A large reason many people are not more comfortable with nudity
is simply that they are rarely (if ever) exposed to nudity in a normal,
everyday, non-sexual context. However, when people are exposed to
unashamed nudity they often become comfortable with it very quickly.
This is a place to share experiences of others encountering our unashamed
nudity (as opposed to our grabbing for clothes). Experience shows
that most such encounters are positive and often help others overcome their
body shame. It could have been planned or unexpected, at home, at
a beach, pond, or pool, gym, on a trail, anywhere! If you have a
story you would like to share, please send it to
Hopefully the stories shared here will encourage others to be more open
about nudity, helping to strike many blows against body shame.
Most recent stories
listed first.
No Fear
Ever since I was young I longed to know what it felt like to feel free
about my body. I wanted to be free of the fear of being seen naked
by others (particularly of the other gender), and I wanted to know the
freedom of feeling the sunshine all over my body. I wished I could
run or bike in the open air and feel the breeze all over. I wanted
to know what it felt like to jump into a pool or lake or the ocean without
a soggy suit clinging to my skin.
My first real taste of that freedom came late one night when my wife
and I took advantage of the quiet country road near our home for a bike
ride au natural. It was great! It just felt so wonderful to
be outdoors; to feel the cool evening air all over. It was refreshing
and exhilirating.
The next time was not wearing suits when soaking in a jacuzzi.
This was no big deal because it was just my wife and I in the privacy of
a locked room. But one night her sister joined us. She had
no problem with nudity, so this became my first social experience.
Again, I enjoyed the freedom from clothing that was not needed, and cherished
this opportunity to think of myself and others beyond our physical bodies.
You can only sit and soak in a hot tub for so long, so we headed outdoors
into the delightful evening air. It was great to be unencumbered
by both a wet suit and by the mentality of shame about one¹s body.
It was so natural. Nudity cannot be equated with sex and lust.
We walked in an open field, and skinny-dipped in a pond before heading
back to the jacuzzi. That was a great experience.
Unfortunately I don¹t live in a rural setting any more, and it¹s
been years since I¹ve been in a jacuzzi. So the opportunity
to be clothes free is gone. I¹ve still never walked free in
the sunlight, or been to a clothing optional beach, or gotten an all-over
tan, but I hope to experience those things some day. I wish I could
go for my early morning run without having to throw on clothes that only
get soaked with sweat and then must be washed and dried.
I really recommend checking out the stories of "Sunny Day" at her website.
This young person has a great attitude about the clothes-free experience
and how it has been a wonderful part of her friendships with others.
Great reading! Check it out.
John Doe
First visit to nude beach
When I was twelve-years-old, I went with sister and my new (by only
a couple of days) stepsister to a nude beach in northern Oregon. We weren't
looking for it, we accidentally stumbled upon it when we took a walk along
the shore. It intrigued us, so we decided to blend (while keeping our swimsuits
on) in as if we were supposed to be there. It was a little strange at first.
There were at least a hundred people on the beach, of all ages, including
entire families. We were there only about ten or fifteen minutes before
we started to feel awkward, being three of only a handful of people who
weren't nude. It felt almost exactly like what I imagined it would be like
to be the only nude person on a "regular" beach. While we were playing
around in the water, we joked around and took off our swimsuits, fully
intending to put them back on before we got out of the water. My sister
and stepsister said that they would follow suit (no pun intented) if I
walked out of the water and back to our towels on the sand without putting
my suit back on. I bravely took on the challenge and did just that. A few
minutes later, they did the same. Now, keep in mind that I was twelve,
and was already in full puberty by this point. My stepsister was gorgeous,
and already had the body of an eighteen-year-old, despite being only thirteen.
Needless to say, I was quite attracted to her, and had been since we first
met months earlier. Because of my inability to control erections at that
age, I was petrified that I would get an erection around her, but to my
delight I discovered that the situation was anything but sexual, and I
had no erection issues at all. I felt completely relaxed and natural, and
before long all three of us forgot that we were even nude at all. We spent
about an hour or so on the beach after that, and we enjoyed it immensely.
