What is nudism and what's it all about?

I am a nudist, and this is an article about what, in my mind, nudism is all about, and what's so great about it.

I’ve been a nudist for about 3 years now, since the spring when was 15. My sister Kat is also a nudist, she’s only been into it for less than 2 years though. Our mum isn’t a nudist, but she does go nude sometimes and is pretty open-minded and is cool with me and Kat leading this lifestyle.

So what is nudism, and why am I a nudist?

Well, I’ll answer the first question first. Nudism is a lot of different things to different people. It even gets called different things. Some people call it nudism, other people, who don’t like the use of the word “nude” and want to make more of the natural aspects of the lifestyle, call it naturism, and some people just call it clothes-free or clothing-optional living.

(Personally I mostly use the term nudism as you can probably tell. I like it more, and I don’t think it’s negative at all).

Basically though what it all comes down to is doing stuff without clothes on. Naked. Nude. In the buff, etc. etc. It could mean going to stay at resorts or camps where people can go nude freely. It could mean going to beaches or parks where people are allowed to be nude. Or it could just be doing whatever you normally do at home or out in the garden, just without clothes on. It could be all or some of these things together. Or it could be that you have completely your own ideas as to what it is.

But the main thing is that it involves going nude. For me and my sister, cuz we’ve never been to a resort, and only been to a beach on holiday, nudism basically means that, in the privacy of our home, we don’t very often wear clothes. I still do the same things everyone else does; watch TV, do homework, eat dinner, surf the internet, listen to music, watch DVDs – I just do it with no clothes on. Probably 90% of the time at home, one or both of us is nude. We both sleep in the nude and in summer we sunbathe nude in the back garden.

Obviously having a cool mum who is happy about us doing this stuff helps loads and our situation is pretty different from a lot of other young nudists, who might have to hide their nudism from their parents. But being in the closet about your nudism doesn’t stop you from being a nudist: so long as you enjoy being nude, IMO, you’re a nudist.

So why would someone enjoy being nude? Why do I like it?

Well, one of the main reasons I like it is the feeling of freedom it gives me. Being without clothes is a really free, liberating feeling; coming home from college and getting undressed is a fantastic way to unwind and de-stress. And just generally not wearing clothes is, for me, the ultimate feeling of freedom.

A second major reason to go nude is that it’s a comfort thing. I’ve never been someone who found clothes restrictive and I certainly don’t hate clothes, but I have to say, I’m more comfortable nude than any other way, and in my own home I like to feel as comfortable as possible, so I don’t wear clothes. It’s an especially good way to get comfortable on a hot summer’s day. I guess that this all kinda links up with the feelings of freedom, but it’s also just physically comfy to sit around without clothes on.

There’s also a particular sensation to being nude that I like. When I’m nude, as more of my skin is exposed, I can feel things more. That might sound a bit weird, but go outside on a slightly breezy day and take your clothes off and you’ll understand what I mean! It’s a very nice sensation to be nude, being able to feel the fabric of the chair you’re sitting on directly against your skin, for example, is much nicer than just feeling your clothes every time!

This is another one which probably sound pretty weird, but being nude also gives me a feeling of being closer to nature. Obviously this doesn’t really apply to being nude at home, but maybe in the back garden or other occasions being nude outside, it just feels a lot more, well, natural to not wear clothes. You might feel differently of course but to me walking in the woods nude is better than doing it fully dressed.

The other big thing about nudism which is great is that it encourages body acceptance and helps people to feel happier about themselves and how they look. Going nude has helped me to accept who I am – before I discovered it I was a bit insecure about my body, but through nudism I’ve been able to really accept myself and get really confident to the point where I have no worries about what people think about how I look. Obviously here social nudity (being nude with other nude people) is a great thing too, cuz being able to see other people nude with all their imperfections is a great way to realise you shouldn’t worry about your own. I haven’t got much experience of that myself but certainly among my close friends it’s done a lot of good!

Finally, of course, there’s the fact that sunbathing nude give you a great all-over tan and no pesky tan-lines. And swimming nude means no wet costume to make you uncomfortable.

So, freedom, comfort, sensation, naturalness, body-acceptance and practical benefits. To me, that’s what nudism is about. You might agree or you might have your on ideas. But what is nudism not about?

Well, firstly, nudism has nothing to do with sex. It’s a common belief in our society that all nudity is sexual, but that’s simply not the case. Sure, people having sex are usually nude, but that doesn’t mean that all nude people are having sex. Think about it – you’re nude to shower, change clothes etc. There’s nothing sexual about that, is there? All naturists really do is, after the shower or whatever, they don’t bother to get dressed.

I’m not gonna deny that all nudity is non-sexual – that would be silly cuz obviously people are nude to have sex, if you look at a picture of a naked girl in a magazine it’s obviously got a sexual meaning, etc. etc. But nudists don’t go nude for sexual reasons, and nudist beaches and resorts aren’t orgies, they're places where families and people of all ages go to enjoy being nude. Nudists are no different to anyone else in that way, we’re just ordinary people who go nude because we like it, for many of the reasons I’ve already given.