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The Sexual Griot Welcome to The Sexual Griot column! A space carved out to explore the depths, fabrics and holistic nature of our sexuality. As people of African descent, our sexual history, sexual stories and beliefs around sexuality have been largely shaped and determined by those other than ourselves. Yet our sexuality has its roots in our culture, our personal sagas, the splendor of our antiquities and the unique passages that only people of African descent have threaded. The Sexual Griot analyzes the social, political,cultural, religious, medical, and colonial innuendos of our sexuality. It will examine the current trends and lifestyles that shape our present day sexuality, for better or worse. The Griot is the narrator, the storyteller, the wise messenger. Griot is not a European term. A Griot is a member of a hereditary group among the peoples of West Africa. The Griot's function is to keep track of the development of her or his people over time; sharing an oral history of the tribe or village and entertaining with stories, poems, songs and dance. In communicating our sexual stories, talking out our issues, we tap into universal truth and come out of the darkness and into the light our exquisiteness and the glory of our sexuality. I am proud to carry on the legacy of my West African ancestors and to be a channel/ vessel through which they continue to speak. We initiate the journey of sexual healing and wellness with a focus on women. Women are the nucleus of the family, nurturing and keeping the family together. Once empowered and enlightened sexually, she can transfer the wisdom to her man while teaching her children the divine truth around sexuality. For too long, the topic of sexuality has laid torpid in the darkness of our nature and the cavities of our soul. Those in power have shattered its sacredness and succeeded in utilizing it to disempower, divide and separate the sexes from their source of power and from each other. With all the negative portrayal of sexuality in the media and public, violence and destruction, the state of our individual and collective sexual health is largely doomed if we don't change the course of our thoughts and actions. Those other than ourselves will continue to largely determine our destiny as people of African descent. Our sexual history has been written by the colonizers and the male point of view. Words like the g-spot or the Kegel exercise were named after caucasian men. Masters (man) and Johnson pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders and dysfunctions only from 1957 until the 1990s. So how did people of African descent celebrate and express live their sexuality long before this era? Research consistently shows that the original documentations of a woman's sexuality were largely shaped, designed and written by Caucasian men. Today, Europeans are still charting and dictating the sexuality of women of color. We are in the 21st century and its time for all women, (partcularly women of African descent) to come out of the primitive age of sexuality and into a more spiritually advanced, sophisticated and contemporary arena led by women. The Sexual Griot raises the curtains to uncover the beauty and the fascinating powers that our sexual energies are capable of bringing forth. We will explore various pathways of human sexual behavior such as Kama Sutra, the Tao and Tantric traditions - which have their roots in the Africa – and utilize effective and proven methods that relate to energy and the elements of Mother Nature. The column will create a platform for sexual travels that link us to the past, empower us in the present, and prepare us for the future. A place for stories to be shared, questions to be asked and answers to be found. It will stimulate deeper intimate and cultural connections, and bring out the spiritualistic and artistic expressions of our sexual nature. The Sexual Griot goes beyond the limited physical dimension that the western culture is fixated upon. Beyond sex toys and mundane discussions, it will focus on the secrets of women and the mysteries of men. It will offer practical holistic exercises for transforming negative emotions, attaining good health, tapping into the life force, developing a higher consciousness, creating prosperity and moving beyond the realm of orgasm. It will demonstrate the correlation between our health and our sexuality and highlight the dualistic patterns within and around us that have kept us still enslaved for centuries. Unearthing the ceremonial and pleasurable aspects of sensuality, the Sexual Griot will make you laugh, cry, feel deeply – anger or joy, it will remind you, inspire you, excite you, transform you and unwrap you. It will take you through the peaks and valleys of our sexuality. And it will certainly provide you with tools to enhance your sexual health, nature and well being. It will improve the quality of your life and your relationships. The Sexual Griot column is about energy, evolution, enlightenment and empowerment! Sex and spirit are one according to the Sexual Griot! Here's to a long awaited sexual divination! Angelique Shofar, CMT, CYT is a Sexual Wellness Coach, Integrative Holistic Practitioner, Reflexologist and creator of Soulfull Yoga™. She conducts Sexual Wellness Workshops and designs Wellness Retreats in exotic places. Her practice focuses on women's sexuality, wellness and empowerment through a variety of holistic tools. She is available for workshops and consultations via telephone and on location. Email her at: thesexualgriot@gmail.com
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