It is not all unusual for someone to be shy about their body. Many people feel inhibited about nudity due to how they were raised or ideals they internalized growing up. Particularly for some Americans and other similar cultures, being in the nude among others can be nerve-wracking! Often people have a lot of sexualization wrapped up in the naked body, which can rob us of a certain natural comfort and even distort our own self image.
Everyone deserves to be happy, but sometimes there are mental and emotional barriers preventing a true connection with our own bodies and intimate partners. If you haven’t bared it all before, you might want to consider some of the well-researched mental health benefits of baring it all in the name of comfort, such as improved body image and self-esteem.
There are some schools of thought that practice what’s called Naked Therapy, an interesting but somewhat obscure therapy method. To gain a true understanding of naked therapy, you need to go back to its roots. This field of psychological study began back in the 1930s. Groups of psychologists began studying the effects of social nudity on people’s lives. There were at least some people who identified as Naturists (not Naturalists, who adore nature with their clothes on) that were able to act as a sort of focus group for various observations.
In 1932, a Princeton psychologist named Howard Warren spent some time at a German nudist camp to make observations and explore the ideas of nudity and the effects it had on mental health. A year after having this experience, Warren published a paper entitled “Social Nudism and the Body Taboo.” In this paper, Warren noted that there were potential psychological benefits to nudism such as ridding people of their self-conscious nature and being able to make friends with others more readily. Eventually, the actual practice of Naked Therapy began to pop up. In the late sixties and throughout the seventies, some psychotherapists practiced what was known as nude psychotherapy. Many of these therapy sessions were group therapy sessions that involved people baring thier all in front of one another.
If any of this piques your interest, or you have been questioning how to feel more accepting of your body, we’ve rounded up some top tier places to get nude in front of other people. These are safe spaces to explore your nudity, or delve deeper into it if you are already comfortable with public nudity. Be aware that any nude activities you choose to take part in should be well researched so that you are in a safe space! If you know of other establishments or coaches that aren’t on our list, please feel free to share them with us at editorial@residence11.com We’d love to hear about and share more!
1. HAI (Human Awareness Institute)
For 50 years, the Human Awareness Institute (HAI) has dedicated itself to teaching and guiding people into a more loving, safe, and accepting way of life, or as they share on their website; “a world where every human being is worthy of love, without exception.” At HAI, you will be guided to explore techniques that might lead you to a life enriched by self-acceptance, connection, and a deep sense of belonging to those you love. HAI offers a multitude of different levels and types of workshops in the nude, in person or online, from Loving Yourself workshops to Sacred Energy Exchange workshops and many many more.
As this is a global program, chances are pretty good that you can find an event near you. In addition to in person workshops, HAI also offers many online workshops covering body love and many other facets of emotional well-being. The price tag on these programs runs high, but you can be sure you’re in the hands of a trusted professional with a reputable organization. This isn’t an area you necessarily want to search for a budget friendly option, after all. HAI’s workshops consist of a progression of “levels” that build on each other, and deepen in skill as you build your “self” and “other” awareness. You can begin with the free online Introductory Workshop (2-3 hours) to get a taste for what they offer or dive right into an in-person weekend workshop to get a more immersive experience. Either way, you will find an inclusive community and sense of belonging that are based on the values of acceptance, dignity, choice, and unconditional love. These experiential workshops challenge one to deepen their ability to cultivate meaningful, rich, and joyful relationships with themselves and others.
If you’re in the NYC area, then consider yourself lucky, and not just for the rich food and art scene anymore. You are also within close proximity to a wonderful studio offering not just naked yoga but a myriad of other offerings. Just to name a few listed on their website, there are healing treatments like scar tissue remediation, orgasmic yoga coaching, workshops for couples wanting to enhance their sex life, learning to give and receive pleasure, understanding conscious touch, increased life force and enhancing libido, freedom from sexual shame, guilt, anxiety and inhibitions, I could go on but I have other naked retreats to write about! Essentially Naked Yoga Therapy is a cornucopia of diverse classes and offerings. And on the note of diversity let it be known that this is a space for all people. Offering classes for “Femme” identities, where “femme” doesn’t mean born with a vulva.. It’s a space to explore your nakedness and comfort levels in a safe and welcome environment, surrounded by like minded people on the same journey to self-love, or even just self- acceptance. As it’s so well described for the upcoming workshop in May 2022, Naked Love: A Self Love Ritual for Femmes: “This group is inclusive and LGBTQIA friendly, so femme identifying does NOT mean everyone in the group will have a vulva. If this is problematic/uncomfortable for you, this isn’t the group for you.”
