I Spent a Week Training for a Nude Solstice Swim

Tasmania is home to the the annual Nude Solstice Swim, which sees hundreds of people strip naked and take to the brutally freezing waters of Hobart’s Long Beach to celebrate the end of Dark Mofo. This year, I will be taking part in the event for the first time. I am not feeling prepared.

When the reality that I’d be shrinking my bits in front of hundreds of strangers dawned on me, my friend Dani Leever came to mind. Not because I was thinking about her naked. Well, actually, I kind of was—Dani is a life model and has a habit of dancing naked at festivals like Burning Seed. So I decided to call and grab some tips on getting my junk out in front of so many people. This is what she had to say:

“Being naked in front of strangers, hey? Sure, it sounds confronting, but this is why I’ve found it immensely beneficial and comforting: when you’re in front of people naked—whether you’re dancing or being drawn or just having a conversation—you have nothing to hide behind. It’s the most realistic, vulnerable, and authentic version of yourself you can be. You can’t pretend, you can’t be fake. You can only be your free and exposed self. They’re looking at you with nothing else outside of your body to influence their perception of you. If you have a conversation with someone when you’re both nude, can you really tell me it’s not one of the most honest and uncomfortably comfortable experiences you’ll have?”

read more – Source: Vice