Your BSNY Guide to looking and feeling better naked
by Francesca Flansburg
We all have varying degrees of comfort surrounding nudity. Whether we’re talking about our own naked body or someone else’s, the thought and/or reality of being naked can produce all sorts of feelings, ranging from sheer terror to utter freedom. We here at BSNY believe that it is possible to learn to feel at ease in the skin you’re in. And there are so many advantages to feeling comfortable in YOUR birthday suit: increased confidence, a powerful sense of liberation, and benefits to your physical health - to name just a few.
So who wouldn’t want to look and feel better naked? No matter how comfortable you currently are, know that this type of self-acceptance comes from within. Validation from external sources doesn’t actually do much to change our self-perceptions. If it did, compliments we receive would have a transformative impact on us. But we know that it takes more than someone else’s kind words to flip the script…The good news is that you can take action toward a better relationship with your bare ASSets (sorry, I couldn’t resist). And we’ve compiled an extensive list of things you can do. Maybe you adopt one or two (or ten) that speak to you…and see what happens!
“Your body hears everything your mind says.”
Use affirmations or a personal mantra & use them often! Choose one or two that you like and repeat them at different times throughout the day. You can say things like, “My body is a miracle,” “My body is a work of art,” or “I love and respect my body.”
Set aside some time each day to practice Mirror Work.
Spend more time naked! Studies show that the simple act of spending time in your birthday suit increases your comfortability with your bare body.
Really get to know your own body and focus on your favorite parts. Dress to emphasize your assets and often remind yourself of those things that you appreciate about yourself.
Take time to pamper and exfoliate and moisturize your skin. Caring for yourself this way reinforces the fact that you’re worth it. Try a sensual salt or sugar scrub in the shower or develop a dry brushing routine.
Examine your attitudes and beliefs around nudity and actively unlearn any shame instilled by society or by your upbringing. Challenge those beliefs that perpetuate any thoughts that being naked is shameful or dirty.
Take a field trip to the beach and see how other fabulous women of all shapes and sizes strut their stuff and look amazing doing it! We have REAL bodies that wiggle and jiggle. We have bumps, birthmarks, ‘warts and all,’ and we still look sexy in that strappy little two piece. So do you…
Movement!!! You hear it time and time again, but it is soooo important. Any type of movement is healthy and can get you in your body. Yoga, dance, swimming, walking, jumping rope, playing team sports, workout videos, etc. Anything goes, just move! And pay attention to the ways in which your miraculous body operates while you’re doing it.
Healthier eating…yes, this. Even if you make just ONE healthy change like eating a piece of fruit each morning with breakfast, it will make a difference. You don’t need to make drastic changes to take steps towards being a healthier you. Celebrate each instance of making a healthier choice and be proud!
Drink more water. Try this habit of drinking warm lemon water in the mornings and watch magic happen! I have been doing this for over 20 years and swear that it keeps my skin youthful and glowing in addition to all of the other benefits that are attributed to it.
“You can’t hate your body into a version you will love.”
Learn about and actively practice body positivity and/or body neutrality.
Read all about it! To deepen your understanding, or further reinforce these concepts, find a book that helps. Here are a few to get you started: The Body Image Blueprint: Your Go-To Guide for Radical Self-Reverence by Jenny Eden Berk, Body Neutrality: The Liberating Practice of Accepting Your Body Exactly as It Is by Ayla Freitas Ghibaudy, or Being In Your Body (Guided Journal): A Journal for Self-Love and Body Positivity by Fariha Roisin
Watch this on Netflix: Strip Down, Rise Up…You’re welcome.
Visit a nude beach! For your next vacation, find a destination that’s near a nude beach and check it out! YOLO!!!
Accessorize your nudity with jewelry, gloves, sexy shoes, etc. Hottttt!
If you are enjoying a physical, sexual relationship with a partner, increase the lighting. Try soft candlelight instead of darkness or brighter lighting if you’re used to a gentle glow.
Appreciate your amazing body for the pleasure it affords you! Orgasms are good for your health- whether you are partnered or not. Step up your self-pleasuring game with this video on tantric self love.
Wear sensual fabrics that remind you of your soft skin and sensual curviness throughout the day.
Remember those affirmations or that mantra you chose for yourself? Write it on your mirror in lipstick or put it on sticky notes and post them in places you will see often.
Visualization!!! Visualize your body at its best- feeling strong, energized and healthy. See our previous blog post to hone your visualization techniques!
“You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.””
Create a sexy playlist and dance around naked (or as close to naked as your body allows…sports bra anyone?) A few of my favorite songs for this include Fireball by Pitbull & John Ryan, Feelin’ Love by Paula Cole, and I Touch Myself by Divinyls.
Listen to podcasts. You can find a variety of podcasts on topics like body positivity, reversing the effects of aging, and health and beauty hacks. I, personally, have been listening to a lot of Marisa Peer and Jay Shetty.
Sleep naked! Not only will this help to increase the time you spend in the buff, but research shows many health benefits to sleeping without clothes on.
Consider working with a therapist. This might be especially helpful for individuals managing more serious conditions like eating disorders and body dysmorphia.
Last, but not least…schedule a boudoir, or intimate, photo session with us and watch the transformation take place. Words can not describe the power of this process.
“If we make self-love or body acceptance conditional, the truth is, we will never be happy with ourselves. The reality is that our bodies are constantly changing, and they will never remain exactly the same. If we base our self-worth on something as ever-changing as our bodies, we will forever be on the emotional roller coaster of body obsession and shame.”
If you truly want to become more comfortable in the skin YOU’RE in (and again, who couldn’t use a little more self-love?), you need to take action. One simple act, done repeatedly, can have powerful effects. What you practice becomes stronger…period. If you practice self-love, guess what happens? You love yourself more! But it does take practice. Making lasting change takes adopting something different and doing it consistently. Give yourself plenty of grace along the way and remember that no one judges you as harshly as you judge yourself. Think about the women you know whose bodies look amazing to you, yet they’re their own worst critic. Now think about the woman you are and all of the ways that your body has served you…and continues to get you through each and every day doing its very best. That. Is. Beautiful…
