A couple of years ago, I discovered a new modality that took my healing journey to the next level. I'm not even sure how I found out about Yoni eggs prior to coming across a distributor's Etsy account but I always seem to be guided to exactly what I need at the right moment. Shortly before my discovery of these transformative crystal eggs, I started having flashbacks of sexual abuse I experienced as a child. I was still living in Long Beach during the resurfacing of this childhood trauma and during the time, I was at a crossroads of whether I should move back to Georgia or stick it out in sunny, expensive SoCal.
A culmination of unfortunate events and an emotional breakdown led to me calling my dad to admit what, at that time, felt like defeat. I needed to come home. After so many years of fearfully holding on to my childhood secret, I crumbled under the emotional overwhelm and revealed what had happened to me decades ago. As much as I wanted to live my California dream, I knew that I needed to be around my family for support while finding my way through sexual trauma that had surfaced for the first time in 20 years. A week later, I was homebound.
Shortly after settling back into my roots, I found myself bonding with my first Yoni egg, a Rose Quartz crystal, marking a new phase of my commitment to self-love, spiritual evolution, and the awakening of a calling hidden in the shadows of my pain.
Editor's Note: This is the writer's personal experience with Yoni eggs. This is in no way a substitute for a medical opinion. If you decide to use Yoni eggs, consult your doctor and use these tools at your own discretion.
What’s a Yoni Egg?
Yoni eggs are egg-shaped crystals used in the vaginal canal for physical, sexual, and spiritual revitalization. The most commonly used Jade Eggs, dating back to royal dynasties in Ancient China, were used to enhance women's healing abilities, creative expression and spiritual power through their sexual energy. Today, Yoni eggs are used for a wide variety of reasons including PMS relief, womb wellness, emotional healing, spiritual growth and so much more!
How Do I Use My Yoni Egg?
Each woman's experience with the Yoni egg will be unique to her. It is common for all sorts of memories and emotions to arise. My personal experience with Yoni eggs has brought about an array of responses mainly dependent upon the type of crystal I use.
My first Yoni egg, Rose Quartz, was a warm and light experience. I recall feeling extremely giggly, like a little girl, along with feeling a gentle lightheartedness. I recommend this crystal for beginners as well as for women that want to cultivate a deeper sense of self-love, enhance fertility, gently heal emotional trauma and expand the heart chakra. Rose Quartz is also well known for increasing vaginal lubrication and emotional intimacy with your partner. Use the power of your yoni wisely! This crystal is best suited for women wanting to deepen emotional intimacy in established relationships. If you're into more casual sexual encounters, Red Carnelian is your best bet.
When choosing a Yoni egg, rely on your intuition, first and foremost. You're likely attracted to a specific type of egg for a reason (just like I was attracted to Rose Quartz as a means of gentle emotional healing). The Jade egg is commonly recommended for beginners due to its non-porous exterior and durability, making it easier to maintain cleanliness and less likely to crack in case your Yoni egg falls out while you're using the bathroom. Yes, it's very common for a beginner's egg to drop into the toilet but as you develop your Yoni egg practice, you'll cultivate greater Yoni awareness, giving you the strength to manipulate your vaginal muscles to prevent your egg from sliding out.
It is recommended that you use your Yoni egg for a few hours every day (except during yourmenstrual cycle). Regular practice with your Yoni egg can enhance vaginal awareness, increase stimulation, alleviate PMS symptoms, balance emotions, develop self-love, expand intuitive and body awareness, awaken creativity and self-expression, and boost overall vitality.
What Size Yoni Egg Should I Use?
There are three standard sizes of Yoni eggs—-small, medium, and large. Small eggs, best for more experienced users, are 2.0-3.0 cm. Medium eggs, the most popular go-to, are 3.0-4.5 cm. Large eggs, best used for beginners, are 4.0-5.5 c.m.
Small Yoni eggs are great to use for building vaginal coordination, enabling you to easily move your Yoni Egg inside of your vaginal canal. Note: Use this size egg if you've experienced 2nd or 3rd degree Pelvic Prolapse to avoid placing extra pressure on your pelvic organs. The small Yoni egg is also helpful for developing intuition, requiring you to rely on your insight to connect with your Yoni egg's placement. After consistently refining your practice with a medium for several months, you may wish to advance to a small egg.
Medium Yoni eggs are the most commonly used and best recommended after at least one to three months of regular practice with a large egg. If you feel like you can easily remove your large egg and have developed your pelvic floor strength, you may be interested in using a medium egg. Women seem to benefit most from medium eggs which help develop vaginal muscle coordination. Using a Yoni egg takes the Kegel exercise a step further due to both its weightlifting and aerobic components.
