Who Am I, and Why Am I Naked?

When the going gets tough, try living in the buff!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to just let go for a while? I don’t mean walking away from your current life, or anything extreme like that; but to just get away and not worry about stuff for a bit. I, like many others, have tried to find serenity in a number of places: fitness, golf, booze, outdoors, music, and multiple other avenues, only to find short-term gratification. It’s amazing to think that, in theory, we are the same person for an entire lifetime: yet, some of us know so little about ourselves. What makes us happy, angry, sad? I feel these questions are fairly easy: we can recall these emotions and what put us there. I wanted to go beyond emotion. I wanted to bring about peace in myself.

It’s amazing to think that, in theory, we are the same person for an entire lifetime: yet, some of us know so little about ourselves.

So, tonight, I solidified my path as a naturist. For those that may not know: a naturist is an individual that “practices” nudity for the purpose of religion, health, or peace of mind. There was actually a lot of build-up to this decision. I didn’t just wake up and decide “I want to be a naturist.” It actually took my own personal mental health episode for me to realize that I needed something different. My past experiences have put me against using “meds” to maintain my mental health. I have many creative outlets and much more to learn about myself before I go that route. Which brings me here: I first became aware of naturism while I was lost in one of my YouTube rabbit holes. I started out with a search for a wrestling video, and ended up watching a podcast called “Naked and Serious” hosted by comedian Davina Joy. The video was obviously censored because I was on YouTube, but these people were sitting, talking, laughing, and being comfortable with each other; but they were totally naked. My interest was immediately piqued. The conversation was mature, any references to their nudity were used in context with the conversation: it was fine. All of it was just “okay,” The host was okay, the guest was okay, and I, being a first time viewer, was okay.

I began to seek the proper terminology for this type of social interaction. I wanted to know more about the state of mind in which one could be so comfortable with another human: much less a stranger. The short answer is “don’t think about it” but to go in-depth, to the actual benefits of being nude takes a bit more explaining. So, I’ll try to do that over time as this platform progresses.

I’ve never personally had what people would call a “beach body” but I have been comfortable nude in the past. I’ve been naked with both male and female friends in group settings such as: camping, swimming, chilling in the jacuzzi, and more. There was never any sexual vibe, or awkwardness; those that wanted to wear swimsuits, did and those that opted to go bare, did as well. We were happy, we were relaxed, and now thinking back to those times, I almost feel like we were at peace. I used to tell myself that it was because we were drunk; but there were times we weren’t and everyone was fine.

So, what do I hope to learn/accomplish from all of this? First, I hope to find a level of peace within myself that has just never been there. I hope to learn a better appreciation for myself physically and more importantly, mentally. I hope to become a more accepting person since I can acknowledge that my choices are obviously different from most people. Lastly, I hope to educate. As I wander into this new lifestyle, I hope that I can share a little clarity with those that need it and understanding with those that want it. I am glad to take questions/comments via email.