The benefits of socializing in the nude

To many people, the idea of being naked among others - especially strangers - is a very intimidating thought. In fact, it’s the source of the common nightmare where you are standing in front of a class or are giving a presentation and suddenly notice that you’re not wearing any clothes.

If you recognise these dreams, we imagine that you might question if going to a naturist campsite is something for you. If that nightmare left you with any feeling about being naked among others, it’s probably not a happy one. But what if we told you that the source of these dreams is actually one of the great strengths of naturism?

That “naked in front of people” dream has its source of vulnerability. It has actually nothing to do with nudity, but with a feeling you may have that you’re unprepared, or with a fear that one of your flaws will be brought to the public attention. Standing in the spotlight makes you more vulnerable than the audience who’s sitting in the dark. All eyes are on you. When we feel something, our brain will try to materialise it, to paint a picture. And unfortunately, being naked became throughout history very much linked to being vulnerable. Hence, your brain undresses you while you’re asleep.

Embracing vulnerability

But enough about scary dreams. Going to a naturist campsite is, of course, a lot different than your imaginary naked speech. Most importantly, because there’s no spotlight. There are no eyes on you, or at least not more than on anyone else. Also, you’re not the only naked person. Everyone else will be naked too. Did you ever have a scary dream where you were naked and everyone else was too? Probably not, because when everyone is in an equal state of vulnerability, we will automatically feel less vulnerable.

There is of course the fact that people will see you naked. All those little things that you’ve been trying to hide with clothes and accessories will suddenly be out in the open. How do you cope with that? Well, you’ll soon realise that you’re not alone. Everyone has parts of their bodies that they wish would be different. Everyone has flaws. Not a single body is “perfect”. Or, as many naturists like to say, every body is perfect. Just because we’re all different. In the end, the “perfect body” is nothing natural, but just an invention of the beauty industry.

The realisation that every body has its certain look is a great step forward when it comes to appreciating your own body for what it is, but what’s even better is that you’ll realise that nobody actually looks at you. That your flaws which you’re so reluctant to expose become pretty much unnoticed.

Nothing in the pockets

When you're naked, you're not hiding anything. You're completely exposed, and that can be incredibly liberating. You don't have to worry about what you're wearing or how you look in clothes. You're just you, in your most natural state. This can be a really empowering feeling. Nothing can hurt you now. You’re already in your most vulnerable state.

This is one of the most difficult concepts of naturism for non-naturists to understand and we really recommend that you give naturism a try, just to feel what this feels like. Just to feel what it’s like to have nothing to hide. Unless you’re a magician, it’s hard to do magic when you don’t have any pockets.

Human conversations

When we start a conversation with people, we often look at the obvious, the materialistic. “Nice dress”, “nice car”, “who did your make-up?”. What do you say to a naked person? Just for the record, we want to mention that it’s considered not done to comment on a stranger’s physical appearance at a naturist resort (or anywhere else, for that sake). What’s interesting is that when there are no materialistic things to talk about, we much easier switch to what’s really important. We talk about experiences, about our lives, or about everyday things.

In short, we talk about who people really are instead of about how they look and what they own. When you're naked, you're all on a level playing field. There's no status or hierarchy based on what you're wearing or how you look. Everyone is just themselves, and that can make it easier to connect with others on a deeper level. And if you don’t know how to start a conversation with a naturist, there’s always the common ground that we are all interested in naturism.

Bye bye stress!

Embracing your vulnerabilities and appreciating your own body are great stress relievers on themselves, but going to a naturist campsite can add another level to that. It has been proven that being in nature is also great to get rid of stress. And when you're naked, you're more in touch with your body and your natural surroundings, which will almost automatically make you feel more at ease.

An aspect that’s often overlooked is that because you don’t have any pockets, lots of naturists choose not to drag their phones everywhere they go. According to several statistics, your smartphone is your number one source of stress and anxiety. Just leaving it behind for a couple of hours can do wonders. 

In conclusion, socializing in the nude can have a lot of benefits for your mental health. It can help you feel more confident and comfortable in your own skin, relieve stress, and connect with others on a deeper level. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to give it a try and see how it feels. At Domaine de L’Eglantière, everyone will make sure that you’ll feel comfortable in no time and you can meet the most interesting people around our swimming pool, in the bar, or during our communal dinners.

Who knows, you might just discover a whole new world of freedom and connection. And along the way, you might just get rid of those scary dreams.