Celebrate Nude Recreation Week

Summer's here, which means one thing – holiday season. If you're over your July 4 hangover and need something else to celebrate, look no further than one of my favorite holidays, Nude Recreation Week. Between July 9th and 15th, naturists around the world will be showcasing their individual glories in activities such as skinny-dipping, playful streaking and private body worshipping, so why not join in? Established in the 1970s, this week is the perfect opportunity for first-timers to throw off their inhibitions and start celebrating what nature gave them. Single or in a relationship, use this week to get naked and fall back in love with your own body. On July 14, join in with International Nude Day, maybe host a nudist party for you and your close friends (if you dare), or just invite your lover over for some prolonged naked fun. Nude Recreation Week is all about getting under your own skin and loving it. So take some personal time and just spend the week getting naked.

Daily Tasks
If you're new to being naked anywhere except your bed or bathroom, the best way to get used to the idea is to start doing everyday tasks “in the buff”. Once you're ready to start the day, forget the getting dressed part and continue as you would normally. Making breakfast, doing housework, reading the newspaper...just see how much fresher and more flexible everything feels, with nothing to restrict your movement. If you're lucky enough to have a home gym or a pool, do a nude workout or go skinny dipping. Some people even swear by gardening in the nude – now that's really getting back to nature!

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Living Together
If you're married, or co-habiting, see how exciting and liberating it is for you and your partner to walk around the house naked (maybe keep it to the bedroom, if you have kids). Or if you're like my parents when I was younger, walk around your kids in the buff! Seeing them in the buff, with no cares, made me realize being naked was no big deal. Also, many people work from home now, so see how much clearer your mind is when you're conducting that conference call with no clothes on. Not only will it excite you that the person on the other end has absolutely no idea you're nude, but many homeworkers, such as myself, swear that working in the nude makes them think more clearly.

Get Naked For Yourself
If you have the time, spend longer in the shower in the mornings. Indulge your (and your partner's) body by exfoliating all over, then taking extra time to smother your precious skin with a luxurious, aromatic lotion, something that'll really kick-start your erotic imagination for the rest of the day. If you're single, like me, then take time to linger in front of the mirror. Draw your hands over every curve of your body, and really look at yourself, sexually. We are all sexual, but we don't always see it. Most of us think that only other people see us in a sexual way, but unless we begin to think that way about ourselves, how can we expect others to? Walk around your apartment and look at how your body moves. Notice every line, every muscle, every lump and bump. You don't have to be a supermodel to appreciate just how beautiful our individual bodies are. The fact that we're all completely different, is enough to make us celebrate.