Public Nudity
A Woman’s Perspective
Michelle Barrett
My two experiences of public nudity were on opposite ends of the spectrum. But they revealed common truths.
My first was as a skydiver. It was always joked about, that a skydiver’s 100th skydive needed to be a naked one. Often, jumpers would get skydive friends to join in the nakedness. Not being an exhibitionist myself, I still wanted to experience it. The thought of being able to feel the balance, wind and exposure on ALL my skin, was truly exciting. I went alone on a weekday, and jumped alone. I was fully present (and cold at altitude!), and loved every second of it. There was a breath-taking moment once I was under canopy, and relaxed after the freefall. I had looked down at all the houses – clear out to the city where people were working…and I felt bad for them all. I pitied them for not ever having the experience of flying naked above the world.
The second public nudity moment for me, was a visit to my naturist sister’s home lake. She talked me into it, but I’m glad I was brave enough to follow through. It was a long day, filled with socializing, a naked board meeting, lunch in the nude, outdoor walking alone in the nude, swimming naked, and observing the naturist lifestyle. There were a couple of moments of discomfort for me, when I felt too vulnerable and too exposed, and I had to cover up. I even snuck away for a bit, to a private-ish cove, and was able to take a breath and feel gratitude for the entire experience. The introvert in me, was every bit as shocked as the modest-me, but the rewards of feeling sun, water, and fresh air on my entire body all day, was worth any discomfort.
In our American society, women are especially susceptible to shame, judgment, and comparisons surrounding our own bodies. The idea of what is attractive, has been conditioned into both men and women, and has left little room for reality. With airbrushed images online, filtered pictures everywhere, and boys and men brainwashed into believing women should all look like porn stars, it’s a challenge for women to simply love our own bodies. Especially as they change due to childbirth and age.
Women, especially, are trained as young children, to adorn our ears and hair and to look “pretty” as often as possible. To smile and be agreeable and to please all those who need to be pleased. We’re meant to cover “flaws” like our natural faces and shapes, with makeup and “flattering” clothes and photo filters for our online lives. Despite the ridiculous, unneeded escalation of emotional support for the “Dad-Bod” men, we women are the hardest hit, in the self-esteem department. We are given the message that we must not have bodily needs, our bodies must forever be perfectly sculpted, and we must never be less than perfectly made up. Basically, we’ve been trained that we must be like living dolls.
The most powerful thing I noticed in my two public nudity moments, was a full awareness of my body…and the truth and power in the way it is. Simple and free of any shields or costumes. In all its glory, beauty, strength, weakness, flaws, and what would be seen as “ugliness” in light of a worldview. Thank god, the worldview means nothing. In the times I’ve taken stock of this earthly shell, I have been completely awed by my body’s accomplishments. It created and grew two remarkable human miracles, as well as carrying me through nearly half a century of adventures, explorations and extreme moments of both beauty and pain. I have also accepted the changes as age and childbirth and stress have taken a toll on the vitality and resilience of my skin, bones, muscles and organs. They are all earned evidence of a well-lived journey.
In my life, I’ve had the greatest honor of experiencing two separate places where women are allowed and free to be our genuine and authentic selves. One is in the sky. And the other was at a naturist lake. I felt the acceptance of bodies being just bodies. Of not having to look a certain way or be feminine or coifed or sexual. It was glorious, to watch other women being natural and free and self-accepting as well. It was empowering. And real. It’s an experience I wish for every woman.
About Michelle: An adventurer, life experience explorer, and a newbie to the nudist lifestyle. Occasionally soaking up sun rays and stories sans clothes.