It’s 1979. I’m 14 years old. I am lanky and loose-limbed, although not particularly tall.
My hair falls below my ears and probably only washes when I swim. I’m in France on holiday, abroad as a family for the first time, finally escaping the usual fortnight of dodging the rain in the UK.
The beach is just a short drive away. Flat and wide, with fine sand, backed by grass-dotted dunes and wild Atlantic waves crashing on the beach beyond. Apart from the meowing of seagulls and other birds, it is a quiet, relaxing and idyllic place.
We’ll probably go.
I really do not know. Only one thing interests me. Not far away are other beach users, lazing on their towels sunbathing or hugging their knees under umbrellas in the shade and most of them naked.
Andrew Welch (above), spokesperson for British naturism, reveals how stripping can bring a feeling of “total well-being”
I confess: I ran along the top of the dunes to make sure. A group of six people are enjoying a picnic (or pique-nique, who knows?). I guess it’s a family, made up of three generations, including gray-haired, leather-skinned old men and a girl about my age.
I had never even considered that my grandmother had a naked body, much less imagined that I would see it. Especially during lunch.
My overwhelming feeling was that I wanted to be a part of it. I wasn’t going to do it in front of my brothers, but I managed to swim in the sea a couple of times, take off my swim trunks underwater and clench them in a fist. What feeling!
Later, in the early 1990s, I took a package holiday to a Greek island and eagerly consumed the information from the representative at the welcome meeting, recommending bars, restaurants, markets, places of interest, trips and excursions… and beaches.
The best, he said, was a 10-minute pine-and-thyme-scented walk around the headland from town. It had a spectacular view of the Aegean, was never crowded, and had a tavern right on the sand. It was also a beach, she added, used by naked sunbathers.
Andrew (above) writes: ‘Naturism is much more than just taking off your clothes. If you asked 100 naturists what they got out of it, you’d probably get 100 different answers, but common themes include the feeling of pure relaxation, an escape from the daily grind, a feeling of total well-being, and the company of a happy person and non-judgmental group. of like-minded people
Andrew (above) says there is “a peace and quiet” at naturist resorts that “you don’t always find elsewhere”
The experience fully met those deep-rooted expectations that originated on those Atlantic beaches. The most curious thing is that it took me a few hours to decide to get naked. I do not know why. I remember feeling like a bit of an intruder until I did it.
But once I did… I felt completely fine. Of course, I had no idea how it would affect the rest of my life, or become my career, or that one day that simple act of taking off my swimsuit on a Greek beach would be significant enough to write about. Online mail.
Naturism is much more than just taking off your clothes.
If you asked 100 naturists what they got out of it, you’d probably get 100 different answers, but common themes include the feeling of pure relaxation, an escape from the daily grind, a feeling of total well-being, and the company of a happy and peaceful group. , welcoming and non-judgemental of like-minded people who have found something that truly improves their lives.
Anyone who’s been swimming naked will know the exhilarating feeling of water sliding all over your skin, and sitting on the beach without that wet suit clinging to you is something else.
It’s good for you, too: the human body was not designed to be completely wrapped in clothing and subjected to artificial light and heat sources and air conditioning 24/7.
Recent scientific research has shown that, rather than feeling shame, shame, or vulnerability, spending time naked with other naked people improves self-esteem, confidence, and body image.
Given decades of social conditioning, you might be surprised to learn that many people say that a naturist resort or event is the place where they feel safest.
Since those first experiences of putting my feet in the water, I have taken many naturist vacations and have recovered those wonderful feelings. There may be a small number of naturist resorts compared to those that insist you keep your cozzie on, but wow! – There is a huge range and all over the world.
There is a peace and tranquility about them that is not always found in other places with something to suit all tastes and budgets.
From outdoor camping with minimal facilities to getting back to nature, to all-inclusive luxury beach hotels.
There are nudist cruises, hotels large and small, apartment complexes and villas, campsites with modern holiday rental chalets – with restaurants, bars and shops that would put a small town to shame – and sports, activity and entertainment programs throughout the season, and much more.
The uninitiated might perceive that nudity is mandatory, with a changing room next to reception and an instruction to undress before proceeding, but it is not.
An Ipsos survey published in 2022 found that 6.75 million Britons would identify as “naturists” or “nudists.”
People are free to do what they want; The weather is sometimes the deciding factor. Most people go on naturist holidays because they want to be naked, but if you like to dress up for dinner, want to throw on a cardigan if the breeze picks up or cover up yesterday’s sunburn against today’s rays, then you can do that.
Nudity is mandatory in pools and it is essential to put something like a towel between the seat and your bare bottom.
You may also feel that being naked among many other naked tourists will be strange, but it will soon stop being extraordinary. There is also a nice understanding among naturists that taking unsolicited photographs of people is bad behavior.
And I’m happy to say it’s becoming more widespread.
An Ipsos survey published in 2022 found that 6.75 million Britons would identify as ‘naturists’ or ‘nudists’ (interchangeable terms, really) and 39 per cent of respondents had gone skinny dipping, sunbathing or visited a nude beach or resort.
Naturism is often seen as something exclusive to older people, but the survey also revealed (pun intended) that almost half of 16- to 24-year-olds had participated in the previous 12 months.
My next trip is to a huge, sprawling resort in France with a long list of different types of accommodation, food and drink establishments, a long sandy beach and the most relaxed atmosphere that permeates the natural landscape as tourists of all ages They enjoy the perfect way to de-stress.
Join me?
Andrew Welch is a spokesperson for British naturism. For more information visit the British Naturism website: www.bn.org.uk.
