Birthday suit season???

Please tell me that's a typo. I get enough anxiety over bathing suit season and now you're gonna strip it down even more?

Yes, friends. Yes I am. As a matter of fact, I'm picturing you naked right this moment....

I'm declaring now, until the official start of bathing suit season (which I consider to be 4th of July simply because I NEED MORE FRIGGIN' TIME %*&@#@*%)

.......to be birthday suit season!!!

WHY THE HECK WOULD I DO THIS??

Because Naked ALONE Time can make you a healthier and happier person. BARE with me as I lay it all out...

I can't speak for men, who somehow seem to be blessedly comfortable with whatever shape their bodies are in, in the bedroom or at the beach.... but a lot of women I know aren't comfortable with their "imperfections".
We hide them from others by:

*wearing strategically purchased clothes
*cramming them into SPANX
*INSTAGRAM FILTERS!
*shadowing them perfectly with candlelight
or
*assuming the model stance in every photo.

In our minds, we say things like "ugh, I HATE my thighs" or "gross, I just found that missing sock in one of my fat rolls"....

We spend way too much time criticizing ourselves because of some idea of how "the perfect woman" is supposed to look. This negative self talk makes us feel like poop, which isn't fun or good for our well-being.

Yeah, yeah, we know all this, Kristen. But how does coming face-to-face with our jiggly thighs (aka, face-to-thighs) going to solve this problem??

1. Our brains have a way of desensitizing us. Often that isn't such a good thing, in cases like violence, porn, injustices, etc. but in this circumstance it can actually be used to our advantage. Spending time looking at your "imperfections" on a regular basis can make you more comfortable with them. Before you know it, you'll realize your "flaws" aren't such a big deal after all. And maybe, just maybe, you'll actually see them not as flaws, but as beautiful or useful or perfect just the way they are.

2. Maybe time spent in solitary nudity will have a different effect on you. Perhaps seeing your jiggly thighs over and over again, in all their thunderous glory, will motivate you to finally "get in shape" like you've been saying to yourself...over and over again. Maybe you finally decide "Enough is enough. I know thin thighs don't define me as a human being, BUT I WANT THEM ANYWAY, gosh darnit!" And hopefully that motivates you to eat better and get more exercise, which is really the important thing.

3. One of the greatest benefits to living consciously is the awareness you develop of yourself and others. I always encourage my clients, friends and family to pay attention to how they feel after meals, for example, to see if those specific food choices are serving their bodies. My father's lung cancer diagnosis came as a shock to all of us, himself included, partly because he attributed his shortness of breath to just being out of shape.

Tuning into our bodies on a daily basis helps us become more aware of the subtle changes that may be happening, so we can address (undress) them right away. Being naked on a regular basis can help you have that body awareness. You're more likely to spot if moles or birth marks are changing, if lumps or bumps are forming or if your skin looks different. Early detection saves lives. And more importantly, daily prevention saves lives. Therefore, maaaaybe nudity saves lives??

Feeling convinced to drop your drawers, but need some naked-friendly activities?

Here are a few of my favorites:

*Make some vitamin D by doing 15 minute's to a half hour's worth of healthy sunbathing. The sun, in moderation, IS your friend and is necessary to help you produce the important hormone, Vitamin D. Vitamin D is known to help regulate some of our bodily functions and also helps to keep inflammation in check.

*Take a relaxing/ detoxifying bath. Use essential oils or epsom salts. Be sure to use filtered water in your tub (you're hopefully using a shower filter.....) or grab one of these handy guys: remove unhealthy chlorine from your bathwater

*Dry brush your skin. Dry brushing is great way to activate your lymph system (which is involved in detoxification), shed dead skin cells and improve circulation. It's also rumored to help with.... shhhhh, cellulite.....

*Apply lotion or oil all over (make sure it's all natural) and give yourself a massage. Spend some extra time giving a little TLC to your "problem areas". Another rumor is that grapefruit oil can help with......shhhh, cellulite....

*Stretch/do yoga (Just please, for everyone's sake, make sure no one is behind you while you're in downward facing dog....)

*Meditate (Reach out to me if you want a customized mantra or guided meditation practice).

Do whatever floats your boat, just make a plan to try it. Find a private place (suitable for your privates) where you can be comfortable and safe (and not get yourself arrested, as I assume it's cold in jail and that they don't have the most flattering light.) Go ahead, add it to your calendar. Name it something clever and share it in the comments below. After all, all the cool kids (some pictured above) are already doing it.

And the one on the right is already judging you, so you have nothing to lose.

YAY, It's BIRTHDAY suit season!