Have You Ever Been To A Naked Spa?

Rosie (00:00)

My neighbor was checking I was alive. Yeah.

 

Roula (00:02)

on.

 

Rosie (00:03)

All right. I was saying my neighbor was just checking if I was still alive.

 

Roula (00:09)

Why?

 

Rosie (00:12)

Because he hadn't seen me, he hadn't seen me all day and usually we'll bump into each other a few times. So that's why my camera was on but I wasn't here.

 

Roula (00:12)

What's going on?

 

Oh, So what have you been up to the whole day that you didn't go outside?

 

Rosie (00:31)

I was outside, we just didn't cross paths. I did sleep in till midday though, so there's that.

 

Roula (00:38)

Wow, so cool.

 

Rosie (00:43)

You are very radiant. What is going on?

 

Roula (00:46)

Hmm. I went to the spa yesterday. A day at the spa. Wellness.

 

Rosie (00:52)

Hmm.

 

A naked spa. You didn't, what kind of beans? A naked spa. my God.

 

Roula (00:56)

the guys spill the beans already.

 

Rosie (01:16)

Okay, of course you went to a naked spa. Am I right in assuming this wasn't your first time? Yeah, of course not. Okay. I have never been to a naked spa because the thought of it terrifies me. That just sounds, I don't

 

Roula (01:23)

No.

 

What terrifies you?

 

Rosie (01:35)

be walking around naked in front of a bunch of strangers and I don't want to see them walking around naked like, ugh! But am I just being like, am I just being a prude? Do you notice they're naked? Like what's the point?

 

Roula (01:51)

do I? Yes, of course you notice they're naked. Everybody's naked. You do. It's quite a safe environment.

 

Rosie (02:00)

Mm.

 

Roula (02:02)

okay. Before, before, mean, of course I'm biased because I like it and I can explain why I like it. I'm just curious about you. You are you, I don't know. I mean, I don't know you in that way yet. And now it's a good time to get to know you. Are you prude

 

Rosie (02:07)

Yeah.

 

Oh God. Maybe,

 

maybe, I don't know. Define prude, I guess some people, yeah, yeah.

 

Roula (02:26)

Okay, you to the beach and

 

there are topless people and men without... no, men are wearing... I can't call them topless, but because I don't want to exclude anyone. So yeah, you go to the beach. Have you been to a naked beach?

 

Rosie (02:42)

No, but I've been to the beach where, have I been where some, no, I haven't been where someone's is, but I've been to the beach where people with breasts are walking around Topola. So I've definitely seen that. Actually, I have an experience in France as a teenager. It was not a nude beach, but this man, probably in his forties, I was 13, walking around stark naked and I was traumatized. I just thought that was mortifying.

 

Roula (03:09)

Yeah, well, you know, when the first time I went to a naked spot was here in the Netherlands after years of living here. No, no, no, the very, very first time I went like to a Turkish bath with my friends. It was the very first time I go to a spa at all. And. Well, they.

 

Rosie (03:17)

Mm.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

Mm-hmm. And you went to a naked one.

 

Roula (03:35)

In that spa, can choose either you keep your underwear on or not, but the rest is naked. And it was women only. And they all, they all were naked. And I was like, I'm not ready for this yet. So I didn't go naked. And that was my first experience and they were so comfortable.

 

Rosie (03:37)

Okay.

 

Brett.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

Roula (04:01)

I did not look at naked people. haven't seen anyone staring, any woman staring to the other ones. It felt so normal and respectful.

 

Rosie (04:14)

Yeah.

 

Roula (04:16)

And then I went with my husband for the first time to a naked spa. That was the first time I go to a spa, with sauna and not a Turkish spa, but a real Western spa, let's say. And everyone was naked and it was, there's only one day a week where you can go wearing your bathing suits. We didn't want that. So we went just, we chose any other day and that.

 

Rosie (04:29)

Alright, mmhmm.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

Roula (04:45)

for me was the best experience of feeling free, respected. No one cares about how your body looks. Everybody looked nice and clean and just it was a good spa. Of course, I mean, you have to also choose a good spa. And on that day, I enjoyed myself so much feeling free and feeling

 

water all over my body and going to the sauna and sweating everywhere like without having a bra under my boobs that irritates me and whatever. It felt so comfortable and free.

 

Rosie (05:20)

Mm-mm-mm.

 

This is fascinating. I think I'm trying to unpack where my kind of, reservation's not the word, but my reluctancy to go to a naked spa comes from. And I think it's because nudity is, it's sexualized.

 

But the way you're talking, it's not at all sexualised at a naked spa.

 

Roula (05:53)

Not at all. Not at all. It's not like men walking with erection and women are just trying to hide, you know? No. There is nothing like that at a naked spa. you sit naked next to a stranger, a man naked, and it has never been so much respect and boundaries. Like on that moment, I would

 

Rosie (05:58)

God, yeah.