Note: If you're on birth control, had a partial/total hysterectomy, or you're experiencing menopause, a medium egg is the best option for you as your vaginal lining may be more delicate.
Large eggs are best recommended for beginners as its width makes it less likely to fall out. This size egg helps you become more neurologically engaged while building vaginal strength. You can also control the movement of your Yoni egg more easily with a large egg. Avoid this size egg if you tear easily during intercourse or have experienced Pelvic Prolapse. Use the large Yoni egg daily (except during your menstrual cycle) for one to three months before advancing to a medium egg.
As you can see, your preferred Yoni egg size varies depending on many factors including personal goals, lifestyle, sexual activity, and medical history. If you need help deciding which size egg is best for you, please consult with a trusted Yoni egg distributor.
Non-Drilled or Drilled Yoni Egg
Both non-drilled and drilled eggs have their pros and cons. The advantages of non-drilled eggs is that they're more basic for beginners, less maintenance to clean, encourages connection with Yoni's muscle movement, and is also preferred during vaginal penetration. Disadvantages of the non-drilled egg include the possibility of a more difficult removal as well as it not being viable for advanced practices.
Drilled eggs offer advantages of easy removal due to the option of a string being used, more versatility for advanced practice, and easier observation of vaginal fluids. Some disadvantages of drilled Yoni eggs include a high maintenance cleaning routine as well as them not being suitable for vaginal penetration.
How to Clean Your Yoni Egg
Rose quartz crystal yoni eggGetty Images
There are various ways to clean your Yoni egg. What I refer to as a thorough cleaning, should be done prior to using your egg for the first time. Avoid harsh cleaning products and opt for natural cleaning ingredients such as hot water, apple cider vinegar, lemon, or baking soda. To begin, boil a cup of water (avoid the microwave) and add 2 tsp of ACV. Once the water is simmering, pour it in a small container. Give the water a few minutes to cool down especially if you're cleaning a quartz crystal (Crystal quartz, Rose quartz, Amethyst).
Allow your egg to relax in the water for a few minutes before rinsing it under lukewarm water. Let the egg air out and cool down before inserting it into your Yoni. You may also like to bathe your Yoni egg in Sage or incense smoke to clear your crystal from energies it previously came into contact with.
How Do I Charge My Yoni Egg?
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First and foremost, energetically cleanse your Yoni egg with Sage or incense smoke prior to charging your egg. Afterwards, gently allow your Yoni egg to rest in the palms of your hand. Focus your intentions on what you desire to cultivate from using your Yoni egg. You can infuse your crystal with self-affirming intention like:
- I am comfortable in my sexual expression.
- I allow myself to enjoy pleasure.
- I orgasm with ease.
- I am confident, focused, and determined.
- I love and accept all aspects of myself.
- I am healed from trauma stored in my womb.
- I embrace my lunar cycle and my PMS is soothed.
Use your intuition to charge the most genuine and helpful intentions into your Yoni egg. You may also like to charge your Yoni egg underneath the moonlight or try burying it outside in a safe place to connect with Gaia's healing energies.
Bonding With Your Yoni Egg
Developing a relationship with your Yoni egg is a unique process for each woman. I prefer somewhat of an elaborate ritual when initiating a new Yoni egg into my collection which includes a Goddess Bath to cleanse my crystal and get a feel for the work she wants to do with me. Although it's totally fine to infuse your own intentions into your Yoni egg, I love connecting with the innate wisdom that each crystal carries. After my Goddess Bath, I may also include a candle meditation, automatic writing or a tarot reading in this initiation process.
Feel free to be as simple or elaborate as you like. Your intention is the most important element of your magic! Other suggestions may include sleeping with your egg underneath your pillow, breathing and Kegel exercises, yoga, sensual dance, or connecting with nature. Use your intention and do what feels best for you!
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our weekly newsletter here and check out the related reads below:
The Power Of Connecting Energetically To Your Yoni
How I'm Cultivating Better Self-Love By Using Yoni Eggs
Take Better Care Of Your Vagina With These Tips
Women Are Using Yoni Steams To Heal Themselves From Sexual Trauma
Featured image by Giphy
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Anyway, I personally think that the less shallow folks out here may contemplate calling things “quits” or they at least distance themselves a bit from their partner (and what I’m referring to is serious relationships) due to all of the stress and strain that oftentimes comes with the holidays whether it be financial, familial, due to their tight schedules or something else.
