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Dear Lover... with Amy Reid
Welcome to “Dear Lover…” - a space where we are all about illuminating the devoted Lover within us - being the joy, the compassion and the fire - even through the darkest of times.
Hi, my name’s Amy - I’m a SEN Teacher, Poet and Podcast Host, who’s experienced the past 8 years living and teaching abroad and now enjoying a creative journey of empowerment, based in London.
On this podcast we are all about reconnecting with our true nature and awakening to our innate creative power together. I interview and share intimate, honest and powerful conversations with people from various walks of life that have impacted and challenged me and who I'm learning from in my journey.
We share how we can individually make small changes in our present to being our own best lover, to create collective mass transformation towards uniting in unconditional Love.
Subscribe for a bi-weekly dose of love, creativity, empowerment and sacred self-romance!
Connect on Instagram: @amyreidpoetry
Let’s trust, breathe and believe and CREATE magic together.
With Love and Gratitude Always,
Amy
Dear Lover... with Amy Reid
03: Exploring Conscious Sexuality and Self-Love with Marina
I'm so excited for you to listen to this episode! We dive deep into a profound exploration of reclaiming feminine nature and awakening into truth.
Join us as we welcome Marina, a Tantra and Feminine Embodiment Teacher and English Teacher based in Barcelona, who is on a mission to create judgment-free spaces where women can fully express their true selves and also to elevate the level of consciousnesses around the education system.
Marina’s dual roles reveal the universal language of feminine energy and compassionate leadership. Explore the transformative power of her workshops, the significance of inclusivity in language, and her visionary plans for future retreats in Spain.
Discover practical embodiment practices to foster self-love and connect with your body. Marina offers a simple yet powerful five-minute morning meditation to help you ground yourself and enhance your overall well-being.
Embrace sensuality and pleasure in everyday experiences to boost creativity and vitality. We also explore the journey of nurturing authenticity, setting boundaries, and leading with curiosity and openness.
Celebrate the magic of life’s possibilities and reclaim your true nature with us.
What we discuss:
00:00 Exploring Conscious Sexuality With Marina
00:06 Exploring Sexuality Without Labels
00:12 Embodying Surrender Through Tantra
00:17 Practical Embodiment Practices for Self-Love
00:23 Nurturing Authenticity and Sexual Exploration
00:35 Embracing Sensuality and Self-Acceptance
You can learn more about Marina through following her on Instagram @conscioussensuality_
Connect on Instagram and tag: @amyreidpoetry https://www.instagram.com/amyreidpoetry/
With Love and Gratitude always,
Amy
Welcome to, dear Lover, a space to dive deep into the unknown and celebrates diverse human creativity and devoted self-intimacy. My name's Amy and I'm here to get real and unscripted in sharing my journey of reclaiming my feminine nature and awakening into my truth. We'll be sharing conversations and stories on self-love, sensual embodiment, intimacy and creative empowerment, all with the intention to be on this journey together of coming home to our heart, embody the fullest expression of our sexuality and lead with love, compassion, play and joy. So let's trust, breathe and believe and create magic together, hello, and I'm so excited for you to tune into this conversation today. Thank you so much for listening.
Speaker 1:Today I'm joined by Marina, who is a tantra and feminine embodiment teacher. She's also an English teacher at the British Council in Barcelona and creates safe spaces for women to express themselves and discover their true nature. Her intention is also to elevate the level of consciousness around the education system to lead from a more compassionate standpoint and personally talking from experience, I have attended this woman's workshops multiple of times and they have been so transformative, so intimate and, yes, and so powerful to deeply connect in a safe space with other women and myself. And the fact that Marina is a teacher as well. This just shows that there is space for both like this. Both of these are needed tantra and and leading through example. So, without further ado, enjoy the interview.
Speaker 1:Welcome, marina. Thank you so much for being here. I'm really excited for this conversation and we were having a conversation before we pressed record and as to how intimate this conversation we all have is. So, yeah, thank you for being here, and it's an honor to share this conversation with the listener, and we both agree that it's. You know, it's a much needed conversation and, as a listener, I we believe that you'll resonate with with a lot of it. So today we'll be talking about conscious sexuality and marina's journey and in that and also the work she does, and we're going to flow in that conversation together. So, marina, can you introduce yourself, uh, to the listener? Just give us a uh, yeah, an introduction as to who you are and what you're doing well, thanks for having me, amy.