After putting our swimsuits back on and returning downshore to the "normal"
part of the beach, we told our parents and grandparents about our experience
at the nude beach. They were shocked, but didn't get upset or anything.
It was such a positive experience, that I still remember it fondly as if
it were yesterday.
MJ
First time at the nude
beach
I live in New Jersey, where there is only one legal nude beach in the
entire state, at Sandy Hook. One day, a good female friend and I
drove down the shore to soak up some sun. Neither one of us ever
seen each other naked before so when we arrived at the nude beach on a
whim, we were both reluctant to shed our cloths at first, especially around
each other since we were not lovers. But after a while of seeing
others nude and realizing how ridiculous we felt, we both just decided
to do it. Shed it ALL. Facing away from each other at first,
we stripped bare and ran into the water. After a few
minutes, we both loosened up and got really comfortable, not caring at
being naked. We frolicked in the water, took a very long walk down
the beach, and enjoyed each others company that day; all while being naked
and with no sexual tension or shame. It was one of the most wonderful
experiences I got to share with somebody and hope to continue it in the
future when summer comes around again. Neither one of us had ever
gone nude in public before, or with a friend of the opposite sex.
For those, friends and lovers, who thought about going bare at the beach,
do it and do it with someone. ITS SO MUCH FUN!!
JG
Closet Nudists (Long
article HERE)
Conquering Fear
All my life I've enjoyed being nude by myself whenever possible. However,
I was very shy about being seen nude by anyone because of my "size". I
would go to secluded places, remove my clothes and enjoy the freedom of
being nude. I would go to a local beach, go out to the deep water, remove
my swimsuit and carry it in my hand. I was told by different people that
nudist resorts wouldn't welcome unmarried men. For this reason and the
one mentioned above, I waited until age 55 to try social nudity. One place
was very unfriendly because I was alone without a female partner. I contacted
another nudist club in Michigan that was very friendly and accepting. I
went there and got an application for membership. I mailed it back to them
and was contacted and told to come to their next board meeting, and they
voted me in as a member! That was in March (very cold here). In May when
it warmed up enough to go nude, I drove there, undressed at my car and
said, "Well, here goes!" I very self-consciously walked out to where other
nude people were, and it wasn't long before I realized that no one was
staring or laughing at me. I quickly wondered and have ever since, "Why
didn't I try this decades ago?" I've also noticed that most men aren't
built any bigger than I am. Many of the people are quite heavy. There is
no reason for anyone to fear trying social nudity because of the shape
of their body--as I did. There are four nudist clubs here in Michigan,
and I'm so glad I am a member of one of them! I can't wait for warm weather.
I'm not a cold weather person; I'm going South when I retire. Try it! You'll
love it as I do!
J. Palmiter
Telling Family
Shortly
after my new wife joined me in the nudist lifestyle we both agreed we should
tell our families we were nudists. We did this by sending them all
postcards from Cypress Cove in Florida where we were on vacation.
The postcards had very tasteful pictures of men and women swimming and
sunbathing in the nude and we simply wrote on the cards that we were having
a great time and that they should all try a nudist vacation sometime.
When we returned home we discovered that our families were quite nonchalant
about the whole thing. Their view was that if we enjoyed nudism go
right ahead but don't assume they will be rushing to join us. Apart from
my son none of them have expressed any interest in becoming nudists but
we did have an interesting experience when my wife's sister visited us
for two weeks last February at our winter home in Florida. My wife
and I are nearly always nude around the house. In deference to Louise
we both covered up in pareos for the first few days of her visit but it
was quite obvious neither of us was wearing anything underneath.
