by Natasha | Oct 1, 2015 | Bodysex testimonial, Bodysex workshops, Posts
After an intense weekend of self-discovery and self-love, I was asked for one word to sum up how I was feeling. I tried not to overthink it and the word that came to me was warm. It wasn’t until I had taken a couple days to process and reflect that I really discovered what I meant.
Warm- Physically warm, the room was hot by the time our sweat, tears, breath, laughter and energy had filled the space. Emotionally warm, in the most kind nurturing sense of the word. So much safety in this room that felt like a womb, like a mothers hug, like a nest lined with the softest of intentions huddled together so close, getting to know each other as we each contemplated taking flight. Warm acceptance as we shared our stories, warm words and warm knowing looks as we held eye contact as well as the fleeting glances and sly smiles. Warm love as we held hands and passed our acceptance and admiration and strength to each of our sisters, hoping that she truly felt the depth of our embrace and support. Warmth, as my body softened and released the fear and tension I arrived with. Warmth as the cold wall I built within myself started to crumble. Giving myself permission to speak out and risk the rejection of not being heard, permission to stand in the warm sun instead of the shadows. Warm comfort as I slowly transitioned from awkward nervousness to absolute mellow. Warmth of that exhausted, content, fulfilled, post orgasmic sense of peace where you can just fall asleep with a smile on your face.
This is the image I want people to see if I have the guts to tell them I spent two days in a room completely naked with eight other women. To describe concretely that we sit together and discuss our history and feelings about body image, shame and orgasms probably sounds either terrifying or just way out there to most people. To go on and tell them we all lay back and each touch ourselves lovingly and orgasm side by side is kind of mind blowing, I know I had that reaction when first hearing Natasha, my friend and guide, talk about her experiences. I was so impressed when I first heard about these Bodysex workshops but thought that was amazing for other women, but no way could I possibly get naked. I was terrified of being truly seen (and maybe still am sometimes). I am often ok with being a vulnerable mess in some situations, but when I walk away I am back to my old protected, isolated self. Participating in the Bodysex workshop has given me the comfort and confidence to just own who I am, not to apologize for it. I still struggle to open up and be truly honest and vulnerable with people in my everyday life, but I know I deserve it and am worthy of that voice, so I will continue to practice and grow. I am hopeful and what a gift that hope is.
by Natasha | Sep 29, 2015 | Bodysex workshops, Posts |
“The largest, and to some, the most beautiful flowering plant is the giant water lily. It floats gracefully on the water and blooms a large fragrant flower. What we don’t see is that the root is anchored in gross, dark mud. For something beautiful to blossom, it has to draw nutrients from the undesirable, the hidden, the decayed. I think that we are like that. The nutrients drawn from tough experiences contains the plasma that builds petals. So don’t shy away from jamming rootstock into the heart of the riverbank.” Mark Andrew
Reflecting on this past weekends Bodysex workshop, I can’t help but notice how the stages we pass through perfectly mimic the stages of an orgasm.
The beginning can be awkward as we tentatively seek to get to know each other. Like sex with ourself or another, we are often shy and nervous yet hopeful and hesitantly expectant that the experience will be the release that we need. I have never seen so clearly how layers of shame can cover us as I did this weekend. How even when we are completely naked we can remain hidden. As the initial awkwardness of our nakedness becomes the norm, we unintentionally find new ways to hold back. We cross our legs or arms, we hide our eyes, we over talk or talk too little – carefully constructing what we want to share, all the while knowing that there is so much more to uncover. The amount of energy that we put into covering what we are afraid others – or ourselves – will see, is tremendous and exhausting. It is also a barrier to our pleasure.
The beginning circle was almost like the dance of foreplay, getting to know each other, learning our curves and edges, and by the time we reached the show and tell – opening up our vulvas in front of each other, marvelling at our anatomy, and noting with fascination the differences in colour, shape and size of each of us – we began to feel more bonded. We held hands and blessed each woman’s vulva with a name – sending love and acceptance to her in her uniqueness. I have never been more touched by the power and necessity of this ceremony as I was this weekend.
When I am building my orgasms I often hold back, sitting on the edge enjoying the ride – not allowing myself to fall in until I can’t hold off any longer. In this sense I went through day one of the workshop as if I was edging an orgasm. Building up, wanting to surrender, but feeling the need to hold back until I could fully trust the experience enough to let it happen.
On day two I went in early to the workshop space and laid there filling the room with my orgasmic energy before the others arrived. These two orgasms, while satisfying, were like small shudders that happen before the huge release that I was building to. I knew that I was holding back and it was time to begin letting go. Knowing that I cannot aspire to the highest with one part of myself while denying it in another, I stared my own shame in the eye and saw that it was a question of me or it.
