North East Skinny Dip 2023 - in the waves, fully in the moment, feeling grateful and embracing life.

Over the last few years I've taken part in the North East Skinny Dip. My first one was just over 8 years ago with around 300 other people. Last weekend there were closer to 1500 incredible people of all different shapes, sizes, ages, abilities taking part, quite an achievement in this day and age when so many of us live with immense shame about our bodies and about the way we look. We are programmed from an early age on how the beauty industry says we should look, how society says we should behave... and shame on you if you don't conform, shame on you if you dare to be, act or look different. 

In the midst of hundreds of naked people, with the sound of the crashing waves, ecstatic laughter in the air and the coldness of the sea splashing against my naked fleshy parts that are usually kept hidden from the world, I felt incredible! I felt free from shame, free from judgement, free from a society that overtly sexualises our beautiful naked bodies. I swam, I splashed, I sang and I danced in the waves. 

From my very first cold naked dip I have strived to capture that feeling and take it with me throughout every aspect of my life. I do my best to live a life, free of body shame, liberated from the judgment of others, constantly learning, and not only feeling content with my lumpy bumpy jiggles and wiggles, but learning to love them - just like in the waves, fully in the moment, feeling grateful and embracing life. 

It's not easy to let go of the weight of other people's judgments and yes it can be tough to step of your comfort zone, but oh boy is it worth it when you do. It makes me feel sad to think there are people out there who will never get to experience the immence sense of freedom it brings, feeling that discomfort and still taking the step.

So, after my most recent skinny dip I wanted to respond to the many people who looked at me kinda funny and asked, "so why do you do it?" My question to you is...

Why don't you?