The term “holistic” refers to “wholeness.” When applied to wellness, holistic therapies consider mental, emotional, and social factors that can either support or hinder an individual’s well-being.
Holistic Sexology encompasses all aspects of our humanity, addressing the needs of the body, the mind, the heart, our sexuality, and our spiritual connection to ourselves and the world we inhabit.
Holistic Sexology, as defined by the Institute of Holistic Sexology (IHS), approaches human sexual wellness, activity, and function through what we call “a whole person lens.”
The concept of “a whole person lens” means that our understanding and approach to sexuality encompasses how the physical body and nervous system function to promote wellness, including how the body and autonomic nervous system are impacted by our thoughts, emotions, relationships, culture, and society at large, with an emphasis on the interplay between the autonomic nervous system and sexual function.
Unlike the standard Western approach to sexuality, medicine, and science—which often compartmentalizes individuals into isolated parts—Holistic Sexology recognizes that all aspects of a person are interconnected. It views human sexuality as a system of being rather than a series of isolated events. Additionally, Holistic Sexology, as taught by IHS, incorporates an understanding of the energy body, sourced from ancient and indigenous Eastern healing traditions. In many Eastern healing traditions, the energy body is considered more essential than the physical body, suggesting that wellness can be achieved through activities that enhance and stimulate the energy body.
Our Holistic Sexology Certification program synthesizes decades of combined practice, education, training, and professional expertise in the field of holistic sexual wellness and authentic lineage-based tantra. Our methodologies draw from both Eastern and Western philosophy and sciences, emphasizing a comprehensive, trauma-informed, and whole-person approach to sexual wellness.
As a Certified Holistic Sexologist, you are trained to consider all aspects of your clients to understand their collective whole. The methodologies used in the Holistic Sexology Certification (HSC) program are based on the four pillars of healing, developed by Devi Ward Erickson. These pillars draw on Eastern healing traditions and somatic science to provide an integrative system of practice that fosters balance and wellness across the entire spectrum of human experience.
Our Holistic Sexology Certification Program enables practitioners to integrate four distinct pillars of healing – Meditation, Movement, Connection, and Pleasure – to facilitate the harmonious integration of body, mind, spirit, and sex.
The Four Pillars are:
- Meditation & Mindfulness: Cultivating awareness and presence to quiet the mind and tune into the body.
- Movement: Harnessing the body’s natural rhythms to release tension and awaken energy.
- Connection: Fostering intimacy and authentic relationships with self and others.
- Pleasure: Embracing pleasure as a powerful tool for healing and personal transformation..
Meditation has been shown to effectively balance the autonomic nervous system and cultivate present-focused awareness. The IHS meditation methods encourage students to master their breath as a powerful tool for achieving a desired nervous system response. Through meditation, we can access an expanded state of consciousness, enabling us to experience our spiritual nature more tangibly. It has also been verified that meditation enhances the connection between the body and mind.
Movement plays a crucial role in connecting us to our bodies, promoting healing, transforming and releasing dense energy, generating endorphins and pleasure chemicals, supporting the lymphatic system, increasing circulation, enhancing joy and self-expression, fostering community connections, inviting play, and actively engaging the ventral vagal pathway in a dynamic way.
Pleasure acts as medicine by releasing neurotransmitters and endorphins, which facilitate a deeper connection to ourselves, others, and our environment. Holistic Sexology defines four specific categories of pleasure to support clients in cultivating “Pleasure Consciousness”, a state of being that transforms daily activities into a practice of self-connection and enjoyment.
Connection is the fundamental purpose of human existence; we are wired for connection. However, trauma can block and obscure our ability to relate to ourselves and others in profound and meaningful ways. Holistic sexual healing allows us to address and dissolve these “blocks to bliss” on the levels of body, mind, spirit, and sexuality.
Here are some ways you may already be accessing the 4 Pillars of Healing:
The Movement Pillar can be accessed through walking, dancing, yoga, swimming, playing, wrestling, making love, etc. The more presence, focus, and attention you can bring to these activities, the more beneficial and healing they become.
The Meditation Pillar can be accessed through formal and informal meditation practices. Informal meditation practices may include activities such as walking in the woods, surfing, dancing, gazing at the sky, daydreaming, or taking a nap. Any activity that allows you to access inner quiet, peace, presence, and spaciousness.
The Pleasure Pillar may be accessed through any of the 4 Forms of Pleasure as defined in Shake Your Soul Song.
The 4 Forms of Pleasure are:
- Physical and/or Sensual
- Emotional
- Spiritual
- Sexual
The Connection Pillar is accessed through mindful, intentional connection with the body, the mind, and the inner sense of self.
Connection is the foundation of life. Trauma impairs our ability to connect with ourselves and others. Holistic healing methods allow us to dissolve these “blocks” to connection and restore our innate human capacity for communion with ourselves, others, and our environment.
In summary, Holistic Sexology encompasses all aspects of a person to reveal the intricate tapestry of what makes each individual a unique human being in terms of their sexuality.
