The Heart and Soul of Sex
Drawing on the results of her unique national sex survey—and on decades of clinical practice as a sex therapist—Gina Ogden offers a revolutionary exploration of women's sexual experience. The best sex, say thousands of women, doesn't just happen in the body. It is multidimensional, connecting body, mind, heart, and soul. In The Heart and Soul of Sex, Ogden coaches readers to fully realize the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of sex, making what she calls the "ISIS Connection."
Throughout the book are firsthand stories of survey respondents, offering examples of how ordinary women—from ages eighteen to eighty-six and from many backgrounds—have found their own way to sexual expression that is deeply satisfying and even life-changing. The Heart and Soul of Sex takes the reader on a journey beyond the usual emphasis on performance, including practical exercises that can be done alone or with a partner. Ogden shows us that we can be much more than we've been told—not just fun and exciting but deeply healing, magical, and transformative.
"This is a glorious book. Gina Ogden speaks directly to the heart of sexuality in a way that women all over the world will recognize. To read this book is to remember and reawaken to the melody of the life force that both created and sustains our bodies and lives. May this book soar—and take us all with it!" —Christiane Northrup, M.D., author Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and Mother-Daughter Wisdom
"Dr. Ogden's work guides you to become that person you have always wanted to be in relation to your body, your soul, and your entire life. Part guidebook, part group therapy, and—best of all—part girlfriend-support for those who want more out of their lives. As a sex educator I can assure you many are looking for a tool to help themselves and Gina Ogden has delivered just that." —L. Lou Paget, author of How to Be a Great Lover and The Great Lover Playbook
"Gina Ogden redefines female sexuality, letting us discover and design our own brand of sexual pleasure. Her research pronounces a holistic, non-performance-based model for women, cracking open old beliefs, unearthing fresh emotions, and carving out the paths for healing and awakening our sexual spirits." —Patti Britton, Ph.D., President of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists and author of The Art of Sex Coaching
"This affirming, well-written, and useful book invites us to free ourselves from a performance-focus in sex by exploring powerful and empowering connections of body, mind, heart, and spirit. Here are fresh understandings, helpful tools and resources, compassionate insights, and, throughout, the voices of women." —Judy Norsigian and Wendy Sanford, cofounders of the Boston Women's Health Book Collective and coauthors of Our Bodies, Ourselves
"Gina Ogden demolishes the notion that sexuality and spirituality are polar opposites. She also shows how we can move beyond the degradation of women and sex in popular culture to meet our deep human yearning for caring connection." —Riane Eisler, author of Sacred Pleasure, The Chalice and the Blade, and The Power of Partnership