Speaker 2:I think, uh, we've been wanting to have this conversation for the longest time. It's finally happening. So thank you for so much for giving me the opportunity and, uh, introduce myself. So I am a Tantra and Embodiment teacher and I also am a teacher, an English teacher. I'm juggling those two jobs at the moment, but this conversation is going to be focused more on the Tantra and the conscious sexuality aspect, currently doing workshops for women, holding space for women, safe spaces where they can express themselves, be themselves without judgment, which has been sort of my biggest dream coming to life now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and thank you for sharing and I've been to. I've attended a couple of Marina's workshops and they are you hold such a intimate and safe space, like I felt very like they were really impactful for me and like the energy and the the other woman in those workshops, I feel like the energy that was created was from, like the, the space that you were able to hold. So, yeah, and you host them most in Barcelona, mostly in Barcelona or around Barcelona, is that right?
Speaker 2:right now in Barcelona, um, what I do, I would love to expand, also do this year probably will be doing. I'll be doing some retreats, maybe in the south of Spain, um, but right now mostly in Barcelona. Yes, and open to have a lot of English speakers.
Speaker 1:I do them what you know, amy, bilingual, uh, because I think you know we go beyond, beyond language, uh, we speak the language that every woman understands, um, but I'm always open to have, you know, women from different, different countries yes, yeah, exactly, and that's an important point to note as well, which, as an English speaker myself, obviously and I speak and understand very little Spanish One of my I remember one of my questions that I asked you before attending was like, oh, about the language barrier, because it was something that was on my mind.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, honestly, like the, it doesn't matter. Like you said, it was more about the energy, the communication through energy and the communication through um sense, yeah, our senses, and that feminine energy and yeah, like it was, yeah, and that flows really nicely into this conversation that we're going to share and we want. The intention for this conversation is to kind of remove, open the remove, delve into curiosity around aexuality and like remove any labels that we have around it or any resistance. Like I was just sharing with you, marina, before that I had some resistance in terms of labels around sexuality and you know, and can you just talk on that a bit, on around your view on you know, the labels that we have around asexuality, like bisexuality and and, yeah, can you just share your love to me, your views on this?
Speaker 2:yeah, I'm not. We have discussed beforehand and it's like well, I, for me, personally, I don't, I'm not a huge fan of labels because it sort of it narrows the experience. You know, when you say, oh well, I am bisexual or, you know, I am heterosexual, we really, you know, sexuality knows no labels, no boundaries. I think it is an experience and remaining open is sort of the way to approach it, you know. So I like to say that sexuality knows no boundaries and sort of approach it from that perspective and sort of what I want to really focus on is to have an open mind, want to really focus on is, um, to have an open mind, uh, non-judgmental, open, and to sort of, uh, stay away from sort of a more traditional perspective.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know, be you on sexuality yeah, yeah, yeah, and that you know that falls in line with, aligns with the spiritual, that sex is a spiritual experience and you know, and I feel like, as more and more of us awaken into spiritually awakening and, in turn, sexually awakening, I feel like that it's that's what's true, that it's, it's that's what's true, I feel like, and what I hear you're saying is I love, I love that phrase. You know, sexuality knows no labels, knows no about. You know it's, it's an energy, it's a flow and which is unique to each of us. Yes, and how, that, how we express our sexuality, however it's, it's, yeah, the labels are just something I feel like, like our minds like to put on because, to understand it right, um, so, yeah, great. So, marina, can you share with the listener where were you in your um, like, conscious sexuality, sexual empowerment journey two to three years ago, to give the listener a bit of their background, of your personal journey?
Speaker 2:well, uh, three years ago, uh, was going through a huge personal crisis, which is where magic happens, right, but at the time I had ended a relationship facing the shadows, a lot of pain was going through my awakening.
Speaker 2:At the time I was sort of, sexually speaking, I could say that I was pretty pretty much uh, disconnected from from, from my truth, my body, um, and I was on this on a search, you know, for something, for answers, for I was in a lot of pain, um, and I had done a lot of therapy at the time, a lot of uh therapy, but I was looking for something more deep, something, you know, spiritually speaking, I was looking for answers.
Speaker 2:And then I found Tantra as where my journey started. But, yeah, I was at a very difficult place and, sexually speaking, I don't think I fully knew myself. I knew there was so much more to my experience. You know, I was opening up to, maybe, the mystery of not knowing, you know, I think, and really looking for answers, you know, and opening up to to different ways of approaching sexuality, because I was not fulfilled, um, I knew there was so much more yeah, yeah, it sounds like, yeah, you're looking for answers and you are not fulfilled and you're looking for something more, and I love that he says, um, opening up to the mysteries.
