I took off my sunglasses and beach skirt. I then removed my bathing suit and placed in on a picnic table. I walked to the edge of the water, stepped over the wall, and lowered myself into the pond. All the while, I was pretending I wasn’t self-conscious about walking naked in public in the bright afternoon sun. Of course I'm used to walking around naked, comfortable in my body in front of strangers and friends. Who isn't?! At least I knew no one would stare at me and judge me, because it was natural to be naked and everyone around the pond was naked. Oh, but I was staring at them. Where else do I get to observe so many random naked bodies in person? In so many shapes, genders, sizes, colors, and ages?

Last month I flew to San Francisco for a camping festival weekend several hours north of the city. It was hosted by a music society, so dance and thumping music were the norm amidst the gardens by day and blazing stars at night. As well, there was a beautiful manmade pond, lotus flowers and all, offering respite from the 95 degree heat. It was around this pond that all the campers were naked. And it was because of this pond that I agreed to go on this trip with some friends.

Most of us are not used to being naked around strangers, and many of us aren’t used to this around friends either. This has always made me feel nervous as my body-image concerns flare up and I worry about being judged for not looking perfect. I decided it was time to tackle this issue head-on when invited to attend the camping trip.

It sounds cliché to say that the experience was freeing…but the experience actually was freeing. I loved the warmth of the sun on my whole body. I loved swimming underwater with no clothing resistance. I really liked being able to just be me in my body with no pretenses. It was a gentle reminder that I’m fine, my body is fine, and that I may as well appreciate and enjoy what my body has to offer because there’s always something for which to be grateful. Although awkward at first, I was calmed by how easy it could be to be around a group of naked folks who were just being who they were. So I was just who I was. And I enjoyed it tremendously.

Jennifer Gunsaullus, Ph.D.

Relationship & Intimacy Doctor
~Inspire Your Passion~
www.drjennsden.com

Ahhh, I'm in my own special heaven of sex books. This is how I felt last week when I visited the library at The Center for Sex and Culture in San Francisco. The Center offers a sex-positive educational space and a variety of events. They have a growing collection of sex-related books and I made an appointment with the librarian to spend some time checking through their shelves. Happily, the one chair in the small library was next to the female orgasm section, where I settled in for an hour and a half. I wanted to take so many of the books home with me, but they were nice enough to allow me to use their photocopier. I was so pleased and excited by all the subsections of sexuality represented there: orgasm, erotica, relationships, LGBTQ, academic & theorectical perspectives, reproduction, empowerment, etc.

If you have a special interest in sex-related reading, I am hosting an evening this week called Dr. Jenn's Sexual Book List, where I will discuss and suggest some of my favoriate resources conencted to sex, relationships, female sexual empowerment, and gender differences.

Jennifer Gunsaullus, Ph.D.

Relationship & Intimacy Doctor
~Inspire Your Passion~
www.drjennsden.com

I will be conducting a set of 3 workshops at Tango Wine for the Women & Intimacy Series! For 3 months in a row, starting in July, women will be gathering for these fun, interactive, and lively events.

GOT PASSION?
~Lecture I of Tango Wine's Women & Intimacy Series~

Maintain or improve your passionate spark with sensuality, juiciness, and mindfulness!

Date: Wednesday, July 22
To find out more, click on this Calendar Link.

KEYS TO HAPPY RELATIONSHIPS
~Lecture II of Tango Wine's Women & Intimacy Series~

Gain insights and skills to immediately improve communication and appreciation.

Date: Wednesday, August 19
To find out more, click on this Calendar Link.

INTIMACY & PLAY
~Lecture III of Tango Wine's Women & Intimacy Series~

Kick start your bedroom creativity with fun and erotic play tips.

Date: Wednesday, September 23
To find out more, click on this Calendar Link.

Contact Dr. Jenn with questions or to reserve a space for any or all of the workshops!

Discussions about bio-identical hormones and compounding pharmacies have been in the mainstream media a lot recently, particularly since Oprah has been covering the topic. Specifically in terms of "hormone replacement" for women going through menopause, women with PMS concerns, and men and women with "low libidos," what makes bio-identical hormones different than those from the big pharmaceutical companies is that these hormones are created to be the same in structure as our own natural hormones, which ideally improves the benefits and decreases the negative side effects.

Last night I attended a lecture on Women & Hormones (and Wine, because it was in a wine bar :). For the record, I do perceive some aspects of taking hormones as just another part of the western biomedical mentality of popping pills for a quick fix instead of looking at the big picture of what may be causing the imbalance in the first place (e.g., diet, exercise, environmental toxins, stress, sleep). However, I think this is valuable knowledge to have and a tool in one's tool chest of health. I found it personally valuable (as someone who deals with PMS) and professionally valuable because I see many female clients in their menopausal phase, as well and women and men with sex drive concerns.

One piece of valuable information for me was around how to best absorb and use various hormones. For example, progesterone is best taken orally. On the other hand, testosterone and estrogen are best administered transdermally (e.g., patch or cream). Estrogen can be dangerous for women to take because it can accelerate the growth of some breast tumors. However, taking it through the skin means that it's being absorbed directly into the blood stream and in the area where it is applied. Therefore it doesn't go through the processing of the liver until a second pass when the dose is way lower. This means that the positive benefits are present, while the potential negative side effects are reduced.

