Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>In this solo episode of Bare-ly Curious, Naomi Gale digs into the history of naturism and nude sauna culture in Germany and the UK. We cover what FKK (Freikörperkultur, "free body culture") actually is, and how the German life reform movement of the 1890s bundled nudism together with vegetarianism, hiking and yoga. We look at the uncomfortable history too, from nationalist nudism, and at how naturism became a quiet form of freedom in communist East Germany.
Then we turn to Britain. We used to be a nation of naked swimmers, so how did we lose it? From Victorian Turkish baths to privatisation and the law today, plus YouGov figures comparing British and German attitudes to public nudity.
And the twist: young Germans are stepping back from FKK, German women are no more likely to go topless than British women, and Britain's sauna boom keeps running into the same problem. Without a culture of consent, naked spaces don't feel safe for everyone.
Plus personal stories: skinny dipping in Margate, a hammam in Morocco with my children, and being told "the British don't come here" in a sauna.
Naturism, nudism and gymnosophy, with honesty, curiosity and consent at the centre.
Tell me your sauna stories, and if this episode got you thinking, please leave a rating and review. It really helps the show.
Vagina Circle: [https://thisisnaomigale.co.uk/vagina-workshop/]
Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>In this solo episode of Bare-ly Curious, Naomi Gale digs into the history of naturism and nude sauna culture in Germany and the UK. We cover what FKK (Freikörperkultur, "free body culture") actually is, and how the German life reform movement of the 1890s bundled nudism together with vegetarianism, hiking and yoga. We look at the uncomfortable history too, from nationalist nudism, and at how naturism became a quiet form of freedom in communist East Germany.
Then we turn to Britain. We used to be a nation of naked swimmers, so how did we lose it? From Victorian Turkish baths to privatisation and the law today, plus YouGov figures comparing British and German attitudes to public nudity.
And the twist: young Germans are stepping back from FKK, German women are no more likely to go topless than British women, and Britain's sauna boom keeps running into the same problem. Without a culture of consent, naked spaces don't feel safe for everyone.
Plus personal stories: skinny dipping in Margate, a hammam in Morocco with my children, and being told "the British don't come here" in a sauna.
Naturism, nudism and gymnosophy, with honesty, curiosity and consent at the centre.
Tell me your sauna stories, and if this episode got you thinking, please leave a rating and review. It really helps the show.
Vagina Circle: [https://thisisnaomigale.co.uk/vagina-workshop/]
Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>In this solo episode of Bare-ly Curious, Naomi shares the story behind the podcast. She takes us to the morning she walked naked through the Dordogne in France to a rock above the river, wearing only her walking boots, and came back knowing she needed to speak about naturism and nudism from a woman’s point of view.
Naomi has spent a decade working in holistic pelvic health as a somatic practitioner, womb massage therapist and doula. She talks about the TikTok video that went viral, the red flags on her account, and how Amazon banned and then hid her book because it had the word “vagina” in the title. The book is now re-released as Ground Floor: On Sensation, Safety and the Parts of Us We Were Taught to Ignore. She also explains why the naturist community has been far more open to this work.
In this episode:
Whether you’re a lifelong naturist, nudist-curious, or simply want to feel more at home in your body, this one is for you.
Book: Ground Floor by Naomi Gale [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ground-Floor-sensation-safety-taught/dp/106691091X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0]
Ground Floor Circle: [www.thisisnaomigale.co.uk/vagina-workshop]
Support the show: [https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/galenaomi]
Nomestia podcast (alternative living, van life and home education): [www.nomestia.co]
If this episode resonated, please leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It really helps other people find the show.
Content note: frank discussion of nudity, vulvas and the pelvis; brief mention of suicide.
Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>In this solo episode of Bare-ly Curious, Naomi shares the story behind the podcast. She takes us to the morning she walked naked through the Dordogne in France to a rock above the river, wearing only her walking boots, and came back knowing she needed to speak about naturism and nudism from a woman’s point of view.
Naomi has spent a decade working in holistic pelvic health as a somatic practitioner, womb massage therapist and doula. She talks about the TikTok video that went viral, the red flags on her account, and how Amazon banned and then hid her book because it had the word “vagina” in the title. The book is now re-released as Ground Floor: On Sensation, Safety and the Parts of Us We Were Taught to Ignore. She also explains why the naturist community has been far more open to this work.