Then on the 3rd or 4th day my wife, without thinking, and as she always
does, walked out totally nude from the shower into the family room where
Louise and I were having breakfast. She immediately realized what
she had done and turned to go and put something on. We were surprised
when Louise said that if she preferred to be nude that wasn't a problem,
just don't expect her to undress. She added that if I wanted to be
nude that would be OK too. Of course I stood up and took my
pareo off immediately. (Louise had been admiring my tan ever
since she arrived and she told me later she was itching to see if it really
did extend all over my body.) Although Louise never went nude during
her visit she did start wearing a pareo and nothing else. She found
this to be very comfortable in the warm weather we were enjoying at the
time and she indicated that she might dispense with it the next time she
visits us - she said that while she was not bothered one iota about my
wife and I being nude in her company, she needed more time to get used
to the idea of being nude herself. I am sure if we had not told her
years ago that we were nudists none of this would have happened.
I think that because she already knew that we were nudists she came half
expecting to find us walking around in the nude from time to time, not
closing the bathroom door when we were showering and that sort of thing.
I also think she realized we were covering up just for her and didn't want
us to do anything different from our normal routine just for her benefit.
The moral of the story? Go ahead and tell your family you are nudists.
They likely won't care one way or the other and have probably guessed already.
Brian D.
Cleaning out
At some friends house, helping them clean out a storage area they
where going to remodel, as it was hot we where all working much more comfortably
nude. When another couple unexpectedly showed up, since my friends
did not go for cover, neither did I. After visiting on the deck for
a while the opportunity of soaking in the spa was offered, after a bit
of hesitation they said sure, stripped and we had a great soak. Then
they helped us clear out some more junk, still nude, a meal, more visiting,
and another soak in the spa. Before they left they said that they
had never been in a spa or worked nude before, alone or around others,
they really enjoyed it, and would be nude much more often. After
the other couple left, I told my friends that if it had just been me, I
would have gone for cover when the other couple showed up, they laughed
and said that if I hadn't been there, that's just what they would have
done too! Since that day the other couple have visited, soaked, and
gone swimming, in the nude, with my friends several times.
David 
Lake Willoughby
About thirty of us were wading nude on the south shore of beautiful
Lake Willoughby in Vermont a few years ago when we heard the voices of
a family approaching. In the silence of the place, it was easy to
understand the words of the husband when he told his wife, "The trail book
didn't mention this sort of activity here!" The group passed, but
then returned five minutes later to undress and join the rest of us for
an afternoon in the sun. Although they live just 20 minutes from
the Ledges in Southern Vermont, and go there regularly now, they had no
idea what the clothing lifestyle was all about until that afternoon when
they accidentally discovered it.
Billy B.
At The Beach
Have you ever wondered why pornography is so popular? Surely, one of
the major reasons is: We are sexual, as well as thinking beings. We NEED
to know (especially when young) how do bodies look. Not only ours!
A young boy needs to know the appearance of other men's penises, women's
breasts and women's pubis's look like, all the same as their hands, face
or feet. But society rejects and condemns this need. So, a teen goes
and gets this vital information from magazines that promote an UNNATURAL
view of human body and sex. I'm not ashamed to say that I have done this.
On the contrary, I'm proud to say that I have explored my mind to find
the roots of unhealthy attitudes about human body that I have held, and
found the body taboo at the very bottom of it. Today I've found in naturism
a healthy, normal way to go about it. There's a common unhealthy
curiosity in many men as to whether a particular blonde has blond pubic
hair. I've been there, and there was no need to, it happened to my because
of a prude upbringing. So, what's this got to do with anything? Read on.
I just visited Zipolite beach in Oaxaca, México, and proudly announce
that I gained 4 people for the cause! You can do that too! When in
a public semi nudist place, you're bound to run into people who are not
nudists, but who would be open to the possibility. When the only
thing you're wearing is a smile, you have all the advantages for making
a strong point:
You are an example of what they can do at that very moment; They can realize
after a while that you are not a pervert and nothing bad is
happening to you because you are naked.
They already ARE in a place where nobody would protest their getting naked.
They are on vacation, away from acquaintances, so nobody will know.
