I’m not sure if your experience is like mine, but I struggle with body confidence. As a man in my forties who never engaged in sports during my youth, I rarely encountered communal nudity. My upbringing took place in the US Midwest, a region where religion seamlessly integrates into daily life. The messages I received dictated that nudity was appropriate only for two occasions: bathing or spending intimate moments with a spouse. Doing anything but these two things broke from the norm. Suddenly, you were no longer just naked; but in the colloquial language of my community, you were “nekked.”
From a young age, I made every effort to avoid the embarrassment that came with being “nekked.” The societal shift towards a more conservative stance on communal nudity further limited my opportunities to develop body confidence. Simply being around other people comfortable with their bodies did not exist.
I remember finding out that my father slept without clothing. I thought that sounded great and wanted to try for myself. Going to bed one night, hoping to sleep well for my next day in upper elementary school, I slept nude. My plan was going great until my mom walked in my bedroom to tell me goodnight. She realized I was nude under the covers and told me to put clothes. She told me that was “gross” and “was not right.” When I argued back that dad did it, she dismissed me. The message was clear and I learned it was wrong.
Fast forward to my forties, and I accidentally discover Korean Spas. I thought I was just going for a massage, but upon arrival, I realized they offered an entire gender-specific area where nudity was mandatory. The idea terrified me. What would others think when they saw my nude body? Would they laugh? What if I became “excited?” My mind raced. As I undressed, other men began to enter and walk around. They looked like me and didn’t seem to mind. I proceeded to move into the “wet” area where most everyone was at. I got several glances, a couple of longer looks, but no one cared. My heart beat slowed down, breathing calmed, and I started to enjoy myself. After 10 minutes, I was right at home enjoying the facilities. Now, I found myself hooked and decided I loved Korean Spas.
Now after visiting spas all over my state, places we’ve travelled, and researching more online, I can say that the communal relationship between the spa and nudity has increased my body confidence a ton. What started with trying to sleep nude is now a full acceptance of the fact that I prefer to live with no clothes. While my personal/public life doesn’t permit this full-time, I see the Kspa as a definite perk to being comfortable with myself and what I look like. The Kspa’s will show you that everyone has a different size, shape, and look to their body. You’ll also see a lot of people that look just like you.
