Once you have walked nude in a group of diverse strangers and felt nothing but peace, you experience a permanent shift.

If body positivity is the theory, naturism is the practice. Before we undress, we must understand the clothes we wear—both physically and metaphorically.

Naturism is the act of submitting the final manuscript.

Naturism is the great equalizer. It forces a confrontation with authenticity. And that confrontation is the most powerful form of body positivity therapy available. To understand the impact, let’s look at the psychology of body image.

When you are secure in your bare self, you project a confidence that is magnetic. You stop worrying about "when to show your flaws" because you no longer view your body as a list of flaws.

When you finally stop dressing for the gaze of others, you start living for the feeling of the sun.

Naturism shatters this conditional contract. One of the greatest misconceptions about naturism is that it is sexually charged. In reality, organized naturism has a strict ethical code: non-sexual social nudity.

Most of us suffer from what psychologists call "body surveillance"—constantly viewing ourselves from an outsider’s perspective. How do my hips look in these jeans? Does my stomach look flat from this angle?