 

Yeah.

 

Mm. Mm.

 

Wow.

 

Wow.

 

Roula (06:20)

I've been more harassed on the street and about nightclub, wherever I go, even maybe work. And I have not been disrespected or treated in a sexual way in a spa.

 

Rosie (06:26)

Yeah.

 

Wow. See now hearing you talk, I'm like, I want to experience this. You refer to it as freedom and there's nothing icky going on. I still think it's terrifying.

 

Roula (06:46)

And there are beautiful people even to look at.

 

you see wow, look at this body. It's yesterday there was this lady, she was tattooed on one side completely. And I have to say that living in the Netherlands, people are very well taken care of. They sport. people eat healthy.

 

Rosie (06:54)

Mm.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

Roula (07:13)

Of

 

course you have everything, every kind of body, but mostly people look after themselves. And this lady, I mean, I've seen beautiful people in so many spa, men and women, but she knew she was beautiful. She knew she had a lovely body. And when I looked at her with appreciation, I didn't look at her like, wow, or whatever in a sexual way.

 

Rosie (07:18)

Mm-hmm.

 

Mm-mm-mm.

 

Roula (07:39)

No, I look like she has a wonderful tattoo on her body. It's a piece of art walking in front of me. Yeah, I'm looking at this lovely tattoos that she has at this lovely on her lovely body. But it's not on my mind, I was thinking dirty or whatever. No, it's it's such an art art on display.

 

Rosie (07:46)

Mmm.

 

Yeah...

 

Yeah. Why do you think it's so different in a naked spa to in society? We're walking down the street, we're fully clothed and there is a lack of boundaries. There is a harassment that happens and you've been to a few naked spas now. You haven't experienced that. What? Like are there security guards in there? What's going on?

 

Roula (08:23)

No.

 

I love it. Imagine there's security guards in there. I think people know what the rules are when they go to a spa. The kind of people go in there. Probably there are other spas that are not this nice. I don't know. But when I go to a spa, I choose a good one with good reputation and a nice place. It's also an experience. It's a nature experience.

 

Rosie (08:26)

Yeah!

 

Mmm.

 

Mm-mm.

 

you

 

Yeah.

 

Roula (08:53)

And the people going there, they know what the rules are and they're not going to get horny or whatever. No, they're going to relax, to have this nice experience of relaxation that you scrub your entire skin and then you go to the steam bath, you come out in a cold shower and then from the cold shower you can go and swim.

 

Rosie (09:15)

Mmm.

 

Roula (09:21)

Everybody wears their bathrobes and everyone is having the most luxurious and nice lunch. And I'm not saying luxurious expensive. I'm saying maybe luxurious is not the right word. Please delete that. A healthy lunch, fresh vegetables, nuts, smoothies, lot of protein. It's a whole health experience.

 

Rosie (09:27)

Mmm.

 

Okay.

 

Mmm.

 

Mm. Okay, so walk me through it. How does it work? You rock up at the day spa. You wear clothes, right, when you arrive. So then what? Walk me through.

 

Roula (09:54)

No, no, I drive naked and I get out. It's pretty cold here, so you're already wrapped and you're wearing probably a beanie and your winter jacket and everything and carrying a bag. Your bag has your slippers, your bathrobe. This is basically what you're allowed to take with you. And they give you a bag where you can't. You're not allowed to take phones are not allowed at all. No cameras, no phones, not even a smartwatch. It's not allowed.

 

Rosie (09:56)

No.

 

Uh-huh.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

Good, yeah.

 

Mm-hmm.

 

Roula (10:23)

And then you get at the reception and everybody is so welcoming because they know you're here to relax, to feel happy. And then you enter. First, you have to take a shower. And then you start your journey. Either you start with a foot, feet, foot bath, feet bath. I'm now confused with the Dutch and English.

 

Rosie (10:29)

Mm-hmm.

 

Yeah, why is it not a feet bath?

 

We do call it a foot bath, but why not a feet bath? Because we got two feet? I don't know.

 

Roula (10:48)

foot bath.

 

Yeah, and from there you're all free to... There are many different kinds of saunas many different kinds.

 

Rosie (11:01)

So when you're walking between

 

the different areas, you're walking around naked, right? So when do you wear the robe?

 

Roula (11:07)

Oh, no, no, you can't.

 

You wear the rope when you're walking around, unless the distance from, let's say there is a distance from where you hang the robe to your sauna or to the bath you want to join. But then when you're doing the scrubbing, like a lot of people are standing there and everybody is scrubbing and they're scrubbing each other, their back their friends, or even like if there's a lady next to me, I can ask her and I'm alone. Would you please scrub my back

 

Rosie (11:19)

Okay. Okay.

 

Wow, yeah.

