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Naturist Love
Who would argue that there isn't any feeling  more vital and central to the
human experience than love? It could be thought
of as the essence of life itself -- the very substance which sustains us,
impels us, and binds us to each other and the world. The experience of
naturist love
varies from person to person and relationship to relationship, but the
degree to which it dwell in our hearts is the degree to which we can be open
and share our inner riches. Shared among naturist
families all over the world. And certainly the reverse is true. Openness and
trust are the preconditions of love in our lives -- the very essential
ingredients.
It is between lovers that nakedness has been traditionally vouchsafed
-- at least in cultures where nudity is otherwise restricted. While
there are even those who proclaim and express -- and no doubt feel --
love yet continue to conceal their bodies with cloth or darkness, the
free and unhindered enjoyment of each other's nudity has been the
prerogative of those joined in conjugal union or at the very least swept up
in romantic passion. This special privilege of the beloved probably
contributes to the sense that one's naked body is a private preserve of the
self and one's lover and that exposing it to anyone else -- particularly
someone of the opposite sex -- is a betrayal or an unintended signal of a
invitation to greater intimacy.
While this attitude may impart a certain special quality to the
relationship between two lovers, it can at the same time estrange those who
do not participate in this exclusive bond. The building of walls between
each other through this sense that our nakedness is only to be shared with
those with whom we are most intimately conjoined widens the gulf between us
as individuals and drains away some of the trust and compassion which we
might otherwise feel. Keeping
ourselves covered in this manner reduces our involvement with the world and
others and erodes the often already tenuous experience of connection which
can be so easily shattered through misunderstanding. We demarcate a definite
territory with impassable borders and deny ourselves the opportunity to
mingle with the rest of humanity, sealing ourselves within a tomb of fear
and mistrust.
Though it may be impossible for people to experience the same degree
of intimacy with everyone they encounter, the potential or friendship and
interaction can be enhanced by a more open attitude. A kind of broad,
sweeping love of life and humanity is attainable when we learn to lower our
guard a little and stop shielding ourselves with anxiety-induced attitudes.
A definite step towards showing and gaining trust is to go naked into the
world -- to reveal the true self unadorned and unfettered. By removing the
symbolic armor which conceals our humanity we teach ourselves and others
that the fears that separate us are arbitrary and exaggerated. A simple
gesture is capable of setting a far-ranging and vast change into motion once
we allow ourselves to take this first step.
The experience of love is only possible when we do take this risk --
and make no mistake, it is risky. Revealing the self and the essence makes
us very vulnerable, particularly if we've spent a lifetime sheltering
ourselves. It is as a result of our lack of experience in the area of
self-revelation that we are weaker and less sure-footed -- and
less able to interact with others in a healthy and stable way. The risk we
take, in fact, is in losing our balance and stumbling, which in turn may
cause us to withdraw deeper into our cocoon of self-preservation. If we
become embarrassed or flustered we will be less likely to fully emerge from
our personal exile and blossom into the flower of our full potential. Yet
without taking this chance we guarantee that we will remain prisoners of our
own fear.
Going forth with open hearts and fully revealed selves we set the
stage for new and deeper levels of intimacy and trust. For it is possible to
enjoy a greater intimacy with those around us without that relationship
taking on erotic overtones. Surely the bonds between parents and children,
siblings and even close friends are bonds of deep affection which can be
every bit as precious and strong as those between sexual partners. The
possibility of non-sexual intimacy often eludes most people. They cannot see
how people can be so close without the relationship progressing to sexual
involvement. And yet it has been a part of our world for as long as humanity
has walked the earth. Allowing for this type of closeness and recognizing
that it is a very important part of our development and sustenance deepens
our experience of life and enhance our appreciation of who and what we are.
But we must drop certain barriers before we can take this step. We
must let go of certain fears before it becomes possible. If we can be naked
in body and spirit with others, we signal to them a deeper trust which is
the foundation of a broader and more encompassing love. The nakedness of
lovers is a clear indicator to each other that they are safe and secure in
the presence of each other even without the protection of concealment. We
must learn to release ourselves from the inhibitions which make such trust
difficult and faltering. We can do this without slipping into some kind of
blind, instinctive compulsion to satisfy carnal urges once we attune
ourselves to the true nature of love -- the kind of love which nourishes
families and friendships based on emotional versus physical satisfaction.
There will always be a place in the world for the erotic, but we must not be
deceived into thinking that such feelings automatically spring from intimacy
and revelation. Once we can correct this misapprehension we will be opening
ourselves to a more satisfying experience of love and making the world a
more loving place altogether. Top
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Naturist Delight
There
are times in our lives when the world seems to lose its freshness --
when all of the color and warmth is drained away leaving a cold and
stony landscape. As we grow older we tend to take so many things for
granted that we stop looking and feeling as we did in our youth. It is
as though death is steali ng
upon us slowly and gradually draining away a vitality which once
shimmered with eternal promise.
When this bleak mood comes upon us we must pull back from it and
try to see what is happening. We must seek within ourselves and all
around us the spark that seems to have dimmed with time. We must come to
understand that the waning of that light has come about through the
gradual accumulation of so many layers of dust. We must shake off that
dust and savor the raw experience once again of hot sunlight and bracing
air.
 And yet it isn't easy taking this step. Once our eyes become
clouded with cynicism and ennui it is difficult to wipe away the grime
of so many years and see things afresh. If we fail to do this, however,
we miss out on what could probably be called one of the mostfundamental
reasons for living -- the full experience and enjoyment of life. Without
joy there seems to be little to compel us to continue dragging ourselves
along this arduous road.
Even the slightest glimmer of happiness in our lives can give us
an anchor by which we might secu re ourselves from drifting into the foul
waters of despair. That tiny spark of hope can rescue us and start us on
a new course. It can help us open our eyes to the things we long ago
learned to block out. To focus on beauty, joy, and the aspects of living
that make us want more life instead of less -- that is the elixer of
life so long sought for but so plain and obvious that few seekers would
have ever thought the answer was so simple.
And so we must give ourselves over to this viewpoint, without
losing sight of how precious and precarious it is, and drink deeply of
it whenever we can -- for it all too often seems the opportunites to do
so are brief and few. Yet the more we willingly and fully we plunge into
it, the more attuned we will be to it which will allow us to find it
more easily. We will learn to see how the sheer enjoyment of life is
really the kernal of what we are. Then perhaps we will know that the
unabashed pleasure of being what we are -- naked and unafraid -- is the
real secret of life. Top
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