What is Naturism?
Naturism is, in the most simplest way, a lifestyle enjoyed without clothing. Naturism, broadly interchangeable with ‘nudism’, is practiced by millions of people all over the world from a range of philosophical and cultural backgrounds; and has been done so for millennia.
The ‘International Naturist Federation’ (INF) 1974 definition of ‘naturism’ states,
“Naturism is a way of life in harmony with nature and is characterised by the practice of communal nudity with the intention of encouraging self-respect, respect for others and respect for the environment".
And whilst the INF states that it’s a ‘way of life’…we also understand that naturism is practiced differently amongst different people. And it’s true! It is a spectrum. The journey into and in naturism is a very unique one for each individual; and so its embodiment is different from person to person.
For some, the lifestyle is central to who they are, and so they like to live life and socialise in the nude as much as possible (subject to weather and legalities of course); whereas some like the occasional weekend at a nude beach, visit to naturist venue (campsite, resort etc) or gathering at a naturist event (nude hike, naked yoga etc). Others may only partake in the occasional skinny-dip when they’re feeling like it, and some may only ever prefer to practice nudity in the privacy of their own home. So, for some it’s a social thing, and for others it’s more solitary. It really all depends on the person; and this is why there really is no single naturist ideology.
Whilst, of course, there are ‘morals’ and ‘etiquette’ that one should uphold as a respectful member of the community (just as we also expect throughout society), it is not dogmatic in the way it is practiced.
It is simply a way of life, a choice, a practice, a ritual, that one can enjoy at their leisure; whether it be social or not, at home or out in nature.
And, may we just say, it’s the best kind of lifestyle choice…for a plethora of reasons! And, yes, we’re bias! Because we’ve directly experienced the empowerment that comes with going clothes-free…and we hope that you will too someday.
Read about the benefits of naturism here.
WHAT NATURISM IS NOT:
It is not sexual by nature.
Any practice of social nudity, within the naturist context (whether it be at a nude beach, naturist campsite, naturist event or resort), is of a non-sexual nature. Yes, non-sexual social nudity is possible; and this is often one of the most surprising facts for those curious about the lifestyles. But, is often one of the more challenging concepts to grasp for those outside looking in; and this is mainly due to societal, religious and cultural conditioning that has, ultimately, sexualised nudity.
In today’s society, there is a hyper-sexualisation of the human body. And, unfortunately, nudity and sex have become interchangeable concepts. But, we know that this is not actually the case. Nudity is not inherently sexual in and of itself.
And that is one of the beautiful things about the naturist lifestyle; it offers the empowering opportunity of experiencing one’s own nudity and body in a respectful and non-sexual environment that is removed from society’s sexualised gaze.
It is not a hedonistic playground.
Just because there is nudity involved, one does not get to do as one pleases without the consideration of others.
Nudity is NEVER consent. It is NOT a green light for inappropriate behaviour. Nudity is NOT an invitation for unsolicited sexual advances.
Naturist environments (including nude beaches) are not some beat.
It is not a cult.
Naturism is not some dogmatic ideology. Whilst there is etiquette and morals any respectable person would be expected to uphold (as is the case in all civilised societies), you can choose how you get to practice naturism. And whilst many naturist venues are ‘clothing-optional’ (based on the idea that most people will opt for nudity, but also aware of newbies who might be a little nervous starting out etc), there are some venues that prefer a more ’nudity compulsory’ kind of policy. So, depending on the kind of environment you’re looking for, policies can change from venue to venue, from club to club, so be sure to check out your chosen venue’s policy to make sure it’s right for you and what you’re looking for.
It is not about exhibitionism.
Confidence and/or comfortability in one’s own body should not be mistaken for exhibitionism.
Exhibitionism alludes to someone who gets gratification from exposing one’s genitals to unsuspecting and non-consenting people. Naturism, in no way, shares any fundamentality with this description or activity.
Naturism is not about exposing oneself to other people for gratification’s sake. Naturism is about someone merely delighting in the simple pleasure of enjoying their own nudity. Someone who merely enjoys being naked in nature, minding their own business by taking a skinny-dip or strolling along a clothing-optional beach, for example, does not fit the description of an exhibitionist.
But, the more designated clothing-optional areas the community has to enjoy naturism, the less chance there is of someone from the general public coming across such as ‘exhibitionistic’ skinny-dipper, right?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NATURISM AND NUDISM?
Whilst the terms are broadly interchangeable, some see ‘nudism’ as emphasising the practice of nudity for the sake of enjoying nudity, regardless of the environment (indoors or outdoors); whereas ‘naturism’ highlights an attitude that favours practicing nudity in harmony with nature and with respect for the environment.
So the main difference may be perceived as to how and where one may prefer to enjoy nudity.
Some merely do not like the feeling of wearing clothes or simply love the feeling of being naked, and so may prefer to live life at home and socialise in the nude as much as possible; whether it’s indoors or outdoors.
Whereas others may be inspired by nature and like the feeling of the sun on their bare skin and the invigoration of a skinny-dip, but then may also love to wear clothes day to day around the house.
Regardless, there is nothing wrong with either of these reasonings…it is simply an insight into the semantics of the interchangeability of the two terms.
And whilst some may prefer to use the term ‘naturist’ when speaking about their involvement in the lifestyle, this may also be due to the fact that, over time, the term ‘nudist’ seems to have gained a negative connotation…mostly due to misinformation, stigma and a lack of education on the subject.
Either way, most naturists/nudists aren’t too worried about semantics when it comes to terminology.