OneDoula: SEXOLOGY
A Recap
It is hard to communicate the magic that happens when your feet are in the sand and you’re surrounded by a bunch of badass doulas. And all of these doulas came together to uncover their own magic and get up close and personal with SEXOLOGY.
As doulas, we’re used to being around the topic of sex. For most of our clients, sex is a big part of why we’re supporting them in the first place. Yet it is still such a big and loaded topic. We dug deep in our workshops to uncover our own sexuality. We gained tips and tricks to use with our clients. We connected with our pelvic floor. We reflected on the politics surrounding birthing bodies. All that in just a few, yet impactful, days. Oh yah, and we were in paradise while doing it.
In between workshops we did a different kind of diving deep – right into the ocean. The almost warm-as-a-bath ocean water and sunny days provided the rejuvenation and relaxation all doulas deserve. The margaritas were a nice touch, too!
We are pretty positive that there were loads of doulas that wanted to join us, but couldn’t for one reason or another. While we couldn’t bring the sand and sunshine back to all of you, here are some highlights of what we learned.
- When talking about sexual arousal it’s important to understand both the gas and the brakes. Knowing what gets you in the mood and what will turn you off are both essential to connect with your sexual self.
- A really fun way to get juicy movement into your pelvis is to write your name with your hips while on your hands and knees – go ahead, try it!
- Consent – a must in sex, a must in birth. On top of giving consent we can encourage our clients to be clear on their wants and needs. You can practice this with a simple hand massage. Give your clients the homework of massaging each other’s hands. The person receiving the massage has the job of being explicit with what they want from their partner. The partner is not to do anything until specifically asked to do so.
- A birthing person’s body has been politicized and socialized. As doulas, we can use what we know about the cultural war on birthing people’s bodies to help empower their experiences in the birthroom.
And that’s just a taste.
We knew this topic would hot. We knew this topic would be heavy. We were blown away by the doulas that took on this challenge and said YES.
Huge shout-out and immense gratitude to our phenomenal workshop leaders Vera Levitt Casey, Britt Fohrman, and Becky Alford. Their expertise and guidance kept things interesting, informative, and insightful.
And as a perk and thank you for saying YES we brought along some pretty sweet goodies to share. A BIG thanks to our sponsors for these amazing goodies. Beautiful photos courtesy of Britt Fohrman.