The story of my body is definitely of the ugly duckling turned swan. I was a dancer so I was always very in tune with my body. From the ages of four to fourteen, however, I had the curse of coke bottle glasses. Those glasses were so heavy I practically had to use my hands to hold my head up. I was teased and tortured relentlessly by other kids. Being teased consistently, I developed a deep sensitivity for how people feel. I’m very sensitive to the emotional fluctuations of others around me. When I entered high school, my mother decided it was time for me to have contact lenses. I was not prepared for the change in attention I received. I was a shy introverted young woman who was suddenly considered beautiful and popular. I was not ready for the reverse attention of attraction. I became even more introverted which others took as snobbish and conceited because I was now attractive and shy. I used to get headaches and stomachaches because it was so much to process.

I feel like I’ve always been on a spiritual quest. I’ve gone to every mosque, temple, church or synagogue I could find. Eventually my practice led me to Tantra. I feel like I’m in the best place I’ve ever been with my body. It was a beautiful integration of the spiritual and the physical. There was no demonizing of the body. When different religions told me my body and my sexuality were wrong or dirty there was something in me as an intuitive young woman that knew that my body was holy.

I discovered naturism about twelve years ago at a campground called Brushwood. It’s a clothing optional campground with a community who is interested in creativity and spirituality. Brushwood is my utopia. I started running clothing optional yoga classes and sound healing circles in New York City to recreate the Brushwood experience during the winter months. Doing yoga and meditation nude has made me feel so liberated. Being nude enables me to feel the lifeforce energy within my body as well as the energy surrounding my body on a deeper level and feel the oneness of all beings.

Having children too has played a huge part in grounding me in a loving relationship with my body. I’m raising my children as naturists. I actually think children are born naturists. My kids always want to take their clothes off. I have five of them – 8,10, 13, 16, 22. My older ones, when they hit puberty, went through a phase where they put clothes on to cover up their changing bodies. After that phase was over, they felt more comfortable with being nude outdoors and around others.

The intention I hold for my clothing optional events and classes is that I want people to realize the illusion of separation between people and planet. Everything we do, every word we speak affects ourselves and each other. I want to assist people in increasing their own inner vibrational frequency so we connect with each other lovingly. I envision a time when people stop being hateful towards each other. We are all one operating as vibrations of some form. I want us to awaken.