Eat Naked to Improve Yourself: New York Events That Want to Overturn Our Prejudices | ideas

If Virginia Woolf were to return to Earth to study the evolution of women in society, she would celebrate the fact that many now enjoy “a room of their own.” But it is very likely that he will soon find out that it is not enough. Changing the course of history requires the strength of society, and when a woman decides to go her own way, she often pays an emotional price. For this reason, the sorority has been the most powerful weapon of feminism in recent years. There are more and more efforts to create an atmosphere of trust and safety in women-only spaces. While men are critical in finding solutions to achieve equality, after 5,000 years of patriarchy, they exercise their right to express themselves, be heard, and feel comfortable in these spaces.

In New York, a recent example The Füde experienceAn artistic endeavor with events Pop-up Revolve around an activity such as dinner, sculpture workshop, meditation, with the stipulation that you are completely naked. They cost around 88 dollars (79 euros) and you have to fill out a questionnaire to enter, and depending on the answers you are accepted. The idea came from American plus-size model Charlie Ann Max, 29, who started organizing them in Los Angeles and has recently been producing one a month in New York (she plans to bring them to Madrid and Barcelona in August). According to Max’s account to EL PAÍS, the acts accommodate 36 people, although they receive thousands of requests. Age of the participants ranged from 20 to 55 years.

The journalist attended an event held in New York on April 21. An architect from India explained that she attended because she was menopausal and wanted to work on accepting her body. “This is my third time attending ft, and as in other cases, I feel that coming here has changed my life. I am very grateful for the tremendous healing effect of these events,” shared one of the participants. There are those who not only repeat, but never miss one of them.

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in the beginning, Füde (A game with pronunciation Foodfood in English, through which Max pays homage to his German-Jewish roots) women, non-binary, and Strange To guarantee a safe space for those who are uncomfortable disrobing in front of cisgender men. “To achieve equality, it is important to promote spaces where women can listen to each other, without male mediation,” reflects Fátima Arranz Lozano, professor of political science and sociology at Complutense University, by email. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t mixed spaces.” However, as experience developed, Charlie Ann Max realized that it was important to include all gender identities. However, men are only accepted by direct referral from someone who has attended an event. “Being naked is an act of surrender,” explains Max, who points out that being unclothed is important not to be sexual. “And that participants can access their purest selves, safety is my top priority.”

“By removing the expectations and social judgments attached to nudity, we support a deeper and non-judgmental connection with our bodies and others. Personally, I had a hard time coming to terms with myself because of the toxicity of body culture. Being nude helped me heal my body dysmorphia. I became much stronger”, continues the creator Füde. Like Max, many women are empowered by feeling vulnerable, yet safe, in these kinds of encounters.

Men who participate also benefit. An Irish therapist, the only cisgender man present at the last meeting, explained it this way: “During the breathing exercises I was moved by being in touch with my sadness. Finally, I shook hands as a child and visualized my father as a child. It came very nice. Thanks. There aren’t many places where men can connect with our pain and feel vulnerable.”

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Part of the philosophy of Füde The man behind women-only gyms is to prevent women from being intimidated while exercising. An example of this is TikTok Hashtag #Women only gym Almost 48 million visits. The upside is that in addition to safety, these types of spaces build community. The same is true in the travel industry, which has exploded with agencies organizing women’s groups on eco-adventures to remote destinations. Or at many yoga retreats, Detoxification Or a growing meditation on the market. “These spaces are well-suited to promote social change and progress in human rights,” explains Magdalena Suarez Ojeda, director of the UCM Equality Unit.

But it’s not just about making women feel comfortable, it’s about making sure they feel heard. Journalist Pamela Ball explained The New York Times: “Whether they are Trumpists or traditionalists, fringe left-wing activists or academic ideologues, there are misogynists on both ends of the political spectrum who equally enjoy the power to silence women.”

“I’m not one HippieRather the opposite. But I believe there is a science behind energy transfer and you surround yourself with it. If you surround yourself with five people who inspire you, you will be their average,” he explained in 2018. Forbes German entrepreneur Kristina Roth opened the island of Supershee in Finland, where she provides a retreat for women. In its first month of opening, it already had more than 8,000 applications, although only 10 people were accepted into each shelter. SuperShe, like many businesses of its kind, was created with the aim of empowering women and fighting sexism, although it has been accused of exploiting class discrimination due to its elitism. A four-day stay costs $2,300 (2,072 euros) per person.

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Some dismiss these women-only business ventures as sexist because they discriminate against men. Claudia Salazar, a writer, feminist and academic specializing in gender studies, was quick to debunk this: “We live in a patriarchal society, so it doesn’t make sense to say that these special spaces for women are discriminatory. Instead, they are spaces that allow women to begin to develop their voice, something that doesn’t happen on a day-to-day basis (mixed spaces). We are constantly relegated to the second category,” observes Salazar. “We cannot say that we discriminate against those who occupy a dominant position from an inferior position.”

“In order for women, lesbians and people with disabilities to feel in a safe place, it is necessary to constantly promote exclusive events, to understand that the inequalities we suffer from are not (only) personal coincidences and derive from the structural system”, argues Serena Delle Donne. , feminist activist, equality agent and communication and intercultural practitioner. “It is important to understand that personal experience is also a collective political experience,” he concludes.

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