 

Roula (11:36)

like and I would do the same. It's a very welcoming environment. Yeah.

 

Rosie (11:43)

Okay, I

 

have another question. So your first time at this naked spa and you weren't ready yet, you're with your friends. Just that thought makes me feel a bit uncomfortable seeing my friends naked. How did you feel about that?

 

Roula (11:46)

Go, students.

 

Hmm. I don't remember that because I was so, I mean, the experience of I don't remember that part. But yesterday I went with my best friend and it's the first time we go together to the spa. So after we dressed, we are in a dressing room. After we took off our clothes, we stood in front of each other and said that that's me. She looked at me. She said to me, that's me too. And I looked at her.

 

Rosie (12:01)

Or was this nothing new for you?

 

Mmm.

 

Mmm.

 

Roula (12:29)

We complimented each other because yeah, I've never seen her naked. She has beautiful skin. Really her skin was amazing. So soft and just really nice. And she also complimented me

 

Rosie (12:33)

Yeah...

 

Roula (12:45)

And that was it. We did not look at each other anymore at all because no big deal.

 

Rosie (12:49)

No big deal. Wow.

 

simple as that. It's such a big deal in my head though.

 

Roula (12:56)

It's so simple.

 

Yeah, could be. It's a big deal in everyone's head who have not experienced it or who's been to a shady place, not a nice spa. It's possible. And not everyone is comfortable to be naked, though.

 

Rosie (13:10)

Hmm

 

Roula (13:20)

I have to say really truly from all my heart, people came in wearing clothes looked awful. When they got naked, they looked beautiful.

 

Rosie (13:33)

Mmm.

 

Roula (13:33)

And I'm not saying

 

their body was the top model body. No, just normal people.

 

Rosie (13:40)

Mm.

 

Roula (13:41)

Like clothes

 

also, we tried to look at a certain way wearing our clothes and we underestimate how much we should love our bodies no matter how they looked.

 

Rosie (13:54)

Yeah.

 

Roula (13:57)

And yesterday there was a moment really funny because in that spa, everyone was so tall. I was probably the smallest there. And that's the thing, the thing of living in the Netherlands. could be the smallest in many places. And I came out of the sauna and there was this group of people waiting to go the, they go, like when they, someone.

 

Rosie (14:09)

Mmm.

 

Roula (14:23)

pour water and then the sauna becomes hotter. It has a name in Dutch, opgieting something. And then there's a time for it. So a lot of people waiting outside, some of them are naked, some of them are with their towel and I had to pass them through. So my, I'm short. So my head is probably as high as the boob of the women because ladies in the Netherlands are quite tall.

 

Rosie (14:26)

Yeah.

 

Boop height?

 

Roula (14:51)

And I was like serpenting between them and they were laughing like, who's that like passing like this between us and they were like moving aside so I could pass, but it was funny.

 

Rosie (15:06)

Okay. What is your biggest bit of advice then for somebody who, because we don't want to force people to go to a naked spa, right? But there might be someone like me feels a bit uncomfortable, but they're curious, but they haven't done it. What's your biggest bit of advice?

 

Roula (15:07)

Yeah, it was nice.

 

You're safer at a good quality spa than walking down the street in the evening.

 

Rosie (15:31)

Wow.

 

Roula (15:34)

No one really cares how you look. No one really cares what your body is because everyone is there to relax and do their own thing. So just I think if you want to go, Rosie, just get over yourself. No one cares about you and go and give yourself this lovely treatment. Healthy.

 

Rosie (15:36)

Hmm.

 

Yeah.

 

Get over yourself. Gah!

 

Hmm, I'll think

 

about it. I'll think about it. Hmm. And here I am sitting listening to you talk about being in a naked spa and I'm like, I have no idea what Roula looks like naked. So I can't even visualize the experience. No.

 

Roula (16:10)

See? No.

 

And you won't. You won't unless it happens that we go together to the spa.

 

Rosie (16:15)

TK

 

God! Wow!

 

Roula (16:22)

I

 

should not care about how I look naked.

 

Rosie (16:24)

Well no it doesn't

 

matter does it? Hmm nudity huh?

 

Roula (16:29)

But yeah,

 

I mean, if we go together to the spa, you're quite tall, you will fit perfectly among the Dutch people. So we will be like you and me.

 

Rosie (16:36)

Yeah. Yeah.

 

You'll be boop height and we'll just be walking around, yeah.

 

Roula (16:44)

Yeah!

 

Rosie (16:47)

anyway. boob height that's right. Yeah. Let us know. Have you been to a naked spa? Do you think it's disgusting? Are you curious? Have you had a positive experience? Negative experience? I want to hear your stories.

 

Roula (16:49)

No, not shoulder height, boob height.

 

Yeah,

 

let us know. Thank you for listening. Bye.

 

Rosie (17:09)

Bye!