There is loads of much more detailed information around these topics, and if you've been taking or considering taking hormones, I think it's very valuable to know about and look into compounding pharmacies (who offer bio-identical hormones) as an alternative to mainstream drug options.

Jennifer Gunsaullus, Ph.D.

Relationship & Intimacy Doctor
~Inspire Your Passion~
www.drjennsden.com

I was at a friend's apartment recently when she told me about doing "magical" rituals with another friend. I don't generally use the word "magic" often nor take it particularly seriously. In my understanding, they were using the concept to create an attitude that anything is possible, and adding magic to an intention allows a shift in consciousness for its creation.

When I was at lunch yesterday with a colleague and videographer, Wes, he used the term magic as well, in the context of sexual fulfillment. Practitioners in the sexual field sometimes recommend that people "fake it until they make it." The belief is that if you don't feel confident about something, just go through the motions until you start to gain the knowledge and skills to actually be and do what you're striving for. Wes, though, makes a powerful shift with the inclusion of magic. Instead of faking it (and knowing that you're faking it), why not add magical intentions?

Although this is particularly "woo-woo" type of thinking, I believe it has the potential to be incredibly powerful in giving someone a boost for their leap of faith. It is as if you know you need something else (to learn, be, experience, have, etc.) and without having that you may feel stuck or too scared to try. If you allow space for magic to fill that missing piece for the time being, and TRUST it will do its job, then you can move forward with greater security and confidence.

As I write this, I do recognize that it sounds a little crazy. But it is also resonating with me in that we create so much of our reality through our perception. Why not add the belief in that extra little boost through "magic" as a new tool of strength and empowerment to your tool belt?

Jennifer Gunsaullus, Ph.D.

Relationship & Intimacy Doctor
~Inspire Your Passion~
www.drjennsden.com

Here is a log of the 25 most recent blogs I have posted to Dr. Jenn’s Den. Happy reading ☺

Vulva Photography for Me!
Sex Sells Except When You’re Selling Sex
Breaking Patterns - Building Healthy New Relationships
Erotic Play Lecture at San Diego Mensa Regional Gathering
The Female Brain - Making Sense of Hormones and Neurobiology
Sexual Empowerment - Buzz Words or Depth of Humanity?
Girltalk Blogging: Soulful Conversations for Women
Deepen the Intimacy and Fun Communication with your Partner
Awakening to Sexual Self-Love
The Vagina Monologues in San Diego!
Womanhood, First Periods, & Passing on Wisdom
Taking it All to the Mat: Yoga as a Panacea?
The Erotic Mind - What Are Your Peak Sexual Experiences?
Consciousness Raising in Female Sexuality
Bodily Pleasures - Swaying to My Own Beat
Thanksgiving - An Exercise for a Day of Gratitude & Appreciation
Spirituality & Sexuality - Why Such a Split?
Sexual Pleasure & Sexual Expression - What Comes Into Play?
Emotional Intelligence - Feelings vs. Thoughts
Does He Like Me or Not? Are We Just Friends or Dating?
Maintaining Stability & Passion Under Financial Strain
Nominated for PODCAST AWARDS! In the Den with Dr. Jenn
Blocks to Intimacy and Sex --> Vulnerability?
New Meetup.com Group - Healthy Sexuality & Happy Relationships in San Diego!
Breast Cancer Awareness - Think Before You Pink

Jennifer Gunsaullus, Ph.D.

Relationship & Intimacy Doctor
~Inspire Your Sex Life~
www.drjennsden.com

If you've seen Session 20 or Session 82 of my podcast show, then you know I'm a big fan of Nick Karras' artistic photography of women's vulvas called Petals. His sepia-toned close-up photos of women's genitals is a powerful tool for me in the classroom and with clients, to show that there is incredible variety in genitals and to learn that we can experience our genitals as beautiful.

I'm happy to report that Nick and his wife Sayaka are working on a Petals II project this summer. This time the photos will be in color, so that they can explicitly be utilized in educational settings (e.g., nursing programs, clinical settings, women's studies classrooms).

AND...I visited them yesterday to have myself photographed as part of their new book! Although I wasn't nervous per se, I certainly felt some initial awkwardness in laying down and spreading my legs for my friends to view, let alone the camera that was about a foot from my vulva. But I was relieved and pleased with how comfortable Nick and Sayaka made the experience because of their matter-of-fact approach to the shoot and their appreciation for female sexuality and empowering women. Within minutes I actually felt quite proud of my vulva and her modeling debut. Even though the experience itself was probably no more than 15 minutes, I really did leave the shoot feeling more empowered through being appreciative of the beauty of my genitals and having unabashedly shared myself for the education and empowerment of others. Pussies unite!

Jennifer Gunsaullus, Ph.D.

Relationship & Intimacy Doctor
~Inspire Your Sex Life~
www.drjennsden.com