Speaker 1:I feel like that's a big, a big point and a big part of exploring our sexuality consciously as well, because it is you're like opening this, this door of magic and miss, and within that mystery and which you know is, can be all the things and you know, and and I feel like that's that's a lot of people's resistance right as well, because mystery means the unknown and uncertainty and and darkness and light and everything in between, and that can be a bit overwhelming. But I feel like, yeah, opening up to the mystery is yeah, and then within that, more you know, you've more fulfillment and and more awareness like comes little by little, right. I feel like it's a very slow journey that is individual for each of us. Yeah, what would you say were your, were your challenges around? That? You said you were, you know you, you touched on. It was a very difficult time for you. What would you say was the most like challenges did you experience during your personal journey there?
Speaker 2:I think I used to be one of those people who wanted to control things because that made me feel safe, right. So surrendering to the moment was very hard for me and you know, not knowing, the not knowing, is a very uncomfortable place to be, and sort of, uh, learning to breathe through the, the moment and entrusting the process was finally the challenge. Until I stopped fighting. I said this is what it is. You know, you, it was a huge, many things. My life sort of uh fell apart. You know, like great, huge breakup, long relationship. Lost my job. I was living in the us, came back to spain, blah, blah. You know all that. And and here I was. You know, I was like you know what, you gotta trust life. Uh, I was starting my tantra journey as well. I was a little bit scared too, um, so it's like surrender and then magic.
Speaker 2:But until you surrender, there's a struggle. You know, um, the trusting, the opening up the mystery, opening up to the mystery of life. Yeah, no, nothing. You know, like everything happens, for happens for a reason, but maybe you don't see another. You don't see it at the time. I didn't. I didn't see at the time the life that I have today. I could not see everything. I could not see anything beyond the moment. You know, like it was darkness. So surrendering was definitely the challenge, you know. But once you surrender, it's like boom flow, flow, flow, flow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, and that's exactly that's. That's really yeah, that's really important, because we hear a lot, right, we hear a lot of the quotes of, yeah, surrender and trust the process and step into the unknown. And it's actually in reality. That's super scary because, like you said, you didn't see your life as it is now. It wasn't as if like, okay, okay, if I move back to Spain and I pursue this tantra path, this is what my life is going to be, and that was super clear. But it wasn't, and we're still figuring it out now and it's, it's a process and yeah, I mean what? What helped you to let's? I mean, there's so many ways you could take this, because about the uncertainty, about surrendering and the unknown, it's all interlinked. But what helped you in terms of to surrender like a mindset shift or in your body, or was it through conversations you were having, or a mixture of mixture of things?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it was mostly. I think mostly in the body. I think when I started doing Tantra as well, you know that I understood that I had to get out of my mind. You know the mind is ego, is personality, you know, but the body knows. So it was something. Every big change in my life has always gone through my body Like feeling okay, I feel, feel forgiveness. It has to be felt in the body. I feel openness, I feel, you know, the need to surrender. It's always in the body, it's always the body. Yeah, I've learned to trust the body. You know what the body needs, what the body you know is. I have learned to, to, to really trust.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's so important, like and and also, yeah, I, I agree and it's, it's um, it's something that, like, like you said, it needs to be felt, and you can't explain it. You can't um, because I have conversations with, I've had conversations with, with my friends and other women around, like well, how do you surrender and you know, and it's like they want in like a mindset or a step-by-step process on it.
Speaker 1:It's not, you're not going to get it through, that it's. And if you think you are, it's just kind of a mind made thing that's not really being embodied and integrated and yeah, it's, it needs to be felt and I feel like the yeah your work with with tantra I definitely, you know, is it sounds like it's really been your path and your way to really embody, like I get a sense from you, rena, like, yeah, like real embodiment and groundedness in your nature a lot. So, yeah, it definitely shows. And what has in terms of the embodiment? Um, it's taking a little sidetrack here in terms of the embodiments. I feel like that's really important. Um, to just go into a little bit more, what, um, what I don't know phrases like what do, what can you give the listener? Like a practical, like a practice or a practical thing that they can simply do.
Speaker 2:That's that will help with just, you know, being embodied yes, well, there's many practices with tantra, you know, but for me I've always it's this is a good question, because people want to know what can I do at home? You know, how can I connect with my body? And I think, for us women, I've always been very sensual, very sexual as well. I had a hard time accepting this. I thought it was something bad you know about myself, and then I found that it was, that it was it's sort of the contrary, you know, the most for me, sensuality is self-love period, um, so there's many practices that we do, you know, in tantra, um, but one that I do and it's very simple, you know, it's always um.