Listen, I would hate for you and your man to miss the fun and happiness of experiencing this time of year, all because you are so overwhelmed or irritated that you can’t really enjoy it. That’s why I have a few practical tips for how to avoid allowing the typical holiday season stress from INFECTING your relationship.
Manage Your Expectations
GiphyUnmanaged expectations. If there is a main reason why the holiday season tends to be so stress-filled for so many people, I’d bet good money that this is the cause. And when you’re in a long-term relationship, expectations can manifest themselves in all sorts of cryptic and/or unexpected ways. You might have relatives who assume that you are going to be with them for Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have other plans in mind. You might be thinking that you are going to spend one amount for presents while your man is thinking something totally different. When it comes to scheduling, your signals may be crossed.
And you know what? To all of these scenarios, this is where clear and consistent communication come in. Don’t assume anything. Don’t dictate anything either. From now until New Year’s, mutually decide to check in once a week, just to make sure that you are both on the same page as it relates to the holidays and what you both are thinking will come along with it. The less blindsided you both feel, the less stressed out you will be. Trust me on this.
Set (and Keep) a Budget
GiphyOkay, so I read that last year, 36 percent of Americans incurred some type of holiday-related debt. Hmph. Last year, there was still some sense of normalcy in this country, chile, so I can only imagine what finances are gonna look like over the next several weeks. That said, since I don’t know a lot of people who don’t find being broke stressful, make sure that you and your bae set a budget and then stick to it this year — no ifs, ands or buts.
Because really, y’all — it doesn’t make sense to deplete savings and/or max out credit cards for a few days of giggles only to be damn near losing your mind because you don’t know how to make ends meet come Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
And by the way, this tip doesn’t just speak to things like food and gifts; I also mean travel. If it doesn’t make a ton of sense (or cents) to be all over the place this year — DON’T BE.
Keep Matthew 5:37 at the Forefront
GiphyIf off the top of your head, you don’t know what Matthew 5:37 says, no worries, here ya go: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” That verse right there? Oh, it’s a boundaries lifesaver! I say that because do you see “maybe” or “I’ll think about it” in there? Nope. LOL. It says that you should tell people “yes” or “no” and leave it at that — and that complements Anne Lamott’s quote, “’No’ is a complete sentence” impeccably well. Yeah, you’ve got to remember that anything beyond a yes or no to a request is privileged information; you don’t owe anyone details or an explanation.
Besides, if you are really honest with yourself, when someone asks you something and you give a “Umm, let me think about it” kind of reply, more times than not, you already know what your answer is going to be — so why not let you both off of the hook? Give your response. Commit to that. And let everyone (including yourself) get on with their lives and schedules.
I promise you that when it comes to those holiday parties, you are pissing more folks off by not RSVP’ing or doing so and not showing up than just saying, “Thank you but not this year” off the rip.
Remember That Your Personal Space Is Privilege Not a Right
GiphyA friend of mine recently bought a new house and invited me over to come see it. He’s a single man with no children, so as I was taking in all of the space that he had, especially as I walked through his finished basement, I joked about relatives coming to live with him. “Hell no” and “absolutely not” were pretty much his immediate responses as he went on to say that some folks even had the nerve to be offended when he told them that he had no intentions on taking DNA in.
Ain’t it wild how people think that your stuff is their right? And yes, that brings me to my next point. Your home is your sanctuary space. If you want to host folks this year — cool. If not, ALSO COOL. Please don’t let folks (family included) guilt you into how they want you to act or even into what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. You are not them — and as one of my favorite quotes states, “If two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.” (A man by the name Larry Dixon said that.)
Hell, my friends? They know that I am good for sending them random things that they need or even want all throughout the year. Coming over to hang out at my pace, though. Uh-uh. Chalk it up to being a card-carrying member of the ambivert club yet I like keeping my living space personal — and I sleep like a baby, each and every night, for feeling that way.
Always remember that your space, your time, your resources, your energy and shoot, yourself period (including your relationship), are all things that are your own. You get to choose how, when and why you want to share them. The holiday season is certainly no exception.
Cultivate Some “You Two Only” Traditions
GiphyIt’s not uncommon for some couples to hit me up after the holiday season to “detox.” Sometimes it’s due to the financial drama (and sometimes trauma) that they experienced. Sometimes it’s because they allowed their relatives (especially in-laws) to get more into their personal business than they should’ve. More than anything, though, it tends to be because they didn’t get enough quality time together and so ended up feeling “disconnected.”
