Our campsite René Oltra and the French Federation of Naturism invite you to discover the little guide for new naturists.
Naturism tempts you... No more hesitation ! To finish convincing you, here is a small anthology of the 12 most persistent prejudices, our answers and a small guide for new naturists!
Naturism feeds many fantasies and prejudices. Let’s go over the main preconceived ideas surrounding this practice that attracts so much curiosity!
(from the blog Restons Futiles) (www.restonsfutiles.com), with the participation of the Communication group of the French Naturist Federation)
PREJUDICE NO. 1:
Naturists represent a tiny part of the population.
2 million French people practice naturism every year! From your baker to your boss, there are many more than you think! Except that, as the subject is difficult to discuss and prejudices are still too numerous, the practice remains hidden from those around them. Yet France is considered THE queen of naturism: indeed, many foreigners join our naturist areas every year because the country, a pioneer in the practice, offers a wide range of quality in this area.
PREJUDICE NO. 2:
It must be hot in the bushes!
Naturism has NOTHING to do with fornication. Nothing!
I have never really understood where this confusion comes from. Nudity and sexuality are not synonymous! Sexuality remains in the realm of what we keep to ourselves. Beware of shortcuts!
PREJUDICE NO. 3:
It’s got to look all over the place!...
As surprising as it may seem, a naked body, but even more so 3,000 naked bodies at once, is not erotic. A sexy swimming costume is much more erotic than a body in its simple apparatus. What is attractive is the fact of suggesting one’s femininity or virility by dressing up, by adorning one’s body with artifice to sublimate it. One is less likely to stare in a naturist space than in a "textile" campsite, if only out of respect for the other person’s nudity and because one is as vulnerable and naked as he or she is! In naturist areas, there are no ideas of seduction; you have not chosen to undress to show off or exhibit yourself, you have chosen to feel good, to get back to basics and, for a few days, to simplify your life, enjoy your freedom and live in harmony with nature.
PREJUDICE NO. 4:
This is not a place for children...
No, the atmosphere is very family-oriented. Having talked to many naturist parents, children have no problem with nudity. Look at them, they love to live naked and their clothes are something they try to get rid of by all means. So it’s paradise for them there! Questions may arise in adolescence, when boys in particular start to have difficulties with their intimacy. In these cases, nobody will force them and their choice will be respected. Children of naturists do not fill the waiting rooms of shrinks.
PREJUDICE #5:
We have to be naked.
That’s the whole point of the game! (Otherwise it’s no fun!). Naturist centres want to keep this difference, which is their strength. Afterwards, no stress, it will be done at your own pace. Tolerance is accepted for "newcomers" to allow them to adapt to the environment and to remove their clothes when they feel ready!
PREJUDICE #6:
It’s hippy sixty-eighty all the way!
Well, not so much! Of course, the basic values of naturism are respect for others, tolerance and living in harmony with nature. But, in naturist spaces, the majority of people are people like you and me, no more organic, vegan or yoga than others! 43% of naturists in France are under 30, living a life in line with their generation, no more, no less than elsewhere.
PREJUDICE #7:
#But what if I have an erection?
No risk!
Permanent nudity desexualises thoughts. Nudity becomes the norm in naturist places, so nothing exciting anymore!
PREJUDICE N°8 :
There are only hot girls!
There are hotties, yes! But there’s everything! Mostly chicks and guys who feel good about themselves ! Whether they’re short, fat, tall, skinny, cellulite, tattooed, redone, they’ve made the choice to be there because they’ve decided to go beyond diktats and live in complete freedom! We compare ourselves for the first two hours, until we realise that there is everything, that we all have faults, but that, in the end, all this has a lot of charm and that we don’t care! Our humanity is not perfect and that’s what makes it touching. And it’s amazing to realise that it’s the clothes we wear that create divisions, complexes, between us.
PREJUDICE #9:
It’s dirty!
Because a naked body washed daily is dirtier than a swimming costume whose freshness is unknown! Naturism is, in essence, a psyche of hygiene! The toilets and showers are impeccably clean, over-cleaned, over-maintained. And the self-respecting naturist NEVER goes out without a pareo or a small towel under his arm to sit on! So, what else ?
PREJUDICE #10:
I’ll never be able to take off the bottom!
Let’s face it, it’s the hardest. Much harder than the top! But after 3 hours of feeling like an asshole in your bikini bottoms in front of a horde of cool ass-nudes, you end up being tempted. And... we forget everything! Freedom! Because between us, swimming in the sea or taking a shower naked, under a light breeze, is priceless!
PREJUDICE N°11 :
It must be super roots!
Naturist areas are often quiet and unspoilt places. But this does not prevent them from offering all the services that one appreciates on holiday: open-air aquatic centre, mini-market, bar facing the sea, restaurant, thermal centre... These areas have been able to follow the evolution of society and adapt to the needs of holidaymakers, while preserving their values.
PREJUDICE N°12 :
But what if it’s freezing?
Naturists are neither superhuman nor suicidal: when it’s cold, they put their clothes on (yes, yes, I swear!).
Naturism is a way of living in harmony with nature, characterised by the practice of nudity in common, which has as a consequence to favour the respect of oneself, the respect of the others and the environment.
French Naturist Federation
26 rue Paul Belmondo - 75012 Paris - Tel +331 48 10 31 00
contact@ffn-naturisme.com