Well, while in Zipolite, I was swimming (nude) with a couple of Canadian
girls (Debbie and Heather). The water was neck deep so they assumed I had
a swimsuit. When we got out it took ten seconds for them to be gone!
Next day, I saw them and, started chatting. Pretty soon, the conversation
turned to nudism. They were acting cool about it, saying nothing was wrong
with it. So I told them they should try. pointing out that this was the
perfect opportunity (no acquaintances, plenty other people nude on the
beach, etc.) Then left them to think about it. Next day, they were playing
dice and Debbie was topless. I congratulated Debbie for giving it
(literally) half a chance. Heather said that taking only the top
off was silly, and that had she taken anything at all off she would let
go of the whole bikini. So I proposed her to wager her nudity on
the dice! If I lost, I was to dance right there (believe me, dancing on
the beach feels silly, but try dancing NAKED on the beach for a silly,
but rather nice feeling) Luck was with me, she had to peel!
So she starts taking her clothes off, trying not to show her body. For
a moment there, she starts to look really stupid, trying to find cover
where there obviously isn't any! I could almost hear the click in her mind
as she suddenly realized that she could be totally free from a life long
prejudice in a split second. And then it happened: she stopped crouching
and stopped "casually" putting her hands on the strategic points and started
having the time of her life while playing dice. We kept on playing
with punishments, and pretty soon everybody (another guy had joined us)
was naked and having fun. I collected many rewards from this: first, me
and the world were no longer deprived from the beautiful view of their
young, healthy bodies, second, the look in Heather's face whith joy of
a newly found freedom thanking me: "You WERE RIGHT! This is GREAT!" And
third, I got a piece of information that I had been lacking my whole life
and had developed a sick attitude about: Afterwards, Heather confided to
me: "You know something, Juan? I had never realized this, but one of the
reasons for which I was afraid of my own nudity is because I'm blonde all
around my body!!!"
The other two were a mexican couple (Erika and Eduardo) who were sitting
on the beach, smoking, and I went to ask for a cigarette (I confess: rotten
smoker). Erika could not stop giggling, and Eduardo was polite but very
puzzled. So I just had to shoot:
- Never been in a clothes optional area, have you? Or ever considered
going naked, while here, for that matter?
Nope, and nope.
- May I ask why you don't consider going naked?
I'd noticed Eduardo getting some sand out of his swimsuit just before
I arrived, and pointed out one of the minor advantages of no swimsuits:
no sand IN the swimsuit. Still giggling, Erika said that she was
a bit fat and that he (major giggle) was a bit ashamed of the size of his
penis. (he kind of panicked)
- Erika: Have you seen the others' guys' penises while here?"
- (giggle) NO!
- "Well, Erika, a piece of news: guys around here do not cover their
penises because they don't mind if you take a casual, polite look. Is his
penis smaller than mine?
- (looking at it) nope...
- Smaller than that other guy's?
- Nope...
- Well, then Eduardo's idea is a fabrication. On the other hand, if
it were, the healthiest thing he could do is come to terms with it and
accept it, because the size of a man's penis is far from being the most
important thing in his life. As for you being fat, I can see that it's
also a fabrication. You are not a Cosmopolitan model, but loosing no more
than 8 pounds would get your body to PERFECT. Because perfect is not what
Cosmopolitan wants you to think: perfect is your own body when it is healthy.
So if you truly mind about your shape, the moment for shame is when you
overeat, not when you are naked. But (and I had to be blunt, but she later
thanked me) most importantly: do you realize that what you are arguing
is ABSOLUTELY an ILLUSION? She stared at me puzzled.
- Yep, you have the illusion that the bikini you are wearing does not
permit everyone else to see EXACTLY what shape you are in!!! Incredible
as it seems, most of us have the delusion that a measly swimsuit will cover
a pot belly, and so on. She looked a bit startled, but could not help noticing
that I had just told her the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth. After some five minutes of silence (watching a terrific show of
fishing pelicans) she simply stood up, took her swimsuit off and went for
a dip. And hey! She looked great! Eduardo remained a bit and could not
help taking a look at my penis and finally saying:
- "You're right! I guess my penis is not that bad...