Speaker 2:You, I don't know if you meditate in the morning or if you want to connect with you in the morning um sort of meditation from you know in the body, like meditate, be with you five minutes, only five minutes. You know you close your eyes and sort of connect with your body sensations. You know what is it? How does it feel the body today, you know, and maybe think about an emotion that you're feeling, you know, like, okay, I feel, okay, I feel I feel stressed, okay, I well, where does the stress feel in the body? Okay, it feels in the chest, okay, breathe through that, okay, and ask yourself, um, what do I need? And so go in that loop, you know, and I'm going to tell you why. Because everything is linked, you know, and with sexuality as well, you know, like where, oh, you know, how do I feel? Do I feel open? Okay, openness. Do I feel the heart open? No, yes, okay, what do I need? Okay, but connecting with the body, not going to the mind or going to, you know, taking trips somewhere, grounding yourself.
Speaker 2:You know, it's very simple five minutes every day, sit down and connect with an emotion. You know, we're constantly feeling things, you know, in the body. Connect what do you feel if you feel tired? Okay, where do you feel tired? Where does it feel? Oh, maybe in my back, my lower back. But breathe through. What do you need? Maybe I need to lay down, okay, and so, having that conversation with yourself, I always say 80% should be with you, 20% should be outside, you know, and that you know state of, you know, grounding, then you, you interact with the world, you know, but 80% should be with you and then you can, can take it anywhere, you know, and, and there's many practices, even you know, self-touch, uh, self-massage exploration, but I think less is more, so I would say, start with that. You know, connect with the body in that way, yeah yeah, amazing.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for sharing that and that's that's great because it's it's. It doesn't have to be like this long practice. And it's literally five. You're saying five minutes. You sit down, be with your body. I, like you said, you know 80% with your body, 20% on the outside, and I feel like just just from hearing you say that, I got a sense of like, oh, that's amazing. I get to be, I interact with the world from my, in my body, as you know, and isn't that incredible? And you know, because I feel like I mean, I, when I started meditation practice, I listened to a lot of guided meditations and things and all of this. And now I'm in a, in a season of sitting silently, like because I'm wanting to connect to the body more. And, yeah, like it doesn't have to be this, we don't have to keep looking on the outside and going to find, like a guided meditation or, although they're excellent, they're amazing, but it's very simple what you're saying and very powerful. And then also, like what we mentioned earlier about it, I can imagine that that increases this, the self-trust it definitely has for me as well, like, okay, I'm listening, because I'm giving myself the time to listen to my body and and then taking that action of, like you said, what do you need? How do I feel? Feeling that, okay, what do I need, what can I give myself? And then taking that action of, like you said, what do you need? How do I feel? Feeling that, okay, what do I need, what can I give myself? And then taking that action in the world and it builds that, that like bucket of self-trust, right, yeah, yeah, I feel like that's also where um, embodied confidence comes from as well, like real, like, yeah, I've got myself because I love the, you know, confidence doesn't necessarily have to be like out like the loudest person, like I'm definitely not the loudest person in the room, but, you know, like embodied confidence, I feel like can be this quiet inner confidence and, yeah, you know, and like we're, because we're in tune with ourselves and we're in tune with giving us what, given us what our body needs, right. So, yeah, um, yes, okay.
Speaker 1:So, going back to your journey and where you were at, you was you found? You found Tantra, what was? I mean, you explained a little bit about you know what happened. Your life was, like you know, really changing and everything it was falling apart and everything was changing. What was? Can you like pinpoint the moment that you decided to make a change and focus on, like I'm looking for? You know, you obviously looking for something to deep, to feel more deeply fulfilled, like what was? Yeah, was there like a particular moment, or was it just like? Was it more like a, a collection of moments or experiences?
Speaker 2:this is a really good question, amy. I think that, uh, my life collapsed and then sort of I understood that that was not, that I could not, uh, keep going on that direction, that I had to change, you know, and if that meant doing some deep inner work, okay, you know, if that, because I was, I wanted to be more authentic, I wanted to be more honest, I wanted to take off the masks that I was wearing, I wanted to really show myself. You know, I came to the point that I was like you know, I've been operating from a point of not being honest and not being, you know, truly myself, and I was very scared at the time because that meant like maybe no, no, no feeling so safe or so secured.
Speaker 2:But I was like this is not working for me, you know, and my life really collapsed, like I lost, you know, everything collapsed and and I was like, okay, I, I ain't gonna, I'm gonna show, I'm gonna have the courage to really show myself, show who I really am. And you know what really moves me. You know what I want to do. I don't know how it's going to happen, I don't know when it's going to happen, I don't know where it's going to take me, but I'm going to do the work of really knowing myself, who I am, knowing my story, um, and telling my story, and, you know, facing my shadows and my insecurities and my life. You know, talking about confidence, my lack of confidence, everything you know, and, and I was like, yeah, because I don't see myself.
