New to Social Nudity?

If you are considering social nudity, you are to be commended. Just bringing it into the realm of possibility can be a huge step. You are challenging beliefs you hold about yourself (and your body) and other beliefs that have been imposed on us throughout our lives. Some of these beliefs and/or fears include:

My body is unattractive and doesn’t measure up.

Everyone else will look better than me. I’m too fat; too skinny; too many scars, too ______ etc.

I don’t want people looking at me.

Modesty is a virtue and public nudity is wrong.

It’s against my religious beliefs.

I’m afraid I might see someone I know.

I’m afraid my family or friends might find out.

I'm afraid I’ll get aroused.

Rest assured, the above beliefs and fears are all very common and almost everyone who has tried social nudity has experienced them. In fact, fear of public nudity is quite natural given that most of us have been socialized since childhood to feel that exposing our bodies in mixed company is wrong or even sinful. Add to that the body image issues that most of us struggle with and it is no wonder that “taking the plunge” can be such a daunting task.

Rather than regurgitating theories and beliefs about the benefits of social nudity or offering arguments to the issues above, we’d simply like to offer some quotes from people about their experiences. Consider them and see if anything resonates with you.

“The freedom of being nude in natural surroundings with other people with the same attitude is wonderful.”

“That first anticipated 'bare' moment has now come and gone. And my recollection of it brings many descriptive words to mind: natural, liberating, freeing, exhilarating, sensual yet non-sexual, energizing, rejuvenating and so much more. And for me, the 'so-much-more' includes spiritual reconnection. “

“I stood up and took off my swim suit. And guess what? Nothing happened. No earthquake. No bolt of lightning. Nothing. Everyone went about their business.”

“I have a complete change in my self body image. Before my first experience I was very self conscious of my body....now I am extremely confident in my body.”

“Examination of the Scriptures led us to the conclusion that simply being nude, and being nude with others was not in conflict with our Bible. We spoke to some of the other guests and we enjoyed our time there so much we really hated to leave.”

“It was exhilarating and embarrassing at the same time. But there I was, hiding nothing. We headed for the pool. Swimming around naked felt so good and it kind of felt like I was covered.”

On the way home my wife said, "That's the first time I felt comfortable in my own skin."

“I felt healthy and noticed that I had developed more confidence.”

“I immediately meet the friendliest people and have formed lifelong friendships that I am very grateful for!”

“I took my suit off. It was strange to be standing on a public beach, NAKED! The truly shocking part was that no one looked twice!”

“Becoming a nudist saved our marriage.”

“The practice of social nudism has been a lifesaver due to the stress relief we enjoy while nude. One day nude around other people enjoying life in this wholesome environment is like a week in a luxurious clothed resort.”

“It took me maybe 20 seconds to take my clothes off. That whole summer was like the summer that I fell in love with myself and my body for the first time ever. The day I became really alive and whole again.”

“Sharing this experience with my wife has benefited her; she is more self-confident. And our marriage has benefited as well.”

“I found that the people there were so open and honest and non-judgmental.”

“I got naked. And no one stared. No one laughed. No one pointed and whispered. Sure, my heart raced for a while. I thought, "I can't believe I'm doing this!" But it wasn't long before my interior monologue changed to: "I can't believe it took me 42 years to do this!"

“I looked around the small group of people; they were all different shapes and sizes and they were so comfortable in their own skin. I knew at that moment the feelings they had were what I wanted. The weekend was probably one of the best of my life. But most importantly, I was beginning to see past my insecurities and in my own skin I felt, honest, liberated and so very free. I was slowly but surely learning to love everything about myself. In doing so, in learning to accept who I am on the outside, I can fully concentrate and love my entire person, both inside and out.”

“Their approach was that they (or I) did not HAVE to be naked all the time while doing everything! THIS was the freedom I was looking for! I did not HAVE to be nude; I could CHOOSE to be nude. It is freeing, and I found myself enjoying it.”

“The sense of freedom being a nudist has given me has allowed me to learn acceptance of others and myself. I’ll never look like the models on TV or in magazines but I don’t want to anymore. I like myself today.”

“At first, the sight of other nude guests may be a little startling. However, you'll soon discover that nudists are amazingly comfortable in their own skin.”

“I quickly learned that being nude is actually quite natural, what you might call a life enhancing experience. Why? Because having gone nude in a social setting, I now accept who I am and feel comfortable with my own body. Experiencing who I am on the inside has become more important to me than what I look like on the outside.”

“Now, whether I'm at a nudist club or at my job, my self-esteem says, 'Hey, I am a beautiful person!' My whole being is more relaxed; I've never been this confident."

“All I can say is why did I wait so long to do this?”

“My wife and I agreed that we should have done this sooner! Why did we wait so long?”

“After only a few hours, I felt so completely relaxed and rejuvenated. My only regrets were that I hadn't done this sooner and had to get dressed and go home.”

“My only regret is that I waited so long to discover the wonderful experience of social nudism and how friendly people are at nudist clubs.”

Well, if you have read this far we assume you are at least open to the possibility of trying social nudity yourself. If so, here are a few tips on getting started and easing into the lifestyle. Realize true social nudity is not about sex. It is simply people getting together socially without clothing. For many people, nudity is only associated with sexual activity or bathing or showering. To begin to feel comfortable with your own nudity outside of these contexts, when you’re home alone, try doing some common things without clothing. These might include reading a book, checking your e-mail, watching TV, doing some household chores or simply walking through the house. Once you are somewhat comfortable indoors and if privacy allows, try stepping outside for a moment. Since a good deal of social nudist activities tend to take place outside, it can be helpful to first experience what this will feel like on your own.

Give some thought as to where you would like to have your first social nudity experience. For some it might be easier in a large group of people such as a public nude beach or a large nudist resort. However, for many, a small, more intimate experience such as a clothing optional bed and breakfast with only a few other people around may prove less threatening and provide the ideal environment to “ease in.”

Being in a hot tub or pool often makes those first few moments of public nudity easier. You can experience the sensuous feeling of the water over your entire body, carry on a conversation with those nearby and still feel covered.

For your first experience, it can be helpful to go somewhere at least a few hours away from where you live. It lessens the chance of seeing anyone you know (plus it’s much easier to disrobe for the first time with only strangers around) and it lets you feel like you are away from the normal pressures of daily life. Make it a vacation and turn the whole experience into an adventure.

If you’ve been considering social nudity, we hope the above is helpful and has provided you some new insights. To sum up, one final quote that we believe says it all:



“I am yet to see the "perfect" body but I have met some of the greatest people I will ever meet in my life. When you're naked with other people it's as real as it gets and I have found that nudists are as nice as people come. So this is why I titled this "My Biggest Regret" because I regret that I waited so long to get out and be naked with other like-minded people. If the thought has ever crossed your mind, just go get naked. You won’t regret it.”