'A place where I can be vulnerable' - New Yorkers try nude dinner event

"It's my mission to connect us to our most pure, authentic selves," said The Füde Experience's founder, Charlie Ann Max (29).

Max's love for cooking, nudity, and companionship inspired her to host her first naked group meals in 2020.

She now organises four sister events in New York and Los Angeles, including The Füde Dinner Experience, The Füde Breathwork Experience, The Füde Clay Experience, and The Füde Photo Experience.

The name pays homage to Max's German-Jewish heritage and is pronounced like "food."

An entry to an event costs between $44 and $88.

It's "definitely worth it," said Niko Jane, who participated in Friday's event, her third Füde.

"It's stepping out of your comfort zone in such a safe way, even though it doesn't seem like that walking in the door," said Jane.

"When you get here, you're... everyone's a little timid and a little, like, slow. But I mean, the more you're here, people are just hanging out, and we just happen to be naked. It's nice to be in a space that's not sexual. Naked."

After breathing exercises under the guidance of breathwork facilitator Lihi Benisty, participants enjoyed a vegan dinner that consisted of herb salad, basmati rice, and chocolate-covered strawberries. The plan was to also include a sweet potato curry with spinach, but a portable stove burned it.

No one seemed to care, though.

Many, like Mehow Podstawski, focused instead on the breakthroughs that came from the breathwork.

"Out of nowhere, I realised that I was working through a fear that I didn't know I had, and I just started crying," said Podstawski. 

"And all of a sudden, it was like this fear that you have is so irrational that it doesn't matter, and you are powerful enough and strong enough to, like, go through this, and take on the next opportunity that comes your way because you are, you have the strength, and the only reason why you're saying 'no' is because you're scared. And so that was really nice."

Everyone who participated in Friday's event first had to apply on the event's website and go through a screening process "in order to ensure the safety and comfort of all attendees," according to organisers.

"A lot of times people are nervous," said Max. "People are coming in for the first time to experience nudity in a group, and so it's important that we have different facilitators to come in to help people feel more comfortable."

On Friday, there was a person present who looked for any signs of discomfort and stepped in when she saw anything that needed to be corrected.

Ritu Saheb decided to take part in the event, because she wanted to regain confidence in her body while going through menopause.

"Obviously, there is a need for it, and that's why we have so many women here," said Saheb. "There's so much pressure out there, on the street, the way you dress, the way you look. But there is no pressure in this room. So, I think it's a very positive experience. And I hope to see this movement sort of grow more."

Reuters