Naturism for Mental and Physical Health?

[Guest guest]

While I was surfing the web for more information on saunas and hot tubs as a

therapeutic measure I also came upon the following site which extols the

virtues of naturism, not as a form of voyeurism, but as a helpful form of

mental and physical therapy. Noting that some of the theories are based upon

jargon from the world of acupuncture or Eastern healing, do read through this

site and offer any opinions that you might have on the proposed physiological

and psychological effects of naturism.

<http://www.difference-engine.co.uk/library/human-rights/naked/naked.htm>

Here are a few extracts from this site:

Chi (Qi) is the name given to the specific energy frequencies that run along

'meridians' (pathways) in the body. This energy is utilized by acupuncturists

and other health therapies to influence their patients. The chi flow is a

very important component of body function. A healthy flow of chi promotes a

healthy nervous system, blood vessels, lymph drainage, etc.

The Effect of Clothing on Energy Flow

Many interesting experiments have been done on the affect that clothing has

on chi flow within the body. During the authors' years as Principal of the

Brisbane College of Traditional Acupuncture and Natural Therapies in

Australia, many experiments were conducted using highly sensitive equipment

that could monitor and measure the flow of chi along the meridians. An

acupuncture needle could be inserted into an acupuncture point to demonstrate

the affect it has on the energy levels in other parts of the body along where

that meridian flowed. For example, a needle inserted just below the knee at a

point called stomach 36, would demonstrate an increased flow of energy along

the whole stomach meridian running up the leg, through the stomach, up into

the chest, and up to the eyes. Stimulating the needle can effectively help to

balance, and heal, a stomach disorder (such as a stomach ulcer), or perhaps

increase the energy flow to the eyes and improve vision. Some interesting

experiments demonstrated the following:

When a patient was naked and had the needle stimulated, there was a

measurable flow of energy - we'll call it 100 units. If that person then wore

nylon underpants while this experiment was being done, and the needle was

being stimulated, the effective end result of the flow was a reduction of

energy flow of up to 60%. Repetitive experiments demonstrated that if a

patient wore nylon underwear while receiving acupuncture treatments, that

patient would need twice as many treatments to get the same results. [Cotton

underwear reduced the flow by 20%.]

The body as an electrical field

The surface of the skin is an electrical field that is constantly interacting

with our environment and our inner body systems. The nervous system is

another set of electrical circuits. The two combine to create varying

electrical potentials that can easily be measured. This electrical potential

is altered by the influence of different types of clothing. Synthetic

clothing builds up a static charge on the body so that when a piece of metal

is touched, the person gets a shock. Practitioners who work with bioenergetic

therapy have found the static has detrimental effects on the body's

electrical network which, in turn, affects health.

Daily Nude Break

Wearing clothing, particularly synthetic clothing, has a detrimental effect

on the electrical potential of the body and the ability of the chi in the

body to flow freely. From a bioenergetic point of view, clothing builds up

stress in the body with an accumulative effect. It is important to allow the

body time to normalize - give it some breathing space as it were - for it to

balance out the electrical flow throughout the skin. That is why it is so

essential for us to have a period of time each day without clothes.

Many of us have noticed that the stresses of the day can be diminished quite

dramatically by standing under a shower or sitting in water. There is a

twofold effect here. One is the removal of the clothing to allow energy to

flow more freely. The other, is that running water has a wonderful effect of

neutralizing energy blockages, and deactivating electrical charge. The body

can also neutralize itself by simply being naked without the electrical and

physical interference of clothing.

That is why a period of being totally naked each day is so important. The

longer the period the better. Our bodies need a chance to recharge,

revitalize and sort themselves out. The accumulative effect of wearing

synthetic, restrictive and tight clothing over the years is a dramatic

increase in stress levels, accelerated aging and reduced health.

The Effect of Bathing Suits

When people go out into the sun wearing synthetic swim suits, there is an

accumulative negative effect. Firstly, a static electrical charge builds up

from the material, interfering with the energy circuits and irritating the

skin. Then the sun beating down on the body creates a temperature

differential between where the clothing is, to where it is hitting bare skin.

The combination of temperature differential, electrostatic charge built up by

the synthetic fiber, and the disturbed flow of the chi through the area,

creates electrical variations that can be very detrimental to the skin.

Objectively, we see that the area around the bathing costume is where we burn

more easily. There is an inch band where the bathing costume meets the skin

that is the first area to get red, burn, and blister. This appears to be a

result of the interference created by these electrical charges.