In this episode:
Whether you’re a lifelong naturist, nudist-curious, or simply want to feel more at home in your body, this one is for you.
Book: Ground Floor by Naomi Gale [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ground-Floor-sensation-safety-taught/dp/106691091X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0]
Ground Floor Circle: [www.thisisnaomigale.co.uk/vagina-workshop]
Support the show: [https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/galenaomi]
Nomestia podcast (alternative living, van life and home education): [www.nomestia.co]
If this episode resonated, please leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It really helps other people find the show.
Content note: frank discussion of nudity, vulvas and the pelvis; brief mention of suicide.
Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>In this episode I look at what the UK femicide data tells us. Most women killed by men are killed by a partner, an ex or a son, at home. That's about control and entitlement, not clothing. I talk about why any naturist argument that leans on covering or uncovering women risks repeating the "what were you wearing?" myth, and about the case of Lindsay Armstrong.
I also look at objectification theory and how girls learn to see their own bodies from the outside. I go back through the history of gymnosophy and naturism, from Germany's life reform movement to its darker chapters, and why naturism has never really had a public language for consent.
Then I get honest about naturism's own problems: unwanted photography, ogling, a male-heavy gender balance, and a recent experience at a naturist camp with my children that showed me how far there is to go. I set out what I think naturist spaces need:
- image consent as a hard rule
- ogling named as a breach, with clear reporting and removal
- more women leading the conversation
- a child consent framework that says "your body is yours" without shame
I close by asking whether gymnosophy could be the fresh start women need. Content note: this episode discusses femicide, rape and suicide.
If something here landed for you, please leave a rating, a review or a question. I'd love this to be a conversation, not a monologue.
Sources mentioned:
Femicide Census / Counting Dead Women – kareningalasmith.com
Fredrickson & Roberts (1997), Objectification Theory
Keon West, Goldsmiths – research on naturism and body image
British Naturism – Women in Naturism campaign and Women in Focus podcast
NSPCC – Talk PANTS
Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>In this episode I look at what the UK femicide data tells us. Most women killed by men are killed by a partner, an ex or a son, at home. That's about control and entitlement, not clothing. I talk about why any naturist argument that leans on covering or uncovering women risks repeating the "what were you wearing?" myth, and about the case of Lindsay Armstrong.
I also look at objectification theory and how girls learn to see their own bodies from the outside. I go back through the history of gymnosophy and naturism, from Germany's life reform movement to its darker chapters, and why naturism has never really had a public language for consent.
Then I get honest about naturism's own problems: unwanted photography, ogling, a male-heavy gender balance, and a recent experience at a naturist camp with my children that showed me how far there is to go. I set out what I think naturist spaces need:
- image consent as a hard rule
- ogling named as a breach, with clear reporting and removal
- more women leading the conversation
- a child consent framework that says "your body is yours" without shame
I close by asking whether gymnosophy could be the fresh start women need. Content note: this episode discusses femicide, rape and suicide.
If something here landed for you, please leave a rating, a review or a question. I'd love this to be a conversation, not a monologue.
Sources mentioned:
Femicide Census / Counting Dead Women – kareningalasmith.com
Fredrickson & Roberts (1997), Objectification Theory
Keon West, Goldsmiths – research on naturism and body image
British Naturism – Women in Naturism campaign and Women in Focus podcast
NSPCC – Talk PANTS
Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>We go back to gymnosophy, the “wisdom of nakedness”, and Maurice Parmelee’s 1927 book The New Gymnosophy, including his claim that nudism lets men and women “see each other as they really are”. We also look at the darker side of his thinking: his body standards and the eugenic roots of early nudism.
Then to OnlyFans: who earns what, why creators join, and what need it might be meeting. Keon West’s research at Goldsmiths shows naturism improving body image, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Annebella Pollen’s history shows how naturist magazines blurred into erotica.
Finally, ethical porn. Why it’s a neighbour to naturism but not a relative, and three questions for keeping naturism in its own lane.
Sources: Annebella Pollen, Nudism in a Cold Climate and “Life in the buff” (Aeon). Keon West, “Naked and Unashamed” (Journal of Happiness Studies). Maurice Parmelee, The New Gymnosophy (1927).
Photography: naomigalephotography.co.uk
Enjoyed this? Please leave a review and subscribe wherever you listen.
Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>We go back to gymnosophy, the “wisdom of nakedness”, and Maurice Parmelee’s 1927 book The New Gymnosophy, including his claim that nudism lets men and women “see each other as they really are”. We also look at the darker side of his thinking: his body standards and the eugenic roots of early nudism.
Then to OnlyFans: who earns what, why creators join, and what need it might be meeting. Keon West’s research at Goldsmiths shows naturism improving body image, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Annebella Pollen’s history shows how naturist magazines blurred into erotica.
Finally, ethical porn. Why it’s a neighbour to naturism but not a relative, and three questions for keeping naturism in its own lane.
Sources: Annebella Pollen, Nudism in a Cold Climate and “Life in the buff” (Aeon). Keon West, “Naked and Unashamed” (Journal of Happiness Studies). Maurice Parmelee, The New Gymnosophy (1927).
Photography: naomigalephotography.co.uk
Enjoyed this? Please leave a review and subscribe wherever you listen.
Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>I start with where my own naturism journey stands right now. It's ten degrees and raining on the Isle of Skye, so it's saunas and cold loch dips, with plans for spring nudism across Europe in the van. I also share where my MA in Irish mythology and folklore is taking me, towards the naked body in narrative. We look at the story of Mis, who is won over by a man lying bare rather than one carrying weapons, and at the Sheela-na-gig carvings set into church walls.
From there we get into the history, drawing on Annebella Pollen's Nudism in a Cold Climate:
Finally, I share what happened at a French nudist camp when my children were shamed for wearing bikini bottoms on the water slides. I talk about my conversation with a lifelong completist, and about management who wouldn't commit either way, despite a policy that says no child can be told to remove clothing. I ask what bodily autonomy means for children in naturist spaces today, and why nuance might be what opens naturism and gymnosophy up to a new generation.
00:00 Welcome to Bare-ly Curious
00:57 Naturism plans: Isle of Skye, saunas and van life across Europe
03:20 Myth and the naked body: Mis and the Sheela-na-gig
06:43 Children, choice and the gap in the rules
07:52 The dress debate: completists vs moderates
10:14 The burlesque link: why covering sexualises
12:26 Health & Efficiency and total nudity
13:46 The "happy mean"
16:05 Loincloth culture
18:18 The eugenics undercurrent
20:42 Vulva sunning
22:45 When two camps collide
24:08 The pool slide: my children, a completist and camp management
32:36 Closing thoughts
Enjoyed this episode? Leave a five-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. A comment earns extra points. You can also find me on Beehiiv.
Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>I start with where my own naturism journey stands right now. It's ten degrees and raining on the Isle of Skye, so it's saunas and cold loch dips, with plans for spring nudism across Europe in the van. I also share where my MA in Irish mythology and folklore is taking me, towards the naked body in narrative. We look at the story of Mis, who is won over by a man lying bare rather than one carrying weapons, and at the Sheela-na-gig carvings set into church walls.
From there we get into the history, drawing on Annebella Pollen's Nudism in a Cold Climate:
Finally, I share what happened at a French nudist camp when my children were shamed for wearing bikini bottoms on the water slides. I talk about my conversation with a lifelong completist, and about management who wouldn't commit either way, despite a policy that says no child can be told to remove clothing. I ask what bodily autonomy means for children in naturist spaces today, and why nuance might be what opens naturism and gymnosophy up to a new generation.
00:00 Welcome to Bare-ly Curious
00:57 Naturism plans: Isle of Skye, saunas and van life across Europe
03:20 Myth and the naked body: Mis and the Sheela-na-gig
06:43 Children, choice and the gap in the rules
07:52 The dress debate: completists vs moderates
10:14 The burlesque link: why covering sexualises
12:26 Health & Efficiency and total nudity
13:46 The "happy mean"
16:05 Loincloth culture
18:18 The eugenics undercurrent
20:42 Vulva sunning
22:45 When two camps collide
24:08 The pool slide: my children, a completist and camp management
32:36 Closing thoughts
Enjoyed this episode? Leave a five-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. A comment earns extra points. You can also find me on Beehiiv.
Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>Follow BARE:
Read the essays that go deeper on Substack → https://bare-ly-curious.beehiiv.com/
The rest of the ecosystem:
nomestia (slow family travel) → nomestia.co
Naomi Gale's work → thisisnaomigale.co.uk
Photography → naomigalephotography.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
]]>