QUOTES 1/1/2019

“Among all the positive changes I made this past year, special consideration was made for, well, getting naked.  This was the year I reconnected with a few nudist friends, joined AANR, embraced ‘nudism’ as a label and stopped caring if people knew, prioritized making more visits to the nude beach during the summer, spent an entire weekend at a nearby nudist club . . . I even casually looked into how much it costs to go on a nude cruise—I’ll start saving . . . The point is that I made a conscious decision in 2018 that I wanted nudism to be an integral part of my life, that I wanted to wear that badge with intention and pride. . . Embracing a lifestyle that makes you feel happy and fulfilled, whatever that may be, is the essence of taking care of yourself. . . This was the year I stopped making excuses for why I couldn’t do things, and started finding ways that I could, from physical health, to mental wellbeing, to spending more time getting naked.  Life has a way of presenting challenges loudly, but it also presents workarounds, albeit much more quietly. . . Don’t be afraid to prioritize your own wellbeing . . . and get naked when you can.” - https://almostwild.wordpress.com/2018/12/30/nude-year-nude-you/

“Ball workout” Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5lTCe04Wj4

“. . . if you do that [get naked] amongst nature, she’s not going to give you any strange looks in fact she is going to encourage this behavior.  So find a place amongst the earth that you feel comfortable sharing your body with nature and allow yourself to sit, breathe and relax and soak up the energy from the earth.  I might sound crazy but it’s so beneficial just sitting naked in nature at least once a week helps with my stress levels and calms my soul, and helps me become a happier more positive being.” - https://sunshineloublog.com/2016/11/29/in-the-raw/

“. . . we turn modesty into objectification when we make women ashamed of their bodies.  It doesn’t take long for a woman to realize that no matter what she wears, the curves of her body remain visible and will occasionally attract the notice of men.  If this reality is met only with shame, if the female form is treated as inherently seductive and problematic, then women will inevitably feel ashamed of their bodies.” - Rachel Held Evans, http://qideas.org/articles/modesty-i-dont-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means/

“Benares is still the one city in India where you can walk about naked and yet remain unnoticed. . . most naked sadhus wear a cloth in public or when traveling. . . Hindu Digambar sadhus have outnumbered, and still do, the naked Jains by thousands to one. . . the Hindu skyclad sadhus . . . are called ‘Naga babas’, naked saints.  As with the Jains only the males are naked: the few women who are of equal status are called ‘Naga mais’ – Naga mothers – and remain clothed. . . the Naga babas were once mercenary warriors who . . . fought naked. . . the motivation for being naked is not overtly the desire to exhibit the body or even celebrate its existence or form.  Being naked is an act of renunciation and asceticism, not of sensuality or eroticism.” – Philip Carr-Gomm, A Brief History of Nakedness, 2013, p. 64