Speaker 2:You know, I didn't see myself going in that direction anymore, like you know, from the type and I wanted, I wanted to have a deeper relationship with myself, with others. You know, more truthful, more more authentic, you know, more real, and for that I had to change myself first. You know the change had to, you know, and, and sort of face myself. You know, um, and, and I had to. I knew that I was at that point, there was no way back, and that I had to do the work, this the deep, deep inner work that has taken me where I am today yes, yeah, wow, and honor.
Speaker 1:I mean take honor, that honor, the courage and the curiosity as well. I feel like one that takes so much courage to face yourself, like you said, and, and, yeah, and build that confidence and and, like you said, when, when you're, there's no going back, you know you, there's no going back and your life was collapsing and, and it can be scary, but then it takes so much courage to, you know, not only pick yourself back up from that, but but transform and thrive and go down the, the path that you have. You know it's, it's it's so vulnerable and intimate journey with with ourselves and, yeah, that takes so much courage and, in turn, I'm sure, builds your confidence as well. And yeah, and curiosity, like we talked about this words, um, at the start, like I feel like, yeah, leading with curiosity helps and not going with, um, yeah, any sort of. It sounds like you know, you went in with no sort of expectation of this is how it's going to go. It was just a sense of this is where I am, this is what I want and let's, let's go, you know, and leading with that curiosity. So, yeah, I feel like that's really important.
Speaker 1:Um, what would you say to the listener who's like starting to explore their sexuality, and maybe they're, you know, maybe they've explored being with other women and they've dated men in the past and they're exploring let's use the label the bisexuality, their bisexuality or maybe their bi cures. Like what would what? What would you say to them? Maybe they're kind of hesitant or maybe they've got their own like judgments around it, whether it's their judgments or you know, or they're just you know they're kind of aware of the society's judgments around, like bisexuality. What would you, what words of wisdom or advice or even questions you would give to that listener?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a good question, because I know that. I know, because I have experienced, that the female sexuality is very, very powerful and society tries to control us. Right To behave a certain way, to feel ashamed, to not really embrace it. Right to feel ashamed to not really embrace it, right, um, which has been my journey. You know like, oh, you know, how am I gonna do this, how am I gonna, you know, how am I gonna, you know, open up to women sexually? How am I, you know, and I think, in reality, it's way easier, I think, um, I think, to do it from a place of knowing your boundaries as well, you know, respecting your boundaries, the boundaries of the other person, having an open conversation. I always tell women have a conversation beforehand. You know, if you want to explore with women, um, or you know there are places where you can go and expect, you know, have an open conversation. You know, hey, what do you like, what are you into, what are your um, you know what are your boundaries? Uh, have that conversation beforehand. Uh, remain open. Um, I don't know, lead with your heart? I, I don't. I think it's easier than we. We flow so much.
Speaker 2:I think women have, you know, an incredible capacity for pleasure, you know, and and I think just, uh, opening up, we be, have that energy. It's about energy. We talk about energy and one of the female energy is openness. Just to be receptive, you know, and magic happens, you know. So, just be open, opening up to what life can bring you, you know, and if you really want to explore sexually, remain open, just remain open and honest and transform the fear into love. You say you know, and I think there's a lot of, there is a lot of truth in pleasure. You know, our bodies are built for pleasure. We are naturally built for pleasure. You know every, every skin. You know the way we are built, you know, and and to share that with another woman is a gift. It is a gift to just to remain open and even if there's fear, you embrace it, discuss it. Even.
Speaker 2:You know, I always say with your lover, have a conversation. It's going to make you feel closer, you know, and it's going to make the, the experience more fulfilling, you know. So I, this is something we're doing tantra, you know, before we do any dynamics, we're going to do sensual touch of conscious touch in partners. Talk to the partner what do you like? How do you like it? Is it a part of your body? You don't want to be touched. Super basic, less is more and then and then go and have fun. You know what I mean. Go and explore and maybe boundaries can change. Okay, so we have the conversation, keep the conversation going, but just remain open. Um to the experience, I would say yeah yeah, no, that's, that's beautiful.
