by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.
Our guest today is Dr. Willow Brown, an internationally recognized teacher of Daoist sexologist and doctor of Chinese Medicine, who specializes in endocrinology. Her offerings provide a profound understanding of what it means to engage in sacred sexuality and live a sensual life. Dr. Brown has studied the human body and its correspondence with nature for the last two decades. Her style is a blend of many modalities—such as yoga, Qi Gong, acupuncture and cranio-sacral therapy.
Dr. Brown is also an international speaker and author. She has coached thousands of women, men and couples in creating a powerful connection, potent intimacy and prevailing unconditional love. It is her heartfelt desire to serve humanity out of shame, guilt and self-doubt that leads those in pain to her doorsteps.
Dr. Brown’s path to the healing arts began after gaining a sense of self-empowerment that followed a deeply traumatic event she experienced as a teenager. She felt the need to reform sexual education after realizing the ambiguity and gap in sex knowledge prevalent around her.
After attending acupuncture school, she started teaching Daoist sexology to her patients and students. Dr. Brown learned a great deal about Jing Qi or sexual energy during her six month trip around Asia. Since Jing Qi was not covered in depth in her acupuncture school training, she expanded her knowledge on the topic by consulting books and using her own experience and intuition as a guide.
The Ancient Wisdom Approach
Dr. Brown calls her treatment framework the Ancient Wisdom Approach, which is based on the four phases of the moon cycle and how they relate to the five Chinese elements (Fire, Wood, Metal, Earth and Water).
Dr. Brown elaborates that every living being on Earth has a moon cycle as their water contents are being influenced by the moon’s gravitational pull.
The four phases of the moon cycle also relate to the seasons and as women menstruate, they experience fluctuations since the moon exerts its energy on us. It’s a lot of energy to navigate in a short amount of time but when we understand the Chinese elements as they relate to our physiology and the four phases of the moon cycle, we can learn to schedule and manage our life (including sex) much better. Dr. Brown believes the Ancient Wisdom Approach gives people—especially women in their fertile years—a lifeline so when they’re overwhelmed, a structured system exists to help guide them.
It is perfectly normal if a woman’s menstrual cycle doesn’t follow the moon cycle — you can still follow the transition of the seasons and tune into yourself and listen closely to your body and understand its natural rhythms.
Becoming Sexually Empowered
Dr. Brown’s approach to treating people experiencing difficulty with hormonal changes—whether it’s menopause, perimenopause, postmenopause or andropause—is to trace the root of the problem and really understand if the adrenal glands are being nourished or depleted on a regular basis.
Once the endocrinological aspects of hormones are addressed— either through Chinese medicine, acupuncture, nutrition or just learning about the changes—our sexuality in turn will be much healthier and supported.
Menopausal syndrome, for instance, is very common in high-stress societies and some of the most common symptoms are often attributed to being “normal”, when in fact they are not. Our essence, or Jing, is compromised when we’re constantly stressed and depleted so it’s crucial to slow down and tune into our body in order to allow it to come back to equilibrium.
Sexual trauma is also an ever-growing problem in the world and it can have both physical and mental effects. Dr. Brown says it’s not uncommon for patients with past sexual trauma to come in with debilitating diseases, especially conditions that involve the reproductive system.
Since our genes or curriculum are programmed during the gestational period, trauma can hinder our lower chakra, directly affecting our curriculum and keeping us from unfolding our destined life or keeping us from living a fulfilled life.
What is Sexual Health & a Technique to Improve It
Sexual health is knowing what brings the most pleasure to you and allowing yourself to explore your natural sexual desires. When sexual health is neglected or out of balance, other realms of your life can suffer. A common problem is low libido.
Since we’re all products of sexual energy, lack of libido can have a profoundly negative impact on our lives. When the underlying trauma or unexplored aspect of our lives are addressed properly, Dr. Brown finds that people often expand in more ways than they realize.
Dr. Brown shares a simple but powerful practice that can improve our sexual health called Turtle Breathing. Turtle Breathing lays the foundation for all Daoist sexual practices and it can also tonify your adrenal glands. You can practice turtle breathing while standing or sitting.
Imagine you have a turtle shell on your lower back and as you inhale, you’ll push that imaginary shell toward the space behind you and as you exhale, allow the shell to come back toward your spine. In the beginning, you may find your abdomen more engaged but this will subside as you practice turtle breathing often.
Dr. Brown guides you through the turtle breathing practice at 50:39 of the podcast.
Sexual energy or orgasmic energy can also be drawn in with a mindful practice like turtle breathing, improving your intimacy and sexual health!
Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—on a scale of 1 to 10, how are you in relationship with your sexuality? What is inhibiting you from being at a 10?
References:
Dr. Willow Brown’s website: https://drwillowbrown.com/
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