Nudity. What ideas come to your mind when you think about this word? Bare, exposed, vulnerable, unprotected. Free, unburdened, open, natural. The words that come to your mind might show some indication of how you feel about certain parts of your body, or the appropriateness of showing it in various circumstances.

We all have certain ideas about what we should show to the world around us, and what we would or wouldn’t want to show even if it was appropriate. We use clothing to cover the parts of our bodies that we feel are private, or unattractive perhaps. In fact, clothing can even enhance things we do not like about our physical form. Women often enhance their smaller features or constrain their larger ones with careful use of clothing.

But doesn’t it feel great to come home at the end of the day and shed the confines of modern fashions. Shoes are the first to go. My feet want to breath and feel the texture of the carpet beneath them. Comfortable shorts or sweats are next, and those figure-forming undergarments…forget ‘em! Of course I have a family, so I don’t shed the social graces of clothing completely, but I get as close as I comfortably can.

So what is an emotional nudist? It is the shedding of emotional covers that alter, hide, or disguise our feelings. Just as with our bodies, we alter the emotions that the world gets to see based on our ideas of appropriateness or confidence with exposing various emotions. We put a girdle on our temper and a bulky sweater over our insecurity. We show the world only what we want them to see of our true naked emotions.

In general, this is a good thing. I wouldn’t want the whole world to turn into a nudist colony any more than I want everyone to let their raw emotions run rampant. But just like it feels good to shed some of our garments in the privacy and safety of our home, it feels good to let some of our natural emotions surface as well. Be mushy gushy in love, be fitfully peeved at the injustices in your day, be wildly wacky and silly. All of these are part of the real and true you. If you stifle them with “shoulds” and “musts” you begin to cut off a part of “you”.

Now just like nudity, there is a time and place for everything. For emotional nudity you have to feel truly safe and accepted. My wish for all of you is that you have an environment that nurtures this within your home. If not, search for it. Perhaps you find it when you are with your best friend. Perhaps you find it when you are with your partner or spouse. Perhaps it is with your therapist or coach. If you don’t have a relationship that provides the environment for emotional nudity, create one. Floodgates of passion and creativity are opened when you accept the true you and embrace it.

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© Andrea O'Neill, 2001 The intellectual property contained in this document is the sole property of the author. You may forward this to anyone you wish in its full and complete form, using the PDF download in the left sidebar. No portions of this newsletter may be reproduced without the sole permission of the author.