QUOTES 6/23/2017

“For most of the history of our species, in most parts of the world, bathing has been a collective act.  In ancient Asia, the practice was a religious ritual believed to have medical benefits related to the purification of the soul and body.  For the Greeks, the baths were associated with self-expression, song, dance and sport, while in Rome they served as community centers, places to eat, exercise, read and debate politics.  But communal bathing is rare in the modern world. . . The eclipse of communal bathing is one symptom of a wider global transformation, away from small ritualistic societies to vast urban metropolises populated by loose networks of private individuals.  This movement has . . . contributed to rampant loneliness, apathy and the emergence of new psychological phenomena, from depression to panic and social anxiety disorders.  ‘

Urban alienation’, a term much-used by sociologists at the start of the 20th century, has become a cliché for describing today’s world. . . Reintroducing bathhouses . . . could be a means of tackling the loneliness of living in contemporary megacities. . . being physically present with one another makes us more aware of ourselves, and those around us, as biological – not purely linguistic and intellectual – organisms.” – Jamie Mackay, https://aeon.co/ideas/why-we-need-to-bring-back-the-art-of-communal-bathing

“Le Sérignan Plage Nature” (Video) - https://www.naturisme-tv.com/camping/le-serignan-plage-nature/

“One of the main arguments for bringing up children in a nudist community is it instils a realistic and more positive attitude to body image from a young age, destroying the damaging effect size-zero models and airbrushed magazine images can have.” - http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-ideas/adventure/we-quit-our-lives-to-live-in-a-nudist-resort/news-story/61656e31ad140aaeb4821891b0ac7676

“. . . voyeurism and exhibitionism are essentially hardwired into every human being.  It’s part of biology in the cause of perpetuating the human race!  Most exhibitionism in today’s society actually takes place when we’re fully clothed, in an effort to say, ‘Hey!  Look at me!  Admire my human form and maybe we’ll be friends.’  And, of course, an exhibitionist has nothing to show off, if there are no voyeurs looking on.” - https://meanderingnaturist.wordpress.com/2014/05/

“The scary part is taking your clothes off in the beginning.  It will disappear after a few minutes in class . . . While many equate being naked with sex, this couldn't be further from the truth in a naked yoga class.” - Monika Werner, http://www.peopleenespanol.com/article/i-went-naked-yoga-and-what-happened

“In Germany . . . people are comfortable with their bodies.  Nudity - in gyms, saunas and public places stops being such a big deal anymore.  Yes, it comes as a culture shock in the beginning, but once that is over, you feel relieved with a new-found sense of freedom.” – Appeksha Harihar, http://www.dailyo.in/lifestyle/what-moving-abroad-taught-me-travel-nudity-culture/story/1/11229.html