Speaker 1:That's beautiful, yeah, and and very valuable. And yeah, I mean I've experienced in your workshops the, the value like that, just that short conversation it doesn't it's not even a long conversation to have with with your partner. You're doing, you're doing the practice with the dynamic with and and just just I feel like just from having that conversation and and being held and being asked those questions of like what does my, what do you like? And and you know where do you like to be touched, or or and also like where's where's not, you know where where's off, you know where do you like to be touched, or and also like where's where's not, you know where, where's off, you know where's your boundaries, I feel like just just like from having that conversation, it for me, in that, in that spirit, I felt like like safe, you know, and it's and it instantly opens you, relax.
Speaker 1:One, relaxes your body and two, and gives yourself permission as well, of like yeah, this is me, this is what I like, this is what I don't like and let's explore it together and that's that's in that very, in that short conversation. That's where the trust is built and, like you say, you go yeah, yeah, and so Rina. So where are you now in your journey? Where? Bring it back to the present moment, here and now. Where?
Speaker 1:are you now in your journey, what's like the transformations you're currently going through? Tell us about?
Speaker 2:tell us about that well, it's, it's uh, it's interesting because now you make me think you know, like, how, how I have I have changed. You know, my body has changed sexually speaking. You know where I am today. One of the things I've learned is that you can retrain the body. You know, um, doesn't matter the experiences you've had in the past. You know, um, because I have women who come to my workshops. You know there's a lot of trauma around sexuality. There's a lot of shame. You can work through that and connect, you know, back to yourself and opening up to the pleasure, which is what I am right now. But I always tell women that can be learned, you know, and your body can open up again, you know, and, and really your level of, of, of, uh, sensitivity, you know, can really go up to, to, to, to levels you've never experienced before. You know, um, which is what I, sexually speaking, right now.
Speaker 2:I feel very fulfilled, you know, um, I think I am pretty much open to pleasure. Uh, there's no shame in enjoying it. I give myself permission. I am very straightforward with what I want and I don't want. But it's been a journey. Okay, it wasn't always like that. Um, I'm confident to set boundaries, to say what I want, what I don't want, and really having a a very fulfilling, you know, uh, sex life. At the moment, um, I'm very happy with, with what I do, you know, with being able to hold spaces for women, you know, um, and I experienced pleasure in many different ways. It doesn't doesn't always have to be with somebody.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Talk about that Talk about that more as well, because that's really important.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it's like I can have a very pleasurable experience with myself. You know what I mean. Like I get out of the shower and you know, and I give myself a massage with some oils. You know what I mean. I just enjoying being connected to nature, you know, yeah, I'm definitely very tantric in that way. You know, like I find pleasure in food. You know cooking, and it's just slowing down and slowing down and sort of enjoying every bite, you know, and if you take that into sexuality, it's like a whole new level, you know, of pleasure that you can have with somebody.
Speaker 2:But, yes, like I am in a very beautiful and happy place and wanting to keep going as well. I don't want to stop, but it has increased my creativity as well. You know my openness, it's just, it's an energy, it's constantly flowing. You know, sexual energy is not only just for, you know, sex just, you know, per se, but it affects, you know, every aspect of your life. It makes you feel alive, you know, it makes you feel more creative and it makes you have more energy. You know you look you, you glow you. You know, yes, definitely in a, in a good place.
Speaker 1:I love that you glow. You glow like gold, golden honey and I love that because, yeah, like, every it's not just about sex and every experience can be a pleasure, sensual experience and yeah, yeah for sure, and like that's when, um, that's that's where I'm at and my journey is kind of like expressing that, the sensuality and the pleasure and every day, more like I've, you know, um, yeah, more like I currently live now with a flatmate and and just like be in that, like I'm used to living by myself and and you know, experiencing my sensuality, you know, with myself. And now I'm at the pace at the case of like, of, like you know, experiencing sensuality and everything is like a pleasure, pleasurable experience, yeah, around others. Yeah, it's a journey. It's a journey, isn't it? And and, like you say, it's enhanced your creativity and and other things as well, you know, and and like with your work and things and the clarity and you have around the work and your focus and your energy there.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it's definitely not just about sex and I feel like, when it comes to sex, like you said, it's just it's, it's a whole nother like explosion of our senses, right, isn't it? It's because we've already learned to enjoy those pleasurable and our sex pleasurable experience and our sexual energy through everyday life. And yeah, that's incredible. This makes life so much more alive, like you feel alive, like you said, and this this how we're meant to live our lives, you know. So I feel like it is.
Speaker 1:It is a coming home and coming back to knowing that this is our true nature as well, especially as women, like you said, as we are, our bodies are built for pleasure. So this is our true nature and like we deserve it, we deserve it and and it's time to own it. So, yeah, amazing, okay, last, um, yeah, last question, and then we'll wrap it up with like the last five, uh, short, one sentence questions at the end of each episode what was from all of this? What, um, what is like your biggest lessons in your yeah, one, two, three, like biggest lessons in your journey of conscious sexuality and and your sense and sensuality, exploring this where you're at right now?