This also has a generalized effect on all the skin. When the electrical

potential of the skin and its function is upset at any part of the body, it

will have ramifications on the rest of the body. It is the author's belief

that this is one of the reasons why nudists tend to have a lower incidence of

skin cancer than the general public. (This has been reported extensively.)

You only have to look at people on a nude beach to see that there is a lower

incidence of burning than would normally be expected on textile beaches.

Statistically, it has been shown that naturalists manifest a lower incidence

of skin cancer despite the fact that they are in the sun longer, the whole of

their body is exposed, and they generally use less sun creams. If this

evidence affects the incidence of skin cancer, it will obviously affect many

skin diseases.

The skin is the largest organ of the body with a very complex relationship to

the body. If something goes wrong in the skin it will have ramifications on

total general health. It has also been shown that these affects occur even

with very small strips of clothing. A g-string or small bikini creates just

as big a problem because that band of synthetic fiber across the skin creates

the same situation. So it doesn't matter if you are wearing bikini or a

one-piece, you will still have a detrimental effect on health and an increase

in stress load on the body.

The authors own observations involve a long personal history of skin

disorders and genetic tendency to skin cancers. My numerous moles developed

white circles around them and started going black whenever I went out in the

sun, unless I used copious amounts of sunblock. I found that whenever I was

on nudist beaches with the same amount of sun, and much less suntan cream,

the opposite effect occurred. I tanned rather than burned, and my moles

progressively disappeared as a result of sunbathing naturally, compared to

sunbathing with clothes on. Recently, I have lived in parts of America where

clothing is compulsory on the beaches and my skin problems started to return!

Because of the personal health risk involved, I am reluctant to swim on a

beach where I cannot be nude.

Breast Disorders

This tragedy continues when women have to wear tops on their bikinis. They

create an electrical imbalance around the very sensitive tissue of the breast

that helps to promote skin cancer. Once cancer is in the system, it can

promote any form of cancer. This has not yet been scientifically proven

because nobody has really bothered to look seriously into this problem.

Probably because they would be going up against a lot of 'sacred cows' when

it comes to the promotion of nudity in relation to health.

The Bra

As an aside, it is worth looking at the whole concept of bras. Most bras

these days are still synthetic although there is a positive trend to cotton.

The synthetic material builds up an electrical charge that interferes with

the energy meridians running through the breasts. These hindered meridians

form small eddy currents of energy rather than flowing smoothly in a linear

direction. These eddy currents cause a build up of stagnant energy that

attracts fluid (lymph) to the breasts. (In some body-types it does the

opposite and reduces fluid flow to the breast.) The combination of the eddy

currents, and fluid build up, promotes the formation of breast lumps, painful

breasts, feeding disorders in nursing mothers, etc.

This is further compounded in bras that have metal wiring (such as the

'Wonderbra'). The wire sets up a magnetic field exacerbating everything even

further. The author has successfully treated many women with long histories

of breast lumps. I have told them to wear their bras only when necessary,

spend time in the sun tanning their breasts, and organized a few sessions of

lymphatic drainage therapy around the breasts with excellent, consistent

results.

In the author's opinion, any government that enforces women by law to cover

their breasts when they go out in the sun, is promoting disease. Not only the

disease of physical illness, but the disease of mental illness by creating

negative attitudes towards the human body, and negative attitudes towards

one's own sensuality and sexuality, which then flows on to major problems

within society.

...... an excellent book has been published which documents the effect of the

bra on the lymphatic system and the high cancer risk it can create. This book

states: " By wearing a bra more than 12 hours daily, a woman seems to increase

her chances of developing breast cancer by 11 percent compared with the

general population. "

It would appear that wearing a bra for fewer than 12 hours affords a 19 fold

protection against breast cancer, as compared with the general population.

(Few women, however, wear their bras for only part of the day.) Also women

who wear bras for over 12 hours daily, but not to sleep, had a 21-fold

greater chance of developing breast cancer than women who remove their bras

before 12 hours.

And women to wear their bras 24 hours a day (some actually wear them to bed),

have a 113 fold increase in breast cancer incidence compared with women to

wear their bras only 12 hours a day.

Conclusion: " It follows that going braless is associated with a 21-fold

reduction in breast cancer incidence compared with the general population. "

The book is called - `Dressed to Kill, The Link between Breast Cancer and

Bras.' Avery Press......

