Nudity In a Toxic World

The effects of the church and a Eurocentric culture

We are all born into this world as naked babes. Craving the naked touch of our mothers and loved ones to nurture and care for us. Those skin to skin connections are what first teach us love, compassion, and care. We often bath with our parents of siblings nude as small children. So when did nudity became a negative or shameful thing? In most pre-European contact cultures nudity, tattooing, and in some cases polyamory weren’t considered to be taboo or uncivilized. On almost every continent in the world you can see indigenous people like the Aborigine, India, Polynesian,  Mashco- Piro, and even Japanese all embraces forms of group or cultural nudity within their societies.

In some of the worlds most famous civilizations and events nudity was originally considered to be a tribute to godliness and honesty. The Egyptian King  Akhen-Aton and Queen Nefertiti believed sun bathing to be a beautiful tribute to God and encouraged it around their court. Over a century later ancient Greeks believed the mind and body are one and nudity was normalized within their society. Athletics, work, schools, festivals, and political assemblies were often held in the nude as a sign of openness and honesty. The word gymnasium is derived from the Greek word gymnos meaning naked. Hell the worlds oldest good will game the Olympics was performed by nude athletes male and female for almost a thousand years without discrimination until it was banned by a Christian Roman emperor for paganism.

Often with European or Christian invaders came their thoughts of modesty, piety and civility. Forcing natives to stop traditional ways of dress or customs associated with their culture. Perfect examples of this would include communal mixed gender bathing in japan something done for over a thousand years has become almost entirely a way of the past after British colonization in the 1940s WWII era. Religious sets like the gymnosophist in India were all but forbidden to practice their form of spiritual nudism during their time under occupation. With colonialism also came the thought of assimilate to our ways or die like savages. So often most cultures were forced to change their ways for survival from a superior occupying military force.

Now living in a post colonial society many cultures around the world still deal with the scars of forced westernization weather they realize it or not. Body shaming a byproduct of medieval preaching of the church has people the world over believing they are sinners or shameful just for being their naked true selves. Sexism and hyper sexualization exists because things that are natural have been instilled to be taboo or lustful. The subjugation of the human form is being bastardized by media constantly feeding us nudity as sex. Generation after generation is fed and nurtured to believe this is the way the world is supposed to but it is not. Our bodies are divine gifts and should be appreciated, celebrated and allowed non-sexualized freedom. We must continue to fight the toxic stereotypes force fed by old men who’s only desires were to concur the world and reshape it in their shriveled image.

Reclaim your power

Reclaim your freedom

Reclaim your native identity

Reclaim your inner and outer peace.

Reclaim your body.

~Sky Wind