The benefits of spending time without clothes are many and varied.  The sheer freedom of being naked in the great outdoors has to be experienced to understand.  Whether for health, feeling close to nature and the environment, or just the sheer practicality, you too can benefit from the joys of a clothing-optional lifestyle.​​

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PHYSICAL HEALTH

 

There have been many studies done regarding the health aspect of sunshine on the body, particularly with the production of vitamin D.  Your body needs this essential vitamin to help regulate and maintain its concentration of calcium and phosphate. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.

 

According to many specialists, with your whole body exposed to the sun, you can gain your recommended ‘dose’ of sunlight needed to maintain adequate vitamin D levels in less than half the time it takes to burn!  Remember - it is sun burn, not sun exposure that can lead to skin cancer.  Whether you are wearing swimming togs, shorts or nothing at all, you still need to take the same precautions when out in the summer sun.  Use plenty of good quality sun protection, or throw on a shirt in the middle of the day.  Clothing-optional means just that!  It’s about the sensible use of clothing if and when it's needed!

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Vitamin D has been shown to be important in maintaining a healthy immune system.  While there is no documented evidence to show any link between sun exposure and winter ailments, it stands to reason that a healthy immune system is more likely to ward off those winter colds and flu!

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Other health issues that are believed to benefit from sun exposure and time spent naked include diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular disease.

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MENTAL HEALTH

 

Being naked outdoors on a sunny day is a delight to your senses - creating a feeling of well-being.  Some scientific research is now finding a link between time spent in ‘green and blue’ spaces and mental health and its role in combating depression.  Being naked lets you feel the breeze and the warmth of the sun over your whole body without the hindrance that clothing imposes.  Time spent naked in the great outdoors allows you to really unwind.

 

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SELF IMAGE

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Naturism is known to help increase confidence and self esteem.  Dr.Keon West, Professor of Social Psychology at Goldsmiths University of London, conducted research, which found that more participation in naturist (clothes-free) activities predicted greater life satisfaction - a relationship that was mediated by more positive body image, and higher self-esteem.  Without the facade of clothing, people see each other as equals.  Societal status disappears and you are accepted as you are, no matter whom you are or what you look like.  Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, scars and birth defects, but in a clothes-free environment, everyone is accepted without prejudice.  There is no need to worry about how your body compares with someone else’s.

 

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LIFESTYLE

 

Hauraki Naturally advocates body autonomy - the right for a person to govern what happens to their body without external influence or coercion.  This includes you being in charge of when you want to wear clothes and when you don't.  It's surprising how often you can go about your daily activities around home without needing clothes on.  And in spite of what some people think, New Zealand law allows a great deal of opportunity to be naked even in public places, especially on beaches and in the open countryside.  You certainly don't need the expense of joining a nudist club to go without clothing.  So long as you are doing nothing lewd or overtly sexual, you are unlikely to cause offence by simply being naked in appropriate locations.  Check out the section on New Zealand Law for more details.

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NATURAL FREEDOM  

 

Clothing is one of the entrapments of civilisation that western culture has deemed "the norm".  The clothing-optional lifestyle is about breaking free of those irrational expectations, which have their origins in antiquated traditions and false modesty.  The exhilaration of diving into water naked has to be experienced to be understood.  You have no clothing restricting your movement.  Instead, your body is as it should be - free!

 

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​RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

 

Can you be a naturist and a Christian?  Of course you can!  Nowhere does the Bible condemn being naked or public nudity.  You will find several websites where so-called Christian "experts" put forward their take on why nudity is evil, but proper understanding of the Bible will show you just how wrong they are.  In fact, Christians, more than anyone, should appreciate how being free of Adam's fig leaf and animal skin is their blood-borne inheritance!  You will find more on this topic as you browse the resources on this website.

 

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RECREATION AND ENJOYMENT   

 

Feeling lonely?  Many advocates of clothes-free living join together into special interest groups, such as this one, to partake in tramping, cycle rides, and other social occasions.  Whether it is meeting up with friends, playing sport, attending social events or just relaxing, being connected with like-minded people can give you a great deal of enjoyment. There is always something going on and you never need to feel alone.

 

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CONNECTION WITH NATURE

 

Many people feel more connected with nature when naked.  Spending time walking naked through a majestic forest, or along a shoreline, or by a babbling stream can be an ethereal and spiritual experience, reconnecting you to the earth and your natural surroundings.  Gardening naked is a great way to feel invigorated, liberated and at one with nature.  And if you're into nature photography, you'll be amazed at just how much closer to birds and other wildlife you can get when you're naked.  They just seem to accept you more as part of the surroundings.  Trust me - I've found that to be true!

 

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​FAMILY PARTICIPATION

 

Kids take to naturism like a duck to water!  Contrary to popular opinion, nudity is not harmful to children.  In fact, research suggests that the opposite is true.  Children who have grown up in a clothing-optional home environment have a far better and healthier understanding and acceptance of the human body (including their own) and how it develops.  On approaching puberty, they lack the impulsive curiosity about the human body that causes concern to parents of other kids.  Boys, especially, tend to not get hooked into pornography and its woman-demeaning culture.  Children who are used to seeing nakedness are also far less likely to be targeted by predators as they are, by default, brought up knowing about body autonomy and what is and isn't appropriate.  They have no problem or embarrassment talking to parents about sexual matters - it's just another natural part of life.