Get thee to a Nudist Colony!

Ok, first up, I am not a fan of the term Nudist Colony, but you instantly knew the type of place I meant. There are several terms to describe places where people from all walks of life go, where they can embrace a lifestyle they enjoy with other like-minded people. Nudist Club, Naturist Park, Sun Club, take your pick. Even among those who frequent such places, there is division over the labels used to describe the activity.

Nudist or Naturist? Often interchanged, some people prefer one over the other, while others don’t really care. Some purists will insist that a nudist is someone who simply enjoys being naked, whereas a naturist lives a lifestyle in harmony with nature, and nudity is only a part of that philosophy.

Whatever they call themselves, there is one thing that they will all agree on. They are not Naturalists. Well, they might be but that is something completely different. It is possible to be both a Naturist and a Naturalist, but confusing the two to describe being naked, will invoke a reaction from most Nudists and Naturists.

A Naturalist is someone who is an expert in or student of natural history. David Attenborough is probably the world's best-known Naturalist. He may well also be a Naturist, but if he is, he doesn’t share that part of his life.  

One of the ways to annoy a group of naturists is to call them naturalists, something the media often do out of ignorance rather than malice.

Naturism is a practice that has gained popularity despite the general impression that it is abnormal or deviant. You probably know a naturist already, but they may not be comfortable sharing that part of their life with you. Not because they are ashamed, but to save you from your embarrassment.

Nudist Club, Naturist Park, Sun Club, call them what you like, but the places where nudists or naturists congregate all share similar characteristics. Things like body shaming, gender bias and prejudice are rarely seen while inclusiveness, understanding and compassion are in abundance.

While these naturist places all sound idyllic, there are rules and expectations, as there are in any group or organisation. Make an inappropriate suggestion or comment to someone, and you will quickly find out how tolerance only goes so far. The naturist philosophy, embraced by most nudist clubs and naturist parks, draws a strong distinction between nudity and sex. While naturists and indeed all people are sexual beings, sexual displays and activities are a private matter between consenting adults and are to be kept private.  

Naturist places are at pains to promote non-sexual nudity and to create a family-friendly environment. The public perception that because everyone is naked, these are not safe places for children, could not be further from the truth. Children bought up with access to naturist venues often have a better sense of self-image, a better appreciation for diversity and a healthier attitude to the human body. Many of the problems that people experience come from the shame and fear that we have taught them since childhood, to feel about themselves and nakedness.

Except for some Free Beaches, where there can be instances of voyeuristic people lurking in the sand dunes with sexual intent, Naturist venues are free from sexualised displays or activities. These dune dwelling men (they are nearly always men) are given the nickname meerkats by naturists, as they pop up, look around, and then hide again. These meerkats are on the hunt, but often for connections with other meerkats, and they rarely interact with others. They are easily frightened off if confronted but may become a persistent feature of some beach areas. The publicity that they attract often gives a naturist beach a bad name with the public at large and causes officials to restrict all naked activity rather than dealing with the offending few. Yet again an example of a few individuals ruining things for everyone.

The belief that nudity equals sex, is a myth that naturists fight hard to dispel. I am sure that sex does happen at naturist venues, but in the privacy of people's accommodation, as it does in all other areas of life. 

Exposing children to the naked human form does less damage to them than hiding away the realities of the human body and creating mystery and secrecy around nudity. Children are curious and will ask questions, and we should answer them honestly and openly. If all our children see are the airbrushed and manipulated images designed to promote an unrealistic ideal of beauty, then no wonder they grow up with a warped sense of self-image. No one is perfect, and the sooner we allow our children to realise this in the real world, the better people they will become.

There are other rules and conventions at naturist venues that once understood address the many concerns that some people have about visiting such places.

Hygiene is a biggie. Introducing the towel. Douglas Adams was onto something when he wrote the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. “A towel is just about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can carry.” And so it is in the Naturist world. The towel is used as something to sit on to keep surfaces clean for others. One should always know where their towel is.

What if I get aroused? More of a problem for the men in the group, but the startling reality is that it is extremely rare. The sight of a naked body in a non-sexual and non-alluring way is just not that sexy. People doing ordinary things but without clothing, soon becomes mundane and routine. The paradox is that after a few minutes, you stop seeing naked bodies, you just see people. Should a problem arise, then it can easily be covered by the aforementioned towel.  

Women, periodically, have the need to wear hygiene items. The wearing of underwear or bikini bottoms to help hold things in place is common. For newcomers to naturism, wearing something that may signal a perfectly normal bodily function might seem like a way to draw attention to it, but this is not something that anyone else will worry about. Period shame is another thing that society has been effective at teaching women, and something that many regular visitors to naturist venues no longer suffer from. 

There is a misconception that nudists and naturists spend every living moment naked, and this is far from the truth. Some embrace the totally nude lifestyle, but most wear clothes frequently, in colder weather or in social or work situations where nudity would be awkward for others. As previously mentioned, nudists don’t wear clothes to save themselves from embarrassment, they wear them to save others from embarrassment.

The other essential item used by naturists is sunblock. Spending so much time outdoors without clothing does carry an increased risk of sunburn. Sunscreen is a naturists friend. In addition, keeping out of direct sunlight when burn times are at their shortest, using the natural shade of trees, or the artificial shade of sail cloths, verandas and umbrellas all help the naturist avoid the sting of too much sun.  

Another rule of the naturist club is no swimming costumes in the pool. Not Negotiable. It is considered a hygiene issue as germs and bacteria can grow very quickly on wet swimwear. The reality for many is that once you have experienced swimming naked, either in a pool or outside in a river or the ocean, you will never want to put on swimwear again. The feeling of freedom is something that can’t be replicated in a swimsuit. Naked swimming is good for your skin, your health and your mind.

Interestingly, there is such a stigma attached to the act of social nudity, when the health and well-being benefits are well documented and something that many in today's world could easily benefit from. Being naked outside is an easy way to increase your exposure to vitamin D, an essential nutrient for bone and tooth strength, and contributes to a healthy immune system. Society has a conditioned response to nudity as being dirty or naughty and something to be ashamed of, when in reality there are numerous benefits we can all gain, at little to no financial cost.

Imagine a world where there is gender equality. Where men, women, and people who identify with any gender definition, can be free to be themselves without criticism or judgement.  

To experience this, get thee to a Naturist Park.

Imagine a world where clothed and non-clothed people exist side by side, indifferent to the dress code of each other, simply enjoying the fresh air and the sunshine. Where it doesn’t matter what you wear or don’t wear when you swim.

To experience this, get thee to a Free Beach.

Imagine a world where people listen to what you have to say and what you bring to a conversation, without pre-judging you based on your appearance. Where people are genuinely interested in who you are. Where it doesn’t matter what you do for a living, everyone is on the same level, from doctors to shelf stackers, lawyers to the unemployed, everyone is the same.

To experience this, get thee to a Sun Club.

Imagine discovering that there is no perfect body and that all the marketing and advertising companies have been selling you a lie, fooling you into giving over your hard-earned money to chase an ideal that doesn’t exist. Imagine a world where there is no body shame. Where people of all shapes and sizes accept each other for who they are, not what they look like. Where surgery scars and imperfections illustrate the tapestry of people's lives rather than define them as “less than normal”.

To experience this, get thee to a Nudist Colony.

Thank you for reading, have a comfortable day.