Naked' versus 'Nude'

On a day to day basis, you are constantly receiving input from your

environment, family, friends, work, television, traffic jams, etc.. It is

essential that every day you give your body a chance to breathe, clear, and

process by removing the obstructions to that process. You need to not only to

take off your clothes, but to be totally open and vulnerable about it. Being

totally naked - deliberately undressing with the concept of allowing your

body to be physically and mentally open. Simply undressing doesn't always

achieve this. When you undress for a shower, you are not necessarily naked in

the sense of being totally

open.

In the bathroom with the door locked, you can be clothed by the bathroom, by

the environment of the bathroom. That, in itself, can effectively reduce the

impact on your wei chi. It does something, of course. Simply being naked is

always going to be more healthy, but it won't be as healthy as if you were

psychologically totally open and naked as well. Being naked in public, or out

in nature, is more beneficial because there is an exposure, a vulnerability,

an openness, that will dramatically open you up to the exchange of energy.

You should take every possible opportunity to go naked and expose your body

to life. Weekends or holidays in the nude are very powerful therapies. They

give your body, mind, and soul a chance to recuperate, synthesize, and

regenerate.

'Naked' - a State of Mind

It follows that 'nakedness' is a state of mind as well. Although it is

extremely beneficial to physically expose ourselves, to be naked physically,

and go through periods of time when we are naked, we should also realize that

the state of mind of being 'naked beneath our clothing' is extremely

important. (It is possible to be a nudist and not go 'naked.' There are

nudists who use their nudity as a mask. They are nude in a confrontational or

sexual way rather than being open.)

There are people who are unable to physically go naked because of climatic,

religious, or cultural reasons. Some of these people are still able to

process life well and have healthily functioning wei chi. These rare people

have found a way to remain open to life in a positive way. They have a

healthy unrepressed attitude towards their bodies, and aren't in denial of

it. They are 'naked beneath their clothes.'

This state of mind is very important even for the practicing naturist. It

means that no matter what our situation, we can continue to live in the

naturist philosophy even though our environmental situation requires

clothing. It isn't necessary to be able to walk down the main city street

naked. That is silly because it needlessly confronts the sociological and

cultural conditions of the area. Although those attitudes may be wrong, we

will not advance our cause by being deliberately confrontational. However,

there is no reason why we can't walk down the main street with clothing on

and still be 'naked beneath your clothing' with all the advantages attached

to that state of mind.

This healthy state of being means that you will have many of the benefits of

naturism, and you will be more open and honest in you relationships with

other people, and the world. You will be drawing on the energy around you

much better, and empowering yourself from that energy. You will also be

processing events as they occur rather than having them store up in your body

to cripple it later with mental and physical disease. It is a compromise from

the ideal situation of living naked. It is also an essential compromise for

many people living under various conditions. People in Alaska might have

trouble spending the winter naked. By being 'naked beneath their clothing',

they can still enjoy the benefits of naturist philosophy.

Eliminating the Mask

People who live naked or are 'naked beneath their clothing' are not using

their clothing as a mask. They are not using it as an emotional or

psychological character prop. They are saying, " I am good enough the way I

am. I love and respect my body. I do not need my clothing to hide me. I do

not need this mask to relate to other people. I do not need the prop of

makeup and fancy clothes to try and get prestige or recognition from the

people around me. " This enables people to relate to themselves, and others,

from a position of empowerment and strength. They become part of the family

of man, rather than a competitor in it.

Conclusion

It is a tragedy that the human race has allowed itself to create such a

complexity of negative rules and belief systems around the body they have to

live in from birth to death. One would think that when we have to spend so

much time with something given to us by God, we would learn to love and

respect it. We would want to look after it, and nurture it. We would want to

train our children to grow up with healthy and positive feelings about it. To

be able to enjoy its magnificence of structure and feelings. To respect,

enjoy, and love the bodies of fellow life travelers without the denial,

guilt, abuse, and hostility we see so commonly in this world.

The philosophy and practice of naturism will not solve all these problems

because they are so ingrained into a system that has to much dependency on

the negative fruits of disempowering rules. However, those individuals who

choose to embrace the openness, honesty, and vitality of nudism, can at least

profoundly enhance the experience of joy, health, and peace in their own

lives and have a positive effect on those around them.

By encouraging a healthy positive attitude to our bodies, we are encouraging

a healthy relationship with our mind, soul, spirit, and our environment. That

will make a difference within our own lives and, if enough of us do it

peacefully and responsibly, the world......

-----------------

Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

Supertraining/