I did not see them sunbathing or swimming in the sea with swimsuits
after that day!!!
Juan
First Time to Lifetime
My own experience with nudism started in England when I was 11 years
old. I attended a grammar school which had it's own swimming pool.
After PE classes we went into the pool in the nude. It was the wonderful
feeling of the water flowing over my naked body that convinced me even
at that early age that swimsuits were not for me. I've avoided them
ever since.
Shortly after I married for the first time I suggested to my wife that
we visit a nudist club. She was reluctant but we often went to a
well known beach where nudity was the norm. Gay stripped off and enjoyed
sunbathing in the nude but would not venture out of the sand dunes onto
the open beach. I kept on persuading to come with me to a club where
we could practice social nudity. Eventually and to my great pleasure
she agreed and we arranged to visit the naturist club near to where we
lived. When we arrived we found the grounds to be deserted so Gay
had no problem with undressing and settling down by the pool.
After a couple of hours she had to leave for a dental appointment.
When she returned another car followed her into the parking lot.
A man got out, she got out, they undressed together and came to join me.
Gay was hooked, she was a nudist, and from then on we often took our vacations
at nudist resorts in England and at Paradise Lakes after we moved to Canada.
We told her parents that we had become nudists and really enjoyed it. They
were most intrigued but would not join us, although they did start sunbathing
au naturel in the privacy of their back yard. After Gay and I immigrated
to Canada we bought a house with a pool and completely private backyard
where we could be nude whenever we wanted which was often! We soon
found that several of our new friends also enjoyed swimming and sunbathing
in the nude. We introduced other friends to social nudity through
the simple expedient of suggesting, "why don't we all go skinny-dipping?"
Few refused and most enjoyed it. In this way nudity became the norm
at Brian and Gay's place.
Ultimately our marriage broke down and we separated. It was then that
I met Georgia who is now my second wife. When we were planning one of our
vacations together I naturally suggested that we go to a nudist resort.
She also was reluctant at first but we talked it over and she agreed on
the grounds that I wouldn't ask her to do something that wasn't right and
on condition that we would leave if she didn't like it. So, in February
1987, off we went for two weeks at Paradise Lakes. We arrived late in the
evening after a long day of travel. After we checked into our condo
I said "let's go to the hot tub." "What, with nothing on?" Georgia
replied. "Of course" I said. So off we went. We arrived at
the hot tub, took off our robes (it was a cool evening), showered and joined
a few other couples in the water. After a few minutes she got out and sat
on the side to cool off. Her words to me were "there's nothing to
this, you don't even notice" that you and everyone else are naked.
She had become a nudist then and we had a great vacation. She told me that
being nude in a social situation with other people did wonders for her
self esteem and body image and she wished she'd found naturism much earlier
in her life.
Since that time we've enjoyed the nudist lifestyle together. We are
frequently nude around the house and of course we are always nude in our
hot tub. We joined the nudist club near Ottawa for a few years but
left when it fell into a state of decline. We always take our vacations
at clothing optional or preferably nudist resorts and have visited Paradise
many times, Cypress Cove, Como and Hidden Valley as well as resorts in
Mexico, Cuba, Spain, Yugoslavia and Lanzarote. After I retired we
spent our first winter in Florida at Paradise. Now we have a winter
home a few miles away, but have recently become members at Como which we
find more to our liking than Paradise as we are not party animals.
So I've been a lifelong nudist myself and have been lucky to marry two
ladies whose first experience of social nudity was good and who enjoyed
the lifestyle as much, if not more, than I do once they had been introduced
to it. Georgia insists that when we go on vacation we go to a nudist resort
or at least somewhere that is clothing optional. As I found out all
those years ago, and she agrees, swimsuits are to be avoided at all costs!
Brian D.
