But behind closed doors, there is no such thing as standard behaviour. Some families keep guinea pigs. Others eat Marmite. Some watch The Vicar of Dibley. But no habit splits the nation so dramatically as nudity.

Some of us wander quite happily about in nothing but our birthday suits. Others view nakedness as a brief but necessary state between, say, a bath and pyjamas.

Read more

Monday, November 16, 2009

Nudist Explorer.com



Nudist Explorer.com is a powerful search engine designed to finding nudist / naturist web sites. You will get highly relevant results on nudist resorts, beaches and family naturist living. No adult sites!

Nudist
Explorer.com


Master of the Figure



Unfortunately most people today do not recognize the name or the art of William Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905). That’s a shame, because not only is he my favorite artist, but in my mind he belongs on the same platform with the other great artists – especially figurative painters – of all time. His technical ability is universally regarded as impeccable, and he was greatly admired by most of his artistic contemporaries. Today his paintings are typically the most popular pieces in a museum or collection.

Full blog post

Home Nudists

Some people do not visit nudist beaches or nudist resorts, but go nude frequently at home. Many of these “home nudists” would reject the label of “nudist” due to the feared stigma of the term. Whatever you call yourself though, nudity at home can make your home life much more comfortable and low-stress. Many young couples, perhaps over half, wander around their home naked, at least sometimes, for reasons other than showering or sex. Couples are less likely to go nude around the house by the time they have children, but some do anyway.

Full post

goTopless.org

Welcome to GoTopless.org! - We are a US organization, claiming that women have the same constitutional right to be bare chested in public places as men.

Maitreya, Rael, spiritual leader and founder of goTopless.org states: "as long as men can be topless, constitutionally women should have the same right, or men should also be forced to wear something hiding their chest."

Click here to visit the site!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

MSNBC Covers Clothing Optional Vacations

Step Out of Your Box


For the final challenge, the women didn't wear knee pads, parachutes or...anything at all. As Ali starts to strip down on the beach for the skinny-dipping challenge, the women are all in shock. "Are you serious?" Yanick asks. "She's kidding. She's kidding."

Eventually, the women realize this is not a joking matter. Slowly, all the women but Robin run—completely naked—into the ocean. "The great thing about these three things was that you couldn't predict who was going to excel," Ali says. "I was thinking: 'There's no way Jane's going to get naked. I can just tell.' ... As soon as I showed my girls, [there's Jane], naked, running past me into the ocean."

More here at Oprah's site

Friday, November 13, 2009

Berling blog: Nowadays nudism is an essential part of our society.

Most people live this style of life in a very liberal way and each day they discover a new form of nudism. They just enjoy the harmony of their body and soul with the beautiful nature. But one thing is very clear: nudism isn’t only healthy for us, but also for the environment. Why don’t you join the nudism movement and participate in fighting against the alarming increase in global warming?

But why is going around without any clothes on so eco-friendly?

Nude Beach Thrives In New Jersey

Gunnison Beach, a clothing-optional beach in Sandy Hook, N.J., brings out about 5,000 visitors on sunny summer weekends.

Sunbathers here are protective of their little piece of paradise — and their privacy.

There have been nude bathers at Gunnison for years, even before it became a clothing-optional beach. It officially opened as a clothing-optional beach not long after it was decommissioned as a military base in 1972.

Full story at NPR

Clothing-Optional/Nude/Free Beaches



In this episode we discuss naturist beaches with Judy Williams. For the last few decades, she has been the leading force behind Vancouver's Wreck Beach, one of the most famous nude beaches in the world. She tells us how she got involved in naturism and takes us on a narrative tour of Wreck Beach. She also provides practical advice for anyone who wants to create a nude beach in their area.

Contributing link

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Photo: Women of all sizes appear nude in Glamour magazine

The November issue of Glamour magazine features a several-page spread of seven nude plus-size models that has everyone talking about how models should look. Glamour magazine is single handedly trying to change the way we think about models and ourselves.

In August, Glamour magazine ran a non-airbrushed nude photo of Lizzie Miller, a 12-14 plus size model. The public reaction to the photo was so positive that Lizzie Miller appeared on The Today Show, CNN, Good Morning America and other shows. So Glamour magazine has done it again.

