Prologue

‘The Complete Guide To Naturism’ guides you through the history of naturism, how to practice naturism comfortably and safely and the health benefits of naturism. This guide to naturism is brought to you by Naturist Cleaners, the leading cleaning service in the UK. We are passionate about naturism and believe it’s a way of experiencing freedom and acceptance of who you are, regardless of age, body shape or background. It’s a positive lifestyle and one that is centred around happiness. We hope you enjoy learning more about naturism and what it means to be a naturist.

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Part One: Facts And History Of Naturism

The way we perceive nakedness depends almost entirely on the society and environment we grew up in. Ultimately, being naked is us at our most natural, yet it means so many different things to different people.

Being naked can be liberating to some and terrifying to others. Some may not blink an eyelid if a naked person strolls past on the beach, yet others would be shocked or horrified. It can be a way of expressing both vulnerability and power during a naked protest and a sense of forbidden excitement for the streaker who runs across a football pitch. It can be a sign of intimacy between lovers or simply a way to wind down at home after a long day of work. For many religions, it’s a way of being closer to a divine spirit. For naturists, a sense of freedom and health.

British people trying naturism is increasing each year. Nudism has been around since the day humanity started and, like many of societies quirks, has roots across the world in various religions.

It isn’t for everyone – some people hold conservative views towards nakedness – but the number of many celebrities embrace a naked lifestyle. was namedh Naturism organisation after she admitted she enjoys naturism sometimes.

Adam And Eve

In the Bible, after sinned, they became ashamed of their nakedness. God made them clothes from animal skins to cover themselves. This story helps create a deep and powerful link between being nude and having shame, yet even early Christian followers performed baptisms by completely immersing the naked subject in the water. The Popes throughout the years have had conflicting views on nakedness. Pope Pius XI described being nude as ‘paganly immodest’, yet the later pope, John Paul II praised nakedness as it was the creation of God. In the west of India, the first religious group to link being nude with religion is believed to be the sages of the Indus valley who lived by the philosophy of detaching the body and the spirit from material goods. Nowadays, the Jains achieve freedom and enlightenment through nakedness and some of the Jains monks prefer to remain naked as it helps protects the small creatures that would otherwise be killed or harmed from washing clothes. However, not everywhere in India is relaxed towards and it has been prohibited in many public areas.

A complete guide to naturism 2 The Ancient Greeks

One of the most liberal societies regarding nakedness were the ancient Greeks. The Gods were shown naked in images and Olympic athletes trained and competed naked. Their attitude to nakedness can be found in modern day language: the word ‘gym’ comes from ‘gymnasium’, a word that derived from ancient Greek word ‘gymnós’ which literally translates to ‘naked’. Both man and women competed nude. Religion aside, different countries have always had different approaches to nudism. It’s a well-known fact that and have high numbers of naturists so it’s not a surprise that these were the first two countries in Europe that organised official nudist groups. The image of a lifestyle exercising and being outside in the nude became an ideal and grew in popularity across the two countries as well as neighbouring nations such as Switzerland.

It eventually caught on in Britain and by the 1930s, naturist clubs were opening and magazines were springing up to cater for this new, growing audience. Over the following years, streaking grew in popularity, naked protesting found its power, and even films – such as the Full Monty and Calendar Girls – showed the nudity was so much more than sex and sensuality; it was a form of empowerment and for good causes. Nowadays, it’s the norm to hear of naked calendar shoots for charity, helping to break the link between nakedness, shame and sex and instead, slowly normalising nudity as a state of being.

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To practice naturism safely and comfortably, it’s important to know the U.K. law on naturism. It’s all a question of context and circumstances. It also depends where in the U.K. you are. Being nude, even in public, is not illegal but if you are naked in a place not designated for nudity, there are three laws that could apply to you. The Public Order Act of 1986

This law prevents behaviour considered “threatening, abusive or insulting within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress.” How does this apply to being nude? If you are naked on a beach that is unofficial but generally considered a and you are just simply sunbathing or enjoying your time without bothering others, you will probably be fine. If it’s a beach in Wales or England and a policeman happens to be strolling by and asks you to cover up, then you should, otherwise he could arrest you. It’s unlikely you will be charged for anything though as there would need to be evidence that you were pestering others. The same law applies in Scotland yet generally, the law there is more strictly applied and being nude on an unofficial beach could result in being charged for causing offence. Not covering up though when asked by an authority figure could be an issue so it’s best to simply cover up if a police officer asks.

Act of 2003:

This law prohibits exposing your genitals to someone in a way that is sexually motivated and with deliberate intention that a person sees your genitals. If you’re simply sunbathing nude, doing a naked bike ride, or skinny dipping, this law is very unlikely to apply to you. If you are sunbathing nude and run up to a bunch of clothed beach-goers and deliberately flash yourself at them, then this law could come into effect. Outraging Public Decency

This law prohibits actions that “outrage generally accepted standards of decency.” This applies to actions that are in a public place and that could be considered an “act or display of such nature as to cause outrage to ordinary people.” This could apply to having sex in a public place or running naked through a main street. Overall, the application of these laws can be a grey area and is subjective at times, as what causes ‘outrage’ to some, wouldn’t offend others. If in doubt, contact The National Naturist Information Centre to see where you can practice naturism without any issues and if you do sunbathe on an unof- ficial yet generally considered nude beach, take some clothes with you so if you can cover up if required.

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Of course, most people interested in naturism simply want the freedom to practice nudism without causing offence or having problems. What’s the best way to sunbathe nude at an unofficial nudist beach and avoid running into trouble?

Here are some tips:

 When a beach is divided into nude areas and non-nude areas, wait to arrive in the nude area before you take your clothes off. People in non-nude areas could take offence, which could land you in trouble if someone calls the police.

 On unofficial nudist beaches, keep your distance from other beach-goers that are clothed and respect their feelings about nudism. Also, don’t choose a spot right next to other nudists; understand the need for privacy and keep some distance.

 Don’t stare at others. This is one of the number one rules of naturism. Being nude is about freedom, not the chance to ogle at others.

 If you want to take photos of the scenery or yourself, that’s totally your choice. However, do it in a way that reassures others nearby that you are not taking photos of them and always make sure that nude strangers are not in your shot. If they are, make sure you ask permission first.

 The same point above applies even more strictly to children.

 If a police officer comes by and asks you to cover up, then cover up. Arguing will not change their mind, not matter how strongly you feel about your rights being naked and could end in you being arrested.

 Don’t have sex on the beach. Interestingly, The Sexual Offences Act of 2003 doesn’t prohibit sex outside, as long as it’s totally private. If others are around and see though, then this is considered an offence. It’s worth remembering that nudist beaches aren’t just for individuals and couples – many families go there too.

There are many official nudist beaches in the UK – the nudist beach is one of the most well-known – where you can enjoy practicing naturism without any issues. Do your research before you to check the location tolerates nudism and make sure you respect the privacy of others. Prejudice towards the naked body still exists and it’s important to respect this. Remember these rules (and don’t forget to bring sunscreen!)

and you should find you have a wonderfully pleasant experience being nude outdoors.

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