Dare to be Bare

The Naked Truth. As a professional dance teacher/competitor and fitness instructor/bodybuilder I am surprised, dismayed and often bewildered by the fact that many people have never looked at their own bodies’ in a full length mirror, clothed or naked! As a dancer and natural bodybuilder the mirror is my friend.

It plays a huge role in my training and enhances my competitive performance. As a performer I am scantily clad much of the time, as this reveals dance lines, symmetry and muscular development. Without a full length mirror, I couldn't execute my job.

I have visited many friends and clients in their own homes to discover no full length mirror. The mirrors I did see were utilized strictly for décor. They were definitely not being used as a rational tool to examine themselves for the purpose of managing health and preventing disease.

At age 19 I was advised by a natural healer to look into a full length mirror naked everyday and tell myself that I was beautiful. That was 34 years ago, and to this day, I am faithful to those words. To see yourself as you really are is an act of courage.

There are times when I’ve peered into the mirror naked and haven’t been totally satisfied with what I’ve seen. I know that at least some of my physical body composition is pliable, including my skin, muscular tone and percentage of bodyfat. Accepting this gives me confidence and inner security. Fighting this makes me feel insecure. It means much of what I see is up to me and is something I can’t blame on genetics alone.

Of course some of my physical exterior is static, such as the natural color of my eyes and hair, or the size and length of my bones including my height as an adult. This is where the second line of the Serenity Prayer comes to mind, “Accept the things I cannot change”. But the amount and quality of flesh attached to my bones is something I do have control over.

On a few occasions I’ve been thankful to look naked in the mirror and see imperfections that were medical and required immediate attention. This age old practice of self-examination endorsed by modern medicine is much more than vanity. Looking at yourself naked in the mirror is based on pure logic and could save your life. Try examining your breasts with your blouse on!

I also practice the art of air bathing for at least 10 minutes every day, usually after a bath or shower to reap the benefits of natural health. Air bathing is defined as moving about in your birthday suit.

The skin is our largest eliminative organ. Air bathing allows the skin to cool down, breathe and even absorb elements, moisture and ions from the surrounding atmosphere. Air bathing also provides a thermogenic effect, meaning it stimulates your metabolic rate at a low level forcing the body to use stored bodyfat as a fuel source.

"Gymnophobia" is derived from the Greek "gymnos" (naked) and "phobos" (fear). Gymnophobia is a fear (phobia) of nudity. Gymnophobics experience anxiety from nudity, even if they realize their fear is irrational. They may worry about seeing others naked or being seen naked, or both.

This fear may stem from a general anxiety about sexuality, from a fear of feeling physically inferior, or from a fear that nakedness leaves one exposed and unprotected. Avoidance of nudity in private situations may be a continuation of modesty, or may extend to prudishness or body shame. Only an actual fear of nudity qualifies as gymnophobia. Only when the fear is seemingly beyond one's control or is interfering with daily life can an anxiety disorder diagnosis be made.

Of course we need to use discretion when performing the art of air bathing, especially if we are sharing our living quarters with others, however, the bedroom and bathroom can easily serve as a practical alternative.

History reveals many cultures unafraid of exposing their skin publicly or that refused to use fashion as a false cover. Spartans were basically bare and their victories in pan-Hellenic sports competitions enticed all neighboring Greeks to exercise nude, creating the word “gymnasium”.

Romans mingled in magnificent bathhouses, enjoying dense communal nudity as they drank, dined, defecated, bathed, read books, argued politics, and watched theater. Even today at the bathhouses in Baden-Baden Germany, public nudity is embraced and practiced with dignity.

Trapped in tomb-like textiles, we exile our flesh from experiencing the environment of life. We atrophy the majority of our epidermis. If you put a plaster cast on a broken arm, the skin starves for Vitamin D; muscles weaken due to strangled range of motion; nerve synapses depress to a whimper of their former joy.

Pediatricians agree that infants thrive with a daily dose of “naked time” especially before and after a bath. This unhampered time of vulnerability reduces chaffing and skin problems that often occur as a result of being covered up too long. It even aids in infant brain development.

Sleeping in the nude enables fresh air to travel over the surface of the entire body and distribute heat more efficiently, as well as allowing the body to move and turn without hindrance. Modern clothing, especially petroleum based synthetic fabrics, can limit the flow of air over the skin and interfere with the evaporation of perspiration.

Sunbathing nude for short periods helps to clear the skin of rashes and a variety of skin disorders; providing the diet is clean. Sunbathing also prevents infection because natural light acts to naturally sterilize the skin against pathogens and hostile bacteria. Why are most of us deficient in vitamin D? We spend too much time covered up.

Routine male gender nudity may improve fertility. If the sex organs are allowed to “hang loose” to cool the testicles, this slight decrease in temperature combined with the absence of tight or restrictive clothing can help sustain a higher sperm count throughout life. It’s important for Mr. Happy to be “happy”.

Much of the fear and sensationalism surrounding nudity in North American society stems directly from the publicly held but erroneous belief that nudity is somehow necessarily or at least indirectly connected with pornography, perversion and sex.

Nudity in and of itself does not necessitate the implication of sex. Here are a few examples:

• For the purpose of medical analysis the body must be examined in the nude.
• Babies when first born and throughout their young lives are examined in the nude to visually detect any abnormalities.
• When serving time in prison or if one is suspected of carrying contraband at an airport, the guilty party is forced to bare down for physical inspection, like it or not!

I mentioned to a male friend of mine that I was writing this article. He shared an experience he had with his own nudity in the mirror. He was preparing to have a shower, removed his clothing, looked into the mirror and noticed that one testicle was greatly swollen.

He never would have noticed this if he didn’t look at his own naked reflection in the mirror. He immediately went to the doctor, was diagnosed with epididymitis (inflammation of the epididymis) and received medical treatment.

So, if you don’t have a full length mirror mounted on the wall, go out and get one. Then strip down and dare to be bare. Take a good long look at yourself, analyze your findings and cope with the naked truth. Use this evidence to facilitate positive change if need be or congratulate yourself for that hard work and discipline engineered by none other than yourself.

Go ahead. Top up your self-esteem. True health value created is true health value earned. Walk around everyday naked for 10 minutes; enjoy the freedom and the wonderful proven health benefits. You’ll be surprised how good you’ll feel and the sense of well being that it evokes.

The naked truth is…we are born naked…get over it and dare to be bare!

His disciples asked, "When will you become revealed to us and when shall we see you?" Jesus answered, "When you disrobe without being ashamed and take up your garments and place them under your feet like little children and tread on them, then will you see the son of the Living One, and you will not be afraid.” ~ The Gospel of Thomas

"There are those who so dislike the nude that they find something indecent in the naked truth." ~ Francis H. Bradley

"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” ~ Genesis 2:25

Every Day's a Holly-Day! TKH