The awakening of sensuality and expansion of pleasure requires not only advice but experiential learning which we get through the body. The same as playing an instrument or learning any other new skills. And can you imagine that we can get this experience by being present in our body and mind with a non-judgmental and compassionate person with who you can set clear boundaries?
In order to support our clients’ development, we are excited to introduce a new separate type of service – Sexological Bodywork (SB) sessions. Sexological bodyworkers are professionals supporting individuals, couples, and groups to learn to direct their own erotic development, learn about their bodies, sex, and sexuality, or work through sexual issues or concerns.
Who Is Sexological Bodywork For?
Anyone and everyone is interested in having a deeper experience of their erotic self. We believe that everyone can benefit from a session or series of sessions with an SB, as very few of us are fully embodied and having sex and relationships we desire to have. Sexological bodywork is focused on the sensational aspects of erotic pleasure and touch, as opposed to the psychological aspects. If you are someone who feels very reliant on fantasy for pleasure, this method could help you to expand your sexual arousal and repertoire by becoming more conscious of your own and your partner’s physiological arousal.
Sexological Bodywork can benefit you if you want to
- overcome sexual dysfunction;
- stop feeling pain or discomfort during sex;
- learn more about your body;
- experience more pleasure;
- know when your body says “yes” and “no”;
- feel free from shame and fear of intimacy;
- learn how to give more pleasure to your partner;
- radiate confidence, accept your body and sensuality;
- discover new pathways for pleasure.
The Difference Between Sexological Bodywork And Tantric Massage Sessions
The framework of SB is different from tantric massage – it operates with a client-led & client-centered approach and with a clear Code of Ethics. Sexological Bodywork has an educational focus, meaning that practitioners work with learning objectives that the clients bring. SB is not just a set of techniques, rather, the techniques are secondary to the educational contract.
We give sessions on embodiment and empowerment. It means that we encourage you to slow down, open up senses, listen to what your body needs and consciously choose what and how to do it. In our practice, we recognize that choice is way more important than doing.
Usually, our clients attend from 3 to 10 sessions. As somatic transformation happens over time the client may need months of self practicing and several sessions guided by a professional. We seldom work in single sessions. From our experience, we know our bodies do not like fast and ambitious approaches. That is why instead of goal-oriented intention (to achieve something in one session, for example) we would encourage you to apply a mindful attitude and learn how to stay present without any agenda in the process of learning.
What You Can Expect In SB sessions
You will start by creating an agreement, stating your learning objectives and the modalities that will be used. Informed consent from the student precedes all Sexological Bodywork, and professional confidentiality is assured.
A series of introductory sessions allows you to experience the benefits of orgasmic breathing, Taoist Erotic Massage, pelvic relaxation, release work, and coaching on mindful masturbation. Our joint evaluation of these introductory sessions may suggest a specific goal or learning objective for future tutorials.
A crucial part of the education Sexological Bodyworkers offer students is the value of intentions and boundaries. While we acknowledge the human longing for connection, we recognize the value of professional distance. We are conscious and make our students conscious while we share authentic intimacy, sexological bodywork sessions will not fulfill their desires for sexual connection.
The focus of individual sessions is on the student’s experience within his or her own body. Sexological Bodyworkers do not act as surrogate partners. We are clothed and the touching in our sessions is uni-directional. We request students to bring their partners if they wish to learn interpersonal erotic skills.
Sexological Bodyworkers are committed to complementing and extending the effectiveness of services offered by psychotherapists and other health care professionals. We value working in close partnership with these professionals but will do so only with your approval.
Variety Of Approaches
To give a general understanding of what we can offer and what you can get from it, we have divided all types of sexological bodywork methods into two main groups: self and pair practices.
Self Practices
We can teach our clients a variety of somatic self practices (Orgasmic Yoga, conscious breathing, pelvic workouts, etc), which involve self-touching, breathing, movement, sound, visualizations, sensate focus, etc. It is a solo practice meaning clients concentrate on their own inner processes and not on interpersonal contact.
The intention for these practices is to become a better lover for ourselves first. The most exciting thing about these practices is that you can apply them wherever and whenever you want. Application of Orgasmic Yoga meditations, for example, can have a profound impact on all spheres of your life. When we practice it regularly, we feel more of our own body, become aware of our deepest needs and desires. Probably the top solo practice we can recommend to everyone is mindful masturbation. It represents the essence of Sexological Bodywork – we awaken somatic awareness by focusing on bodily sensations and consciously learn to play with arousal noticing how it expands.
What You Can Get By Using Self Practices
Consciously changing how we use breath, sound, movement, touch, and focused awareness has a profound effect on the nervous system, increasing neuroplasticity. This allows us to experience more, and have more choice in how we are erotic. A sexological bodyworker coaches clients in self-regulation to develop a greater capacity for experience and choice, informed by the science of interpersonal neurobiology, Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, and Jakk Panksepp’s emotional command systems.
Pair Practices
Pair practices may involve a variety of “hands-free” and “hands-on” somatic experiments where you interact and collaborate with your bodyworker or you can also invite your partner for practicing together.
Some pair practices (massage, erotic meditation, and pelvic release work) involve elements of nudity and/or genital touch. It may have a profound effect on your sexual health, however, it may require additional preparation. We would highly recommend before taking off clothes, to work on awareness of boundaries, finding confident “yes” and “no” signals which come not only from your mind but also from your body. Many people after reaching a high level of awareness and sensitivity find out that they need extra self-regulation, special conditions to feel safe and open enough for receiving touch and participating in exercises with nudity.
By doing pair practices you can learn to:
- set your boundaries;
- increase the receptivity of your body;
- ask for what you desire most;
- give a mindful erotic touch to your partner;
- learn how to feel relaxed, safe, and open in the presence of another person;
- improve pelvic-heart connection;
- bring awareness and increase sensitivity in the genital area as well as throughout the whole body;
- discover and support neural pathways for experiencing new kinds of orgasms.
Sexological Bodywork and Trauma
The word trauma has been used internationally in a variety of ways, resulting in at times in miscommunication amongst practitioners. The trauma we are referring to here is when there has been an adaptive neurological and nervous system shift in response to a terrifying event, or series of terrifying events and the meanings attached to them. Working with this type of trauma is complex and requires advanced level training and experience. There are two specialists in our team, Vladimir and Svitlana Textoris, who have been trained in trauma work, and can support the integration of the body and mind through means therapeutic methods.
Sexological bodywork may be useful in supporting people through other experiences which people sometimes also call trauma – for example, somatic symptoms such as numbness, loss of sensitivity, chronic tension, or negative emotions associated with sexuality. A sexological bodyworker is a trauma-informed practitioner who can recognize the differences, and what is appropriate and useful to do in different situations.
If you are interested in attending SB sessions, it is important you work through any trauma you may be experiencing first, and start practicing once you are in a place where you have developed awareness and choice. That is when you are able to ground yourself and create a sense of security when exposed to events that may have at one time triggered you.
Certified therapists: Svitlana Textoris, Vladimir Textoris