Link

East German nudists let it all hang out, 20 years on


PREROW, Germany — "It has nothing to do with sex," insisted Udo Schumacher, 64, as he stood, stark naked, on a beautiful but bracing beach in Prerow in what was once communist East Germany.

"If you go in and experience how lovely it is to swim with a naked body, and come out without wet trunks on, you feel healthy. And if you can get over the fact that you are naked, it is great," he told AFP back in August.

"Freikoerperkultur" ("Free body culture"), or "FKK" for short, was hugely popular in the otherwise highly restrictive German Democratic Republic (GDR), much more so than in West Germany.

And 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall this November 9, the habit is still going strong, and has even attracted a loyal band of followers from what was West Germany to the beaches of the east.

With life so tightly controlled in other ways -- no freedom of speech, little freedom to travel, the Stasi secret police spying on citizens -- FKK was a rare liberty that people made full use of in the GDR.

Read more.

Nude Nite is a juried art exhibition

Since 1997, Nude Nite is a juried art exhibition with hundreds of artists celebrating the body beautiful by creating a bazaar-like atmosphere of artistic talents not only in photographs and paintings, but also in live body painting, sensual performances, shapely sculpture and experimental installations. The abundance of imagery makes Nude Nite a “must-see event.”

Here is the site for more info

85% of Americans are Vitamin Deficient

For some reason, American doctors went overboard scaring people about skin cancer and the sun. Many Americans are now scared of the sun. They never go outdoors without covering up and using a high SPF sunscreen. Now we find that 85% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient.

I believe in moderation. Everyone should get some sun. When you are in the sun, your body naturally produces its own Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D has many health benefits from preventing breast cancer and prostate cancer, to helping the cardiovascular system.

Last year I wrote about the President of the Italian Dermatology Association recommending people spend two hours per day in the sun total body sunbathing. The doctor recommended total body sunbathing.

Click here for the full blog post

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Top 10 Best Nude Beaches


Nude sunbathing has long been a cherished all-American tradition, from Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn cavorting in their birthday suits to Norman Rockwell's idyllic portraits of youngsters splashing at the swimming hole. Today stripping down is increasingly popular and accepted; financially strapped municipalities have even discovered that going topless – and more – improves the bottom line. Psychological studies show that shedding clothes and inhibitions in a non-judgmental environment can decrease stress and improve self-esteem.

Just remember some bare necessities. Naturists are not exhibitionists; they believe literally getting back to nature promotes interpersonal acceptance and enhances comfort within one's own skin. Show respect and practice etiquette. While there's no denying the scenery can be eye-catching in more ways than one, gawking is gauche, as is snapping away on your mobile (at least ask permission!). Observe common beach courtesy: clean up your mess, don't assume that nude equals lewd, cover up before leaving the clothing-optional section, and keep your hands (and comments) to yourself. Most nude beaches are family-friendly, with their own advocacy groups who throw parties, volunteer to clean up litter, and handle harassers; indeed naturists are often better behaved than their clothed beachcombing brethren. Unless the beach advertises amenities, bring your own water, food, towels (always put something between your assets and the ground), etc. Foremost, know the law, which varies from state to state, even town to town. Look for (and obey) signage.

We have the skinny on the best skinny dipping spots in the U.S.: Don't forget your sunscreen!

Click here for full story and pictures.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Cap d'Agde, "Naked City"

Want to bank naked? Shop naked? Dine naked? Buy baguettes at a brasserie naked? Lay out on a vibrant Mediterranean beach naked? Visit Cap d'Agde, the world's capital of nudism. More

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Dutch sauna experience


If you can muster the courage to drop your drawers amongst strangers then there are wonderfully warm and soothing Dutch saunas waiting for you. Expatica offers insight into the group sauna experience and a run down on a sauna near you. Read on

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Saturday, October 17, 2009

10 Traveler’s Tips For Rocking A Nudist Beach

Being naked on the beach gives you the feeling of being free and in union with nature. And it is rather natural, considering that humans only started to wear clothes 72,000 years ago. For more than half of our existence we have been nudists.

Read full article

Basic nudists' vocabulary

Some terms used to describe nudists, naturists, or those who simply like to be nude sometimes.

Click here