I opened the circle with a story that I had been holding in – afraid that I wouldn’t be accepted if they knew it yet so badly needing their acceptance. As words flowed out with my tears, I reminded myself of Betty’s reassurance that “The sisterhood will always carry you as long as you carry your honest I’’s” and when I looked around the room I knew that she was right. I saw love, understanding and acceptance and with my sharing done, the woman beside me went into the deep mud of her riverbank and shared her story. As we looked into her eyes and showed her our love and acceptance of all that she is, another woman spoke up followed by another and another and another and another. Stories of abuse, grief, lost love, infidelity, hopelessness, struggling to find our voice, yearning, reproductive trauma, rejection, redemption and aloneness poured out of us. Like water lily’s anchored in “gross, dark, mud” we drew nutrients from these experiences and our petals grew as we shared them. We cried and we laughed, holding hands and expressing our love for the realness, the authenticity and the muddy roots.
After the shedding of clothing, finding understanding in our physical bodies, and sharing our vulnerability we were now ready to surrender to our orgasms and celebrate our pleasure. We lay back and began the erotic recess with moans, soft and loud, filling the room as each woman “edged” her orgasm for the last time. Having shed so many heavy layers of my own shame there was no part of me to hold back or avoid. I was so aware of the sensations in my body that each bead of sweat down my back felt like the touch of a lover. Surrendering to orgasm after orgasm I heard and witnessed uncontrollable peals of laughter with the release of a laughgasm, shouts of “Same time next Sunday!?” and “Oh my GOD!” as we experienced the indescribable joy of sharing our pleasure waves and our beautiful petals with women who had also seen our muddy roots.
Like any great sexual experience, it should always be followed by touch. So with our bodies softened and defences down we began group massage with each woman receiving 10 minutes of loving touch, over her entire body. The reverence in this experience cannot be downplayed and if it is the most amazing thing that I ever give or receive in my life – it will be enough.
To end this fully orgasmic weekend we sat in a circle holding hands, tearfully looking into each others eyes and saying a word that encapsulated the experience for us. The words we spoke were free, connected, transcending, acceptance, warm, amazing, released, lightening and life changing. Then we raised our hands into the air and sent our orgasmic energy out in to the world in thanks to Betty Dodson who paved the way for this circle of sisterhood.
Thank you also to my sisters:
Bisou
Champagne Lace
Goddess
Rubus
Curly Pearly
Pusoir
Elle
Sting Ray
Leo
by Natasha | Sep 7, 2015 | Posts, Q&A
Dear Natasha,
I am 18 years old and have never had or intentionally tried to give myself an orgasm. My close friends and best friend are all very sexual people, and we openly discuss sexuality in such a positive light.(They’re experienced, I am not) I am very interested in embracing MY pleasure, but I’ve never masturbated before. There is a toy that I’ve been looking at getting, but should I experiment with myself first? And how do I go about doing that? I’m inexperienced in all aspects, and I want to learn! Thanks a bunch.
C.
Dear C.
Thanks for your question! I hear from so many women (many much older than you) who have never masturbated before so your question is very common. It is good that you are asking me now as it get more difficult – though not impossible – to learn as we age.
I think that you are right about experimenting with yourself first before trying toys. Toys can be a great addition to a persons sex life (with others or themselves) but they can also hinder things as it is easy to become dependant on them.
Have you ever touched your vulva? I recommend that you take a mirror and some coconut oil and sit down naked with the mirror between your legs. While touching your vulva softly with the oil, try to identify all of the parts – your clitoris, inner and outer lips, vaginal opening and your urethra if you can find it. It is important to look at our vulva and understand all of the parts as the first step towards body acceptance and embracing pleasure. You can find these parts at //www.labialibrary.org.au/anatomy/ if you are unsure of where they are. Remember that vulvas are like snowflakes and that each one is unique. Some have big inner lips and some have little but, whatever your style is, it is completely normal. You might even notice that your vulva resembles a seashell or a flower.
After this I suggest you start touching your vulva. Touch all over your lips and your clitoris and see what feels best to you. Every woman is different so it is important to explore yourself and figure out what you like. Set aside an adequate amount of time to touch so that you don’t feel pressured to orgasm. You may orgasm this first time or it may take several times of practicing before you do. This is okay. Like trying anything new it can take many tries before we learn. Some women like to rub around and around, while some like more of an up and down motion. Just listen to your body and follow what sort of touch feels right to you.
Once you learn to orgasm by hand you could try buying a basic vibrator and masturbate with that as well. Many women make the mistake of putting their vibrator directly on their clit. This will often bring a woman to orgasm but it can also numb your clit. It is more effective and makes for greater orgasms if you move the vibrator all around your genitals so that your entire clit can become engorged. Your clitoris is much more than the external structure and is comparable to the size of a penis on the inside of your body. This means that when touching anywhere on your vulva you are in fact indirectly touching your clit. I also recommend practicing building to orgasm with internal penetration as well as external. Whatever you do try to vary your practice. It is easy to get “stuck” in one position or one way of orgasming. This is okay except that it can become a problem when you begin to have sex with a partner. This is why I also recommend alternating bringing yourself to orgasm by hand and vibrator if you choose to add a toy.
Just remember to not pressure yourself, to have fun and to just give yourself the time to learn and build this skill. The sexual relationship that you have with yourself with be your primary sexual relationship throughout your life. Enjoy it!!! Please let me know how it goes and if you have anymore questions.
Happy orgasms!
Natasha
