60 acast.com Naturism, Nudism and Gymnosophy for the BARE-ly Curious https://shows.acast.com/naturism-for-the-bare-ly-curious-nudism-gymnosophy en Naomi Gale nudism,naturism,gymnosophy,nudist camp,women in naturism,consent,body image,naturist,nudity,embodiment,self acceptance,body positivity Naomi Gale Nudism, naturism, gymnosophy, and consent Naturism for the BARE-ly Curious: Nudism & Gymnosophy. A nudist podcast show for anyone who's ever been curious about naturism. This isn't the nudist club version of naturism. It's the one where we get honest about naturism in the modern world. Each episode sits with what nudism and naturism actually feel like: the body, the freedom, the awkward moments, the surprising ordinariness of being naked once you begin. We explore BARE-ly through gymnosophy: the century-old philosophy of nakedness and wisdom that most people have never heard of. Consent, confidence, shame, curiosity, and the long, quietly radical history of people, especially women who have always explored the joy of choosing to bare all, some or nothing. You don't need to be a naturist to listen. You just need to be BARE-ly curious.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Naturism for the BARE-ly Curious: Nudism & Gymnosophy. A nudist podcast show for anyone who's ever been curious about naturism. This isn't the nudist club version of naturism. It's the one where we get honest about naturism in the modern world. Each episode sits with what nudism and naturism actually feel like: the body, the freedom, the awkward moments, the surprising ordinariness of being naked once you begin. We explore BARE-ly through gymnosophy: the century-old philosophy of nakedness and wisdom that most people have never heard of. Consent, confidence, shame, curiosity, and the long, quietly radical history of people, especially women who have always explored the joy of choosing to bare all, some or nothing. You don't need to be a naturist to listen. You just need to be BARE-ly curious.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> true Naomi Gale info+6a85aa23a835875d37a12cd7@mg-eu.acast.com 6a85aa23a835875d37a12cd7 naturism-for-the-bare-ly-curious-nudism-gymnosophy episodic https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6a85aa23a835875d37a12cd7/1787245615120-224dd74c-0ea6-4ca6-b51c-1e82def73d56.jpeg https://shows.acast.com/naturism-for-the-bare-ly-curious-nudism-gymnosophy Naturism, Nudism and Gymnosophy for the BARE-ly Curious f0f45e40-b5b9-11f1-9a47-37d4ebf372bd Naturism and OnlyFans: Gymnosophy, the Gaze and Being Seen Naturism and OnlyFans: Gymnosophy, the Gaze and Being Seen Sat, 10 Oct 2026 08:47:14 GMT 34:27 6ac9fb92e53019e890144312 true https://shows.acast.com/naturism-for-the-bare-ly-curious-nudism-gymnosophy/episodes/naturism-and-onlyfans-gymnosophy-the-gaze-and-being-seen 6ac9fb92e53019e890144312 6a85aa23a835875d37a12cd7 naturism-and-onlyfans-gymnosophy-the-gaze-and-being-seen Would more naturist spaces ease the pull of paywalled nudity? Gymnosophy, Maurice Parmelee, body image research, and where naturism ends and ethical porn begins. full What’s the difference between being seen and being consumed? In this episode of Bare-ly Curious, Naomi Gale asks whether more naturist spaces, where bodies are visible, ordinary and not for sale, could change the landscape when it comes to paying to see the body (in formats such as Only Fans).


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.

]]> What’s the difference between being seen and being consumed? In this episode of Bare-ly Curious, Naomi Gale asks whether more naturist spaces, where bodies are visible, ordinary and not for sale, could change the landscape when it comes to paying to see the body (in formats such as Only Fans).


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.

]]> <![CDATA[Naturism & Nudism: Why Is Getting Naked More Taboo Than Yoga?]]> Fri, 02 Oct 2026 06:00:00 GMT 35:44 6abe2996fa77186ceb467fe9 false https://shows.acast.com/naturism-for-the-bare-ly-curious-nudism-gymnosophy/episodes/naturism-nudism-why-is-getting-naked-more-taboo-than-yoga 6abe2996fa77186ceb467fe9 6a85aa23a835875d37a12cd7 naturism-nudism-why-is-getting-naked-more-taboo-than-yoga Healers, witches and the forgotten women behind naturism and gymnosophy full Naturism and gymnosophy, a movement of healing, nature cure and body freedom, and women were at its heart. So why were they written out? I explore Ida Hofmann and the Monte Verità colony, Blanche DeVries and her New York yoga institute, Helen Sorensen and England's first gymnosophist group in 1922, and how Gerald Gardner became the "father of Wicca" while women healers were called witches. Drawing on Witches, Midwives and Nurses, I ask why healing work has always been risky for women. I also ask why British naturism is shrinking while the wellness industry booms. This is early, open research. Share what you know.

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.