Speaker 2:I think, um, talking from my own experience, for me one big thing was understanding my story. You know, like um, how did I, did I learn about sex growing up? You know, and, and what? What were my early experiences? You know, because that is going to leave an imprint. You know, like um, for me sex wasn't really discussed, you know, and my early experiences were a little, were not very, you know, fulfilling to say the least. Um, so what, what? Get get to know your story? You know, um.
Speaker 2:Then do I always say you know, do, do some some inner work. You know, do some inner work. Like some the shadows, you know, for us women, just to embrace the shadow of the feminine, you know, like um, sometimes it's the lack of confidence, the, the fear of really fully embracing, showing yourself, you know, know, do the inner work and really, truly, you know, accept yourself as you are because you are beautiful. There's nothing, something in this patriarchal society is always saying us that we're not beautiful enough. You know, we're not pretty enough, we're not young enough, we're not whatever.
Speaker 2:You know, like, fully accepting yourself is going to make you more receptive to pleasure. You know, like fully accepting yourself is gonna make you more receptive to pleasure, you know, understanding that you are perfect just the way you are, you know, fully accepted. And then this connect with the body. The body it says this is good for me, this is not good for me. I like, I want more of this. I don't want you know, like, but the three steps really get to know your story. Uh, do the shadow work, the inner work and opening up, you know opening up, leading with acceptance.
Speaker 2:That's really powerful huge, huge things for us, because we live in a society that constantly is telling us, you know that we're not good enough. You know. You know like, you should get, you should change this, you should. You know you should get this, you should get. You know you should change that. Not not not saying you know, not against.
Speaker 2:You know the changes, but we are already perfect. You know what I mean. Nothing has to be changed. You know we already have everything we need to to have a, you know, a fulfilling experience. You know, in, in, in this life. You know, and pleasure is something, is, is our nature, is a true nature. You know it's. Curiosity is a true nature. You know what I mean. It's, it's so, it's that's the way we need to do is to to tap, you know into that. You know, instead of looking outside for validation, you know, to know that you already have that and just allow yourself, give yourself permission that that's a huge one, yeah, give yourself any time says oh, no, no, no, I shouldn't you know why am I gonna you know like, no, no, yeah, give yourself permission to be.
Speaker 1:Just be be yourself, yeah, yeah yeah, oh, that's so powerful, like those three steps. Thank you that. That's really clear and really powerful and I feel like I love that you said about owning your story as well. Like owning it, you know, like you have, we have to understand our stories and own that with empowerment, because otherwise we can't move forward.
Speaker 1:And you know having that understanding is so powerful. I know I mean this is why also just a side note this is why we're here recording this episode as it is right now as well, because it was when I recorded my own story on the Heart School podcast. That was when things switched for me and I did you. You know it was on that first step of like. I wrote my story and a big part of the story was the sexuality and the sensuality. And here we are right.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, and about acceptance as well, and I feel like just to add on to that. You know, you said acceptance is our true nature, curiosity is, and like compassion as well. Because I feel like as well within when we do the inner work. You said, when we do the inner work, we, we develop so much self-compassion, we learn to deepen our own self-compassion, which is beautiful. Then, in turn, we have naturally, we naturally have much more compassion for the other because we see, we see themselves, we see ourselves in the other right and it's beautiful because the other one is yourself exactly exactly, exactly, great.
Speaker 1:Well, before we wrap up, is there anything else you'd like to express or share, or anything that you haven't? You felt that we haven't touched on that you want to share before we wrap up?
Speaker 2:I think we've we have touched on so many subjects, but truly for us women, right now, we are in this very unique time where things are changing. You know structures are falling and new structures are coming up. You know to Allah, you know to to to build community of strong women. You know um support ourselves and and you know I'm not a huge this I didn't say, but I want to say I feel like, even if it's you know, more, more focus on women. You know, I don't think we should leave men out of the conversation either yes, this is important because then we're not.
Speaker 2:We're not doing like we should include them. They, they also want. There's a lot of beautiful conscious men out there who want to be part of the change. So do not. I always say, don't leave them, you know, including in the conversation, because there's a lot of them who also want to want and need the change.
