Let's talk about awkward boners (erections) (Patreon)

If you’ve ever been concerned about getting an unwanted erection in a social nude setting, you’re not alone!

This is one of my most common concerns and most frequently asked questions and a valid one at that! I don’t believe the conversation of erections is discussed enough, even within the nudist community and because of this it has caused shame within men and something women fear, especially within my naked yoga classes and being within such close proximity.

So I want to start with the basics… What is an erection?

Erections are a physiological phenomenon where the arteries connected to the penis widen and allow for more blood flow into the penis. The sudden influx of blood causes the penis to swell and stiffen.

Erections are associated with sexual arousal, although they can be spontaneous and have no link to sexual arousal or attraction. Reasons for erections will differ on hormones, age, sexual maturity, level of activity, and even the amount of sleep you’ve had!

Interestingly enough, an erection is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system, your ‘rest and digest’ mode. So, an erection is actually a relaxation of the blood vessels of the penis, allowing them to fill with blood. That means if you are ever met with an unwanted erection during meditation or yoga, you may not be sexually aroused... You may have actually found yourself in a deep state of relaxation!

But let’s also talk about the obvious… With the over sexualization of the naked body, it takes practice to begin to remove this brainwashed idea that women’s naked body is for the tantalization of men But the more social nudity you integrate into your life, the more normalised nudity becomes and the less likely you are to be getting an erection at the mere sight of another naked human.

Now the next question is, what do you do if you get an unwanted erection!? Obviously, as a biological female, I can’t answer from experience, so I have taken this question to Twitter. Here are some of the responses I received:

-> I had it happen once where I was socialising in a resort clubhouse, and I felt it move a little, and it was all I needed to excuse myself and take a walk to stop it.

-> Random errections are a thing. Sometimes, they happen without them being sexual at all. I would personally just breathe or relax, and it goes down. I wouldn’t flaunt it, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to hide it. Maybe shift a leg?

-> 8 years of nudism and only had to deal with this once, thankfully. Respectfully covered my lap with a towel until things were back to normal. Honestly, it’s never been an issue, though.

-> Depends on the situation. If I’m just laying down on a towel or beach chair, I’m not in a position where I’m overly flaunting, so I just wait it out. If I’m standing or walking around, I’ll grab a towel and wrap it around me till it mellows out. That’s the polite thing to do.

-> Casually cover or turn another direction from who’s in view. I think the setting and audience matter also. Myself and many friends aren’t offended by it, but some might be.


-> I haven’t had this problem in a while, but the first time it did, I wasn’t sure what was happening and felt embarrassed. Eventually, I learned that it’s all part of the human experience and it’s something that shouldn’t be frowned upon.

-> Penile erectors and nipple erectors are involuntary muscles in the human body. So they can get erect in any setting.

-> It’s similar to a fart. If it happens once and you take some steps away from the others, it’s no big deal. But if it happens several times and you’re all “hey, did you smell that?”, you won’t make a lot of friends.

- > Jump in a pool if available (tough to distinguish between an erection and floating)

Remember, it's all within context, and it's nothing to be ashamed of! Don't let this fear stop you from experiencing the freedom & power of non-sexual nudity.