]]> Naturism and gymnosophy, a movement of healing, nature cure and body freedom, and women were at its heart. So why were they written out? I explore Ida Hofmann and the Monte Verità colony, Blanche DeVries and her New York yoga institute, Helen Sorensen and England's first gymnosophist group in 1922, and how Gerald Gardner became the "father of Wicca" while women healers were called witches. Drawing on Witches, Midwives and Nurses, I ask why healing work has always been risky for women. I also ask why British naturism is shrinking while the wellness industry booms. This is early, open research. Share what you know.

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.

]]> <![CDATA[Why Clothes Matter in Naturism: Completists, Moderates and Children's Choice]]> Thu, 24 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT 34:28 6ab4d6f3079b46c819ae37f2 false https://shows.acast.com/naturism-for-the-bare-ly-curious-nudism-gymnosophy/episodes/why-clothes-matter-in-naturism-completists-moderates-and-chi 6ab4d6f3079b46c819ae37f2 6a85aa23a835875d37a12cd7 why-clothes-matter-in-naturism-completists-moderates-and-chi full If naturism is about being naked, why do clothes matter so much? In this episode of BARE-ly Curious I look at the long-running split between completists, who say total nudity is non-negotiable, and moderates, who make room for clothing when the situation calls for it. Then I bring it back to a question the rules rarely ask: where do children's choices fit?


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:


  • Completists vs moderates, and why history sided with the moderates
  • C.E. Norwood's case for clothing within nudism
  • The burlesque link: why partial covering sexualises the body and matter-of-fact nakedness doesn't (with Andrea Friedman on the striptease)
  • Health & Efficiency magazine and the "nudist bible" lineage
  • The 1930s "happy mean"
  • Loincloths as practical everyday dress across cultures
  • The eugenics undercurrent in early nudism, and why we need to be critical rather than nostalgic
  • Vulva sunning: what the evidence says, and a gentler way to do it


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.

]]> If naturism is about being naked, why do clothes matter so much? In this episode of BARE-ly Curious I look at the long-running split between completists, who say total nudity is non-negotiable, and moderates, who make room for clothing when the situation calls for it. Then I bring it back to a question the rules rarely ask: where do children's choices fit?


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:


  • Completists vs moderates, and why history sided with the moderates
  • C.E. Norwood's case for clothing within nudism
  • The burlesque link: why partial covering sexualises the body and matter-of-fact nakedness doesn't (with Andrea Friedman on the striptease)
  • Health & Efficiency magazine and the "nudist bible" lineage
  • The 1930s "happy mean"
  • Loincloths as practical everyday dress across cultures
  • The eugenics undercurrent in early nudism, and why we need to be critical rather than nostalgic
  • Vulva sunning: what the evidence says, and a gentler way to do it


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.

]]> <![CDATA[Naturism, Nudism & Gymnosophy: Why I Started Barely Curious]]> Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:10:26 GMT 28:59 6aab8f55fce2f88226fd2ba5 false https://shows.acast.com/naturism-for-the-bare-ly-curious-nudism-gymnosophy/episodes/naturism-nudism-gymnosophy-why-i-started-barely-curious 6aab8f55fce2f88226fd2ba5 6a85aa23a835875d37a12cd7 naturism-nudism-gymnosophy-why-i-started-barely-curious A naturist camp changed everything: unpacking nudism, naturism and the forgotten word gymnosophy full In this first episode of Barely Curious, Naomi Gale explains why she's launching a new podcast about naturism, nudism and gymnosophy, and what a life-changing ten days at a nudist camp had to do with it. She breaks down the real difference between nudism and naturism, traces naturism's roots back to the 1920s wellness movement, and introduces gymnosophy: a little-known term she believes deserves a comeback. Drawing on Annebella Pollen's "Nudism in a Cold Climate" and her own decade of work in pelvic and somatic health, Naomi looks at why society still treats nudity as either a joke or a taboo, and why she thinks that needs to change. She also shares personal experiences of being shamed for going topless on UK beaches, and reflects on body image, body dysmorphia, and what it means to reclaim a more honest relationship with the body.

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 first episode of Barely Curious, Naomi Gale explains why she's launching a new podcast about naturism, nudism and gymnosophy, and what a life-changing ten days at a nudist camp had to do with it. She breaks down the real difference between nudism and naturism, traces naturism's roots back to the 1920s wellness movement, and introduces gymnosophy: a little-known term she believes deserves a comeback. Drawing on Annebella Pollen's "Nudism in a Cold Climate" and her own decade of work in pelvic and somatic health, Naomi looks at why society still treats nudity as either a joke or a taboo, and why she thinks that needs to change. She also shares personal experiences of being shamed for going topless on UK beaches, and reflects on body image, body dysmorphia, and what it means to reclaim a more honest relationship with the body.

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.

]]>