05 Feb Holistic Sexual Self-Care: Sexual Health + Sexual Happiness

It is always fascinating to me how much time and money gets spent on all kinds of aesthetic self-care, but so little on our not-quite-so-visible sexual self-care.   

We take out expensive gym contracts, spend a small fortune on hair and body products and are very happy to spend a couple of hours at the spa or hairdresser being waxed or styled according to our own personal aesthetic.

All of which, don’t get me wrong, is great! Moving our bodies is vital and looking good makes us feel good – so I’m all for any of the above.  But our sexual health and happiness is vitally important too. It is key to a truly whole and fulfilling life – and yet it still doesn’t get anywhere near the attention it deserves.    

WHAT IS SEXUAL SELF-CARE? 

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Sexual self-care can be classified into two areas (although they are both intrinsically related): (1) Sexual health and (2) Sexual happiness.  

1. Sexual Health 

The physical health of our reproductive organs (and that includes our breasts) is what we would generally classify as our sexual health. A subject that usually remains hidden and ignored, and is only given attention when we either have sexual health issues or we fall pregnant, and all of a sudden expect our bodies to perform the rather miraculous task of growing and giving birth to a healthy baby.  

And without strong sexual health, sexual happiness can’t happen either:

2. Sexual Happiness 

Our sexual happiness covers the more emotional/spiritual realms of sex, pleasure and orgasm, and our relationship to them. Most women carry some measure of sexual shame, trauma and/or repression within them – and it is only the systematic release of these things that enables us not only to be deeply surrendered and able to access multi-orgasmic states, but also to live a far happier, more turned-on and creative life.      

The benefits of looking after our sexual health and happiness can’t be stated enough – as our sexuality is fundamental to who we are. So when we implement a regular, holistic sexual self-care routine – one that takes care of both our sexual health and our sexual happiness – we nurture the very core of our beings and the rewards for doing so are rich.

ENTER THE YONIVERSE

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Over the past 10 years or so, there has been a major upsurge in interest in “all things Yoni” – yoni eggs, yoni wands, yoni steaming, yoni paintings, yoni sculpting, yoni gazing… the list goes on!  All examples of women starting to tend to their own sexual self-care. But why now? From all things “vagina” once being such a “taboo” subject, why this massive turnaround?

The simple reason is… “It is time”.  The entire universe continues to grow and develop in perfect timing… and female sexuality’s time has most definitely come (pun intended). Women are starting to reconnect to their sexuality big time – taking the control of all aspects of their sexual self-care back into their own hands again. Which, in my opinion, is the absolute best place for it to be.   

More specific reasons for this time of yoni awakening are:

• Women are looking for more gentle, respectful and effective ways of dealing with their sexual health issues than the ones usually offered by mainstream medicine. The conventional treatment of women’s sexual health has an appalling track record.  
• Women are waking up to the importance of – and power in – prioritising their sexual pleasure and are realising how doing so deeply affects all aspects of their lives.  

PHYSICAL BENEFITS

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To expand on these reasons still further, let’s start with the physical benefits of using holistic sexual healing tools and practices:

• Prevention of pelvic organ prolapse and bladder incontinence, which currently affects approximately 50% of women at some stage in their lifetime. Improved pelvic floor and vaginal muscle tone can turn this shocking statistic around. 
• Deeper pelvic relaxation – helping to alleviate pelvic pain and tension.
• Increasing sexual sensation and pleasure.  
• Balancing out hormones – vital for a healthy, happy life on so many levels.
• Creating a healthy menstrual cycle – it’s every woman’s birthright to experience regular, easy, pain-free periods. As well as being totally possible too.
• Mitigating environmental threats to our sexual health – such as the toxic effects of xeno-estrogens, found in conventionally grown food and conventional body and household cleaning products.
• Minimising the risk of breast cancer and heart disease – currently two of the most common diseases and causes of death in women.
• Minimising the risk of other sexual health diseases and disorders.
• Generating “feel good” neurochemicals – oxytocin, endorphins, dopamine and serotonin are all produced during sex and orgasm, whilst cortisol (the stress hormone) is reduced.  

EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

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And to expand on the more emotional and expansive benefits of prioritising our pleasure, just consider, for a moment, living a life…

• That is free from social conditioning around our sexuality, and where we are healed from sexual trauma, fear, guilt and shame.  Where we are deeply surrendered and able to access multi-orgasmic states and fully and joyfully express our own unique, authentic sexuality.
• Where we understand the importance of keeping our hearts – and yonis – clear of tensions and emotional baggage and where we ensure we release these on a regular basis.
• Where we make healthy, positive choices for our body – what we feed it, where we take it and who we share it with.
• Where we spend dedicated time each day in some way loving, nurturing and celebrating these incredible bodies.
• That has us standing tall and comfortable in our own skin. Fully accepting of all parts of ourselves and others, with boundless, inspired energy to create the life of our dreams. Whether that is growing a new business or career, creating and maintaining vibrant health, attracting our ideal partner, stepping into financial freedom or even making a new baby… all of it comes from our sexual centre!

And ALL of this is possible through getting in touch with this innate sexual part of ourselves and developing a committed, loving relationship to it. Like all good relationships, achieving this level of love and commitment takes focus and dedication – but the rewards are, literally, life-changing.  

SO, WHERE DO I START?

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A very good place to begin this relationship is to start implementing a regular, holistic, sexual self-care routine. Learning to listen to our body’s wisdom and committing to a daily practice of some kind.  

That practice may be using a yoni egg to improve pelvic/vaginal muscle tone; removing blocks and exploring your pleasure with a yoni wand; giving yourself a daily breast massage or getting rid of period pain through yoni steaming. 

Or one of a myriad of other lifestyle practices of both a physical and emotional nature eg. meditation, nutritional upgrades, exercise, creating healthy sleep patterns and making plenty of time for pleasure (in all its forms), to name just a few.

The hard fact of the matter is that women often do suffer from sexual health and happiness issues, the root cause of which is always emotional – and emotions around our sexuality run very deep. But with an awareness of a few basic health principles and some consistent, committed time dedicated to various holistic sexual self-care practices, I believe we can resolve all of them and reclaim and maintain optimal sexual health and happiness instead.  

If you are interested in reading more on how to do this, get your free copy of the beautifully illustrated and informative ebook “Yoni Love 101 – A Guide To Holistic Sexual Self-Care For Women”. This book also includes an invitation to work with the author, Juliet Terblanche, personally and explore these practices more deeply.

If you’d like to get started right away, the yoni eggs and yoni steaming herbs are available directly on Faithful to Nature.  

Because – Awesome, Powerful Women – It Is Time… ♥