Please don’t let that happen. Listen, I’m not even a holidays kind of woman and yet, I will absolutely sit myself down with some hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies to enjoy a Hallmark holiday film or two. Aside from the fact that most of them are lighthearted and sweet, I also like that they usually focus on couples loving on each other amidst all of the holiday beauty and ambiance — which is something that all couples should set aside some time to do.
Maybe it’s a vacation. Maybe it’s a staycation. Or maybe it’s my personal favorite, A SEXCATION. Whether it’s for a few days, the weekend or even overnight — don’t you let the holidays go by without setting aside time for you and your man to celebrate one another. Don’t you dare (check out “Are You Ready To Have Some Very Merry 'Christmas Sex'?”).
GET. SOME. REST.
GiphyI once read that 8 out of 10 people get stressed out over the holidays and 3 out of 10 lose sleep during to it — and when you’re stress-filled and sleep-deprived, that can absolutely lead to hypersensitivity, making mountains out of molehills and even not being in the mood for sex.
Your relationship can’t afford to go through any of this, so definitely make sure to prioritize rest. I don’t care how unrealistic it might seem during this time, sleep should never be seen as a luxury; it will always and forever be a great necessity.
That said, try to get no less than six hours of shut-eye in (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”) and even ask your bae to take a nap with you sometimes (check out “Wanna Have Some Next-Level Sex? Take A Nap, Sis.”). Not only will sleep help to restore your mind, body and spirit but, when it’s with your partner, it’s an act of intimacy that can make you both feel super connected, even in the midst of what might feel like chaos.
___
Holiday season stress is real. Still, never give it the permission or power to throw your relationship off. Put you and your man first and let the holidays be what they are gonna be, chile.
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Using the same material from the interior of the Volvo EX90, Hudson crafted a wool-blend car coat and waistbelt that combine the vehicle’s Scandinavian design with his signature tailoring and intention. The exclusive collection launched on October 20, and each piece is made-to-order by Sergio Hudson Collections.
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In October, I traveled to Charleston with a group of journalists to get a firsthand look at Hudson and Volvo’s location. During a fitting, Hudson said his goal is to make “great work that can stand the test of time.”
“People can look back on and say, ‘I remember when Sergio did that collaboration with Volvo,’” he continued. “Thinking about aligning yourself with classic brands that speak to where you want to go. And I think that's what this collaboration kind of means to me and my business.”
Hudson pinpoints his mom as the biggest influence for his designs. This collaboration was no different.
“This particular coat reminded me of the swing coats that my mom used to wear in the early 90s. You know, diva girls in the early 90s had Sandra suits,” he said, referring to Jackée Harry’s character in 227. “My mom wore those and she would have these matching swing coats to go over them. And that's where the initial idea came. This would be around the same time that we had our Volvo. So she would put on her suit, her swing coat, get in that red Volvo, and go to church.”
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With this capsule and beyond, Hudson wants to see more staples rotating in and out of closets this fall. He advises fashionistas to build her closet out with essentials to mix and match that aren’t just stylish but also sustainable.
“It's just those special pieces,” he said. “You can wear the same shirt and pants every day and nobody will notice. But if you have a special boot, a special coat, a special bill, a special bag, that kind of speaks to everything that your style stands about, that is something you should focus on.”
These are the same kind of staple pieces that return to our Pinterest boards and TikTok feeds season after season. Fast fashion has never been Hudson’s aim. “I'm trying to create a special pieces that can stand the test of time,” he said in his warm, Southern accent. “I'm only creating those kind of pieces from here on out.”
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For Hudson, this collaboration is revolutionary. It’s his first time working with a car company and experimenting outside of his wheelhouse in this way.
“This is a Scandinavian brand, and, you know, it's 70 years old. I'm an African-American boy from South Carolina that has had a brand for 10 years. So I think bridging those two worlds and seeing the similarities was the beauty of this project,” he explained.
Though Hudson and his partner and CEO of Sergio Hudson Collections Inga Beckham have made massive strides in just 10 years, Hudson said the industry is far from where he wants to see it when it comes to Black representation. He pointed to how few Black designers were at this year’s Met Gala despite the theme being Black dandyism.
“The fact that I dressed 18 people speaks to how many of us weren't there,” he said. He implored more of industries, fashion and beyond, to collaborate with Black designers often.
“Allow mentorship. Allow funding. Allow great design to shine through,” he implored. “When it comes to being a designer of African descent, when you can't get the funding that your counterparts have, you can't compete. When you get opportunities like doing a collaboration with Volvo, or you get opportunities to be at the Met Gala, that's putting us on the equal playing field, but really the funding behind it is what we need to take it to that desk level.”
Featured image courtesy