Comfort Level

Are you comfortable naked???

I read an article today that asked this very question.

It described how a woman who is not comfortable with her nudity wanting to try an experiment, and when at a girlfriend's house, asked if she could undress. Her friend was understanding, and gave her approval. While the woman in question didn't get overly comfortable ... "I had wanted to walk around, but I found myself rooted behind the table and chairs. That's as comfortable as I could get. But I did it." (Article here)

In the past few months, I've not been overly shy with sharing my photography, my nudity, as art. (In front of live people, I'm sure I'd be more ... shy!) But the point I found interesting was the reaction of her partner when she described what she did, and how he felt it was a breach of their intimacy.

Our society is driven by an unrealistic ideal of physical beauty: More than 60 percent of American women are a size 12 or larger, yet we're bombarded by images of size 0s, which can fuel a barrage of insecurity and self-doubt. (taken from here)

Definitely not good for a woman's self image when she's self conscious. And frankly, I think we as women are harder on each other, and ourselves, than the men in our lives. I Googled a few phrases, trying to find more -- and its not a subject that many want to talk about. Sure, there are articles how you can make changes (ie, diet, exercise) but so much of it geared toward getting back to that unrealistic ideal of beauty.

From a male standpoint, I found an article at www.askmen.com about 78 love secrets, mostly related to helping a woman feel more comfortable with her nudity. One of the men who had dated a lot of younger women said, "A woman with the joie de vivre that comes from having a bank of life experiences is a much bigger turn-on than a youthful body." (Very comforting to me as I reach my "golden years"! ) Their other piece of helpful advice to men: "Helping your woman embrace her flaws is only one of the many ways you can get her to break free of certain sexual inhibitions. Aid her in feeling more confident, and she'll open up more often to let you in."

I think one of the best things we can do is learn to be comfortable in our own skin. It won't be the same for everyone. Each of us sees our own flaws, and nothing else. But I'm willing to bet that with an increase in our own nudity, even if only in our bedrooms privately, we can begin to feel better about who we are. Why not try it a few times and get past those old stereotypes that have been forced into your head for so long!