QUOTES 10/18/2016

“I feel I have nothing to be ashamed of in my body.  I’m happy with the way I look, and I think why should we be ashamed of our body when everyone has one?  We should celebrate ourselves rather than feeling like we have to cover up and hide the way we look naturally.  I think it’s insecurity that causes people to be prudish about nakedness.” - https://naturallynaturist.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/surveys-show/

“Everyone is subconsciously and consciously pressured to conform to societal beauty and body ideals.  The constant barrage of negatives messages and images that we are fed via the media has fundamentally resulted in generations of people who believe they aren’t perfect and therefore should hate who they are and the way they look.  [A nude swimming event is a great] way to have fun, relax and promote positive body image by simply embracing your own bodies.” – Jessica Smith, Paralympic Swimmer, From Tom Pine’s Special Report, file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/The%20Naked%20Truth%20Naturists_vol_16_Special%20Report_no_03.pdf

“The discomfort I felt the first time at the Naturist Foundation was non-existent on the occasion of my second run there.  Not only was I now familiar with the surroundings and the procedures, there were many familiar faces (and bodies!). . . To warm up my body and joints I went on a warm up lap of the course.  I’m still much more comfortable running on flat ground.  The site for this run is relatively sloped, so it really helped to do that lap and warm up. . . there were about 80 runners . . . (ranging from ages 8 to 73).  At 11:30 we were off. . . This race felt completely different to the previous 5k naked run.  That first naked race was almost terrifying. . . the situation exceptional and new to me . . . It was tough.  I pushed myself and felt it.  This time the entire run felt comfortable.  I was very aware how much my fitness had improved. . . After the initial burst of setting off chaos, I wasn’t over taken by any other runner while I over took a few runners, especially in the last kilometre where I knew I could push myself harder.  Importantly, I felt that glorious beauty of the fire in the belly for most of the run.  I could enjoy the sensation and stoke that fire without worrying about where the course went next or if my breathing was telling my body I was going to collapse.  It was pure enjoyment.” - http://nakedmanrunning.me/2015/11/02/naked-run-8-2nd-5k-naked-run/

“An invigorating swim in the mountain waters of Lake Tahoe is, for many, a great highlight of summer.  But for some, what makes it even better is to swim in Tahoe’s crystal clear waters without the limitations of those pesky bathing suits, and afterward lie au naturale in the sunshine.  In fact, Tahoe’s remote east shore beaches have been a favorite hang-out for naturists for more than 75 years.  With an enticing combination of granite boulders, soft white sand, the meeting of emerald green and deep blue waters, and an off-the-beaten-track location, these lovely little beaches are irresistible. . . As to public nudity, there is no law against it on federal lands. . . as long as people without clothes stay on the more remote beaches and off the trails, the sheriff’s office doesn’t enforce it. . . If you are heading to the east shore beaches, you are advised to come early during the summer months, as the two small parking lots often fill up by 10 a.m.  The stunningly beautiful beaches along the east shore are a unique resource.  Not only are they part of the longest stretch of undeveloped lake frontage at Lake Tahoe, but for decades they have been a place where a live-and-let-live attitude among government agencies and the public, combined with a group of dedicated volunteers working to encourage proper use of the resource, have kept this place as a spectacular place to visit.  (Tahoe Area Naturists is a small organization providing a newsletter with information on the east shore beaches. Email tahoeareanaturists@gmail.com.  secretcove.org is a website which provides useful information on the east shore’s clothing• optional beaches.  East shore beaches include Hidden Beach and Sand Harbor which are under the purview of the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, and a several mile stretch of land from the Thunderbird Lodge to Whale Beach.  North to south, you begin with Chimney Beach, then Secret Cove, Boaters Beach, Secret Harbor Creek Beach and Whale Beach. Sand Harbor is not clothing optional, and Chimney Beach has transitioned from mostly clothing optional to mostly clothed.)” – Tim Hauserman, http://www.sierrasun.com/news/17391771-113/going-tahoe-streaking-a-look-at-the-history 

“My winter depression (SAD) certainly has been eased by hiking naked, and I have discussed this with my psychiatrist.  He approves and is intrigued . . . I wonder whether he would consider writing me a prescription for ‘the cure’.  Now that's ‘thinking outside the clothes . . .” - Dan