Speaker 1:So yeah, no, that's really important. I'm glad you you just brought that up. I mean that we could record a whole nother episode around this, I'm sure um, but yeah, like this podcast is also for them.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, exactly it is. It totally is, because I feel like, as well, it can be so challenging. It's such a challenging time for men as well, because they're kind of changing in their roles as men and and conscious men, showing up with, like, how can I provide? Like, how can I provide for the woman like she's? So, you know, women are more empowered and on their own journeys and things, and I can imagine, like I don't know, but it would be great to have a conversation and with a man as well, and bring upon you know, bring the men into this conversation and you're invited, right and and because I can imagine it's challenging for them in this time as to how, what, what. Yeah, as in terms of the male sexuality, but also as a man, like, how do I show up, what? How can I communicate with women? And and then it's just on another side note as well, like in terms of in the inner work and the internal work that we we're doing as women with um, especially around sexuality and and sensuality. It's really important to harness the masculine energy within that and I feel like one of the most important, because otherwise our feminine energy doesn't feel safe to flow and express and experience. We can't experience our feminine energy if we, if we're not showing up and providing that masculine container.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, well, part two coming soon, but yeah, thank you so much, marina, it's been a pleasure. Um, right, let's end with just one, two, three, four, five, five, just one sentence questions. These are general questions that I've asked. I I asked on the high school podcast as well, um, but I've just changed one of them to have a bit more focus around um sexuality. So, yeah, you can answer these in either one word or one sentence, all right. So what do you love most about yourself?
Speaker 2:my sensitivity, you know. I used to feel it was a curse, but no, no, it's my superpower it is your superpower.
Speaker 1:I love that and normally I feel like the things that we think are our curses or our challenges are actually our superpower. I feel like, yeah, something to reflect on. Okay, number two what do you value most in others? Honesty, honesty I like honest and straightforward people makes everything easier oh, that's beautiful, and more peace comes from honest and straightforward peace. Peace, people, right, yeah, okay. So I love this next question because it's just fun. Um, if you could come back in another lifetime as an animal, what animal would you choose to be?
Speaker 1:I'd say I would be a lioness yeah, lioness, yeah, I can feel that energy.
Speaker 1:I like in the presence of the lioness and I feel, and also I associate courage with, with lionesses as well yeah, courage, and like loyalty. Oh god, I resonate with that. I'm a Leo, so I have this like yeah, I resonate with that energy and you have the hair as well. I feel like your hair lends to this, like your. I resonate with that energy and you have the hair as well. I feel like your hair lends to this, like your mane, your fiery mane. Yeah, okay, next question's really interesting, I mean very challenging. To sum up in one sentence, I feel like what is one thing you envision being included in the sex education of the future?
Speaker 2:I would love to um, host or hold spaces for teenagers. Um, and sex education for teenagers is a thing that's been in my mind as well, like the early stages, you know, when you are discovering your sexuality. I would love to be there. It would be a beautiful way to to contribute and to give back. Yes, yeah, it's working with women. It's like, yeah, I want to work with teenagers yeah, that would be super powerful, wouldn't it?
Speaker 1:and, and I feel like at that tender age it's so, yeah, sensitive when we're just exploring, starting to explore as, uh, sensuality or sexuality, and gosh, I remember being so confused because it's something we didn't have.
Speaker 2:I didn't know about you, but I didn't have nothing yeah.
Speaker 1:I know I had nothing. I think I was just like a sex education class was, right, the condom you put the condom on, you're gonna get STDs if you have sex. Um, and then with periods, I was given a book. You know, everything needs to know periods. Read this, you're done right. Yeah, and I think that many people can resonate with that and yeah, yeah, that's super, that'll be so valuable and I feel like, in time, it's we're coming to that. I feel. I feel like everything is, you know, yeah, it seems like it will go, that will be included, like we are. You know, it's just the way I feel like, um, yeah, yeah, because I know, like you, I mean, I have, I have like a student that I tutor right now and she's very curious. You know, she's very curious about everything and I can definitely definitely see that in the young, the youngsters, yeah, okay, last question, right from the heart what is one piece of wisdom you would give your youngest self from your higher self now?
Speaker 2:I would have told my younger self that everything is going to be okay to trust, instead of, like you know, running around like you know, thinking that everything is, you know, around like you know, thinking that everything's you know is going to go wrong and fear, fear, fear, you know, just knowing that everything was going to be okay. It's going to be okay, yes yeah, that's yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I resonate with that a lot. I resonate with that, that phrase, and everything's going to be okay, because then we can rest and receive and be in our bodies. Yeah, well, thank you so much, marina. Thank you so much for your energy, your words and wisdom. It's been a pleasure and honor. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you so much for listening in. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend or post it on social media and tag me so I can personally thank you for helping to get the message out. I am so grateful to be on this journey with you. Talk to you soon.