21 June is the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, but that does not mean much to us down here in the south unless you are a fan of long nights. But it is relevant, because the pagans who revered this day so much, knew how to have a good time – even if that meant stripping.
This astronomical phenomenon is also Naked Hiking Day, one could possibly loosely trace its origins to pagans dancing around a fire, reinterpreted by some new agers before proliferating into an informal holiday.
Even though SANParks are yet to release a statement regarding public nudity in protected reserves, we wouldn’t recommend dropping your drawers on Table Mountain just yet. It does not mean this day goes uncelebrated in South Africa. We spoke to Fanafikile Lephakha, the founder of ‘Naked Hike for Men’.
‘The naked hike and Enlightenment Camp is an extension of the naked hike that took place on 21 June 2021 as part of world naked hiking day. As a life coach I wanted to use this experience to help men heal from their insecurities, accept their imperfections and face the challenge of hiking naked in the cold Drakensberg Mountains’, Lephakha said.
Lephakha is a life coach, and as part of his Mind Refinery courses – participants undergo a process of transformation by participating in a series of activities geared to helping them realise some of their limiting beliefs, teaching them about networking, goal setting and communication.
‘Last year it was just a day hike but after doing the female hike on November 2021, we realised that we must extend the experience and add more value to the participants. We added an Enlightenment Camp.’
This is a camp geared towards dealing with emotional challenges and learning to face fears. Even though it is the most natural thing, there is something daunting about getting naked, but it’s overcoming that barrier leads to healing.
‘It will help one to not give a F*#k who’s looking or not,’ Lephaka adds. This year, he will be leading another hike in Phuthaditjhaba, Free State on the 24-26 June.
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