Pathways to Pleasure offers a Bodysex workshop which was developed by the renowned author and sex educator Betty Dodson. The goal of their fully nude workshops is to help individuals cultivate a positive body image and overcome pleasure anxiety. This workshop offers participants the ability to release shame about self pleasure and unleashing their own hidden sexual power. This Bodysex course is run by Kristy Lowther, MSW, who is a certified Bodysex Instructor, mentored by Betty Dodson and Carlin Ross, and was trained under Dr. Juliana Hauser. However this is not a place for the faint of heart. If you’ve already experimented with some nudism and want to push your boundaries, or if you don’t have many boundaries then this is the place for you. You will be greeted at the door by your nude instructor and then proceed to undress and participate in very hands-on approaches. Literally. There is a show and tell of genitals at one point, a group non-sexual massage, and then a group masturbation portion. Don’t let this scare you off. This is a well renowned safe space for women led by an experienced and thoughtful instructor who is passionate about her work. As she explains via her website:
“The heart of the workshop is vulnerability. We want to become more transparent to ourselves and to each other so that we might uncover things that are keeping us from experiencing pleasure and accepting ourselves as we are. Clothes project an image of who we are and in Bodysex we want to be as close to our authentic selves as we can be so that the healing processes can happen. This will also help to heal negative body image. Time with others in this state will help us develop a deeper level of comfort within our bodies.”
4. Online “LIVE” Naked Yoga Classes – London UK time
Maybe you’re not quite ready for the deep dive into nudity. That’s okay! Small steps are good too. Maybe an online naked yoga class is the right way for your to push your boundaries. One place to do that is with Doria, an online yoga instructor based in the UK.
Doria’s clear about the rules of her class, so make no mistake, this is not a place for sneaky peeks of online weirdos. She states very clearly under the rules of her sign-up page:
“Nudity is mandatory so everybody will be on the same level. Women are allowed to wear bottoms during their menstrual cycle.
Each session is hosted online and requires the participant to have their camera ON, be in view, and to be participating.
Only positive vibes, strictly NO sexual energy, any misconduct will result in being excluded from the class and from any future bookings, you will be blocked and reported and no refund will be given.
Unfortunately if these conditions cannot be met, even for technical reasons, you will be removed from the session.”
Since this is online, you may want to start with this and build your way up to an in-person nude experience.
5. Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park
Maybe you’ve already been to a couple of naked retreats and you’re ready for a more full-on experience. Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park in Canada might be just the place for you. Since they’re celebrating 50 years of Naturism, you can rest assured this is a safe space with a great level of professionalism. The Bare Oaks website lays out their philosophy regarding nudity to give you a better sense of what to expect:
“Everyone is different. Some feel instantaneously comfortable the minute they shed their clothing. Others need a lot more time to adjust. We all know that logically, there is no reason to be uncomfortable with our bodies. But emotionally, that’s a different story. We have gone through years of socialization which has taught us to be embarrassed, ashamed and even offended by our own image. So naturism is a form of therapy to help us reconnect with ourselves. When it comes to our bodies, many of us have the symptoms of an emotional disorder called a phobia (gymnophobia: fear of nudity). To treat a phobia, you need to first recognize it. Then treatment is all about desensitization through exposure (pardon the pun). So it may take a person many visits to get comfortable and it may take some effort.”
Whether you’re just curious about public nudity or ready to take the plunge, we wish you an enjoyable experience! For another take on nudity, check out our post on “What I learned at a naked sauna.” With National Nude Day coming up on July 14, one of many sex-related holidays on the calendar, the above locations just might be the impetus you need to strip down.