Orgasmic Meditation: Why I OM
Day 71 of 100 days of Blogging
I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a (wo)man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a (wo)man? ~Zhuangzi
My adventure with Orgasmic Meditation has been just like that. The 15 minute partnered practice has awakened parts of me that have been asleep. Through the light, gentle stroking of my clitoris, I wonder sometimes if I am the woman or the butterfly or dreaming. It is a powerful practice. For those of us who have been doing it for 3 years, 5 years, 10 years… it still feels weird sometimes.
January 19, 2013:
My first OM felt like I was home, like I had been waiting for this all my life. I know that women talk a lot about the vulnerability of taking off their pants and getting into the nest for the first time. I still feel that sometimes. The first time, it felt a little clinical. Fifteen years earlier, I taught 500 medical students how to do the pelvic exam and breast exam. Sitting in the exam room as a patient, I gave them the verbal overview of details, then using my body I taught them step by step how to touch and examine the patient. I did that for five years in 1998-2003 at Johns Hopkins University. So, taking off my pants with a stranger felt natural.
As soon as the stroker sat in the nest for our first OM, I had a feeling that we could heal relationships between women and men on the entire planet, just by sitting in the nest and connecting. Throughout the first OM, my clitoris was numb. I was aware of tingling on my forehead and heat in my chest. With no sex or touch for 8 years since my husband died, this light stroking was uncovering, polishing and waking up sensation.
A few weeks later, in the 12th OM, I felt sexual and wanted to have sex with the guy. We had a mental connection and then the physical desire startled and freaked me out. I decided to OM for 50 times, then 100 times before I would even think about having sex with anyone. I wanted to explore the range of sensations that were possible and to let go of any feeling of commerce. (Commerce as in… You did this to me. Now, I do something to you or for you.) After 8 months of OMing, the desire to have sex was so strong I connected with a partner and then an intimacy research partner. Connecting to what I wanted. Not what I thought I should or shouldn’t want.
I began my practice consciously and deliberately. Journaling. Noticing feelings. OMing mainly in circles and in organized groups in Los Angeles. During the first Introduction to Orgasmic Meditation class, I set an intention that I would live in an OM house, a place where people share housing, live in community with “normal” lives and have a morning practice together. When the first house was organized in Venice, CA in June 2013, I was one of the residents. For one year, I had the experience of having a morning practice and running my on-line business out of the house. I took classes, traveled for business and pleasure, learned to live in an ever changing community with a wide range of ages and I discovered more of who I am. #grateful
When I reached 1000 OMs in September 2015, I decided to begin again. Let go of what I think I know about this OM practice and go deeper. Wipe the slate clean. Open myself to a new experience. I committed to being part of core leadership in DC. Keith Byrd is the owner of the OneTaste affiliate and he has welcomed me to co-teach the Intro To OM classes with him. We taught 8 new people in DC last weekend!
To go deeper in my practice, I reserved a room at the Brooklyn, New York OM House Dec 10-17 to immerse myself in OM community living and conversations, daily OMing, and Meet-up events for a week. I am ready to peel away another layer and discover more of me. Opening to the mystery of what is possible. Knowing that OM may seem like a strange journey at times and knowing that it has unlocked things in me that thirty years of deep personal growth work had only touched the tip. OMing goes right into layers of the body and unlocks blocked emotions, uncovers desire and frees me to be me!
To the adventure!
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Andrea Hylen believes in the power of our voices to usher in a new world. She is the founder of Heal My Voice, an organization that inspires women and men to heal a story, reclaim personal power and step into greater leadership. Andrea discovered her unique gifts while parenting three daughters and learning to live life fully after the deaths of her brother, son and husband. In addition to serving as Heal My Voice’s Executive Director, Andrea is an Orgasmic Meditation Teacher and Sexuality Coach.
She is following her intuition as she collaborates with women and men in organizations and travels around the world speaking, teaching and leading workshops. Her passion is authentically living life and supporting others in doing the same. To connect with Andrea and learn about current projects go to: www.andreahylen.com and www.healmyvoice.org.