When we think of wellness, we traditionally envision tending to our physical body through nutrition, movement and mindfulness. We enlisted the guidance of sacred sex alchemist Anna Robertson on the empowering magic of the traditional Jade Egg practice. Whatever your relationship status, getting to know your body, fostering self love and empowering yourself to experience pleasure may be an important and often bypassed endeavour. 

Jade Egg practices are part of ancient Taoist sexual yoga methodology designed to help strengthen and tone the vaginal and pelvic floor muscles. "Jade Egg is very much about the health and healing we can obtain with our sexual practices, as well as helping us cultivate pleasure" says Anna. "This practice has its roots in the Chinese lineage of Taoism that dates back to 400BC - we can think of it as the Chinese version of Tantra. Taoism is packed with wisdom, philosophy and tradition. It has a very seasonal view of life, and the practices and the approach to sex are sacred."

In recent years, there has been some controversy surrounding Jade Egg practices, with concerns about how to clean the jade stone, how to use it, and how to retrieve the stone once it is in place. "The practice was brought to the West by Mantak Chia and it grew all over the Western world. It has been practised safely for thirty years and thousands of women have used it without any reported health issues" Anna explains. "There were some allegations made that wearing the egg could cause toxic shock syndrome. However, there’s a study that shows that this condition was actually linked to tampon use - specifically when manufacturers changed the material of the tampons from cotton to synthetic material. My advice is to always buy the egg from a reputable source where you’re confident it’s great quality. Using the egg under the guidance of a teacher is also a super supportive and helpful way to begin and establish your journey."

We sat down with Anna who graciously shared her experiences, her work as a Sacred Sex Alchemist and an in depth guide on how to use a Jade Egg for those who may feel intrigued to find out more (trigger warning - mention of sexual assault, trauma).

Can you tell us a little about you and your work?

I work with women who find themselves at odds with their sexuality. They bring their shutdown, pain and trauma and I show them how to alchemise it into gold. I firmly believe that we can all have a beautiful relationship with our sexuality that feels nourishing and life affirming and activates our creativity and purpose. When we choose to explore our sexuality, we are choosing to uncover the truth of who we really are.

I grew up feeling disconnected from my body and I held a deep shame about my sexuality that prohibited me from experiencing the pleasure that I knew was somewhere buried deep inside of me. In my early twenties I was sexually assaulted and as a result my sexual experience was shaped by a lot of shame, alcohol, unworthiness and a dependence on a vibrator for orgasm.

I searched for answers in mainstream sex advice that resulted in more frustration and confusion. I then discovered sacred sexuality and the Jade Egg practice and I uncovered the full depth of my energetic power. I trained to become a sex coach with Layla Martin and it is now my deepest honour to guide women in their sexual reclamation.

Through the practices I teach, my clients certainly experience more desire and pleasure and there is also an invitation to unearth their authentic self. And so whilst this work can be deep and confronting, the transformation in a woman’s life when they take on this journey can be mind-blowing. If you are looking for a spiritual practice to raise your consciousness, experience peaks of pleasure, face your shadow and heal your trauma this is for you.

What are the benefits of a Jade Egg practice?

For me the Jade Egg is a beautiful, soft feminine practice that gives us access to our inner world and our magic. It’s subtle but it can be breathtakingly effective in the pleasure it can open up and the trauma it can heal in our bodies. And that’s actually a great way to understand how the egg works with our body. 

There are practices that cultivate pleasure and there are cleansing practices. This really makes sense because when you think about it, sometimes we do need to clear and let go and equally we also want to expand our capacity for receiving pleasure.

What really thrills me about the jade egg practice is that it can literally rewire your nervous system to experience a new sexual identity - I can give myself as an example of that. For years I couldn’t orgasm without a vibrator, so I threw it away and began a regular jade egg practice. My intention was to cultivate orgasm in my own body and that’s exactly what happened. One day during a practice, when I didn’t think much was happening, I began to orgasm. I had essentially created a new sexual reality and rewired my body for pleasure.

On the subject of orgasm, the Jade Egg is such a helpful tool because it gets you out of your thoughts and gives you something to focus on in your body. This really is magic for those of us who struggle with overthinking and not being able to let go of control.

It can be helpful to think of a Jade Egg practice a bit like yoga for your vagina. The physical benefit of the practice is that it will tighten your pelvic floor and create more sensation in your vagina. But like yoga and unlike a regular fitness programme or Kegels, a Jade Egg practice can help us emotionally and has the potential for blissful, transcendental spiritual experiences.

So many of us close our bodies and pleasure down. We stop giving ourselves access to our sexual selves. Which means we also shutdown our joy, creativity and power. It makes complete sense to me why we do that as women, as sometimes it just doesn’t feel safe to be a sexual woman.

Trauma can be a reason for this and you can use a Jade egg practice to address the trauma in your body and integrate it. Trauma can show up in our bodies in a number of different ways, like pain, numbness, itching or low desire. I have seen a Jade Egg practice transform a woman’s relationship to sexual trauma, birth trauma and injury. I know how effective it is also for clearing the energy of past lovers, which even if you are in a great relationship needs doing regularly.

You can call forth everything that feels heavy and dense and immovable. Layers of shame, guilt and fear can be processed and moved with the practice and wrapped in self acceptance and self love.

Do you have any recommendations on how to choose the right egg? 

I would always say try the medium size. That has worked really well for me and the women I’ve worked with. Always choose Jade and Obsidian crystal as these are the only safe crystals to use inside our vaginas. 

Is there any preparation needed before using your Jade Egg?

Before you use your egg for the first time, boil it in water for 10 minutes and let it cool. I suggest pouring boiling water over the egg before each practice after that and occasionally boiling it again for ten minute. You can then string the egg through the hole with natural unflavoured dental floss. This will help you remove the egg.

Are there any times that you shouldn't use a Jade Egg? 

I don’t recommend using the egg during your period as this is a time when your body needs to fully rest and release downwards and out so using the egg and pulling energy up, is counterintuitive and it just doesn’t feel right for most women.

I don’t advise sleeping with the egg in; four hours is the maximum amount of time you’ll want to wear it for. It’s advised to not use the egg at all during pregnancy. If you have an IUD, I would recommend consulting a doctor before you practice.

Could you please share a simple guide for a beginner?

Your practice is a focused time for you dedicate to yourself. It can be anything from five to ninety minutes. It’s so much more effective to do a regular even very short practice than the occasional long one.

Create a space that feels nourishing and loving for you and it’s a good idea to set an intention for your practice for example it might be: My intention today is to connect with my wild woman within.

Before we begin the practice, we warm the body up with some movement that might be a shaking practice for example. After that it’s a good idea to practice a breast massage or ovarian breathing to activate our sexual energy.

When we are ready to insert the egg, we always want to make sure we have consent from our body. This is so important because there may have been times in the past when we have overridden our body’s no and carried on in a sexual experience. 

We can simply ask our body and wait to receive a yes or no. By listening to our body and honouring if she wants the egg or not, we start to build a beautiful trusting relationship with her. And the more she feels she can trust us, the safer she will feel and the safer she feels, the more pleasure and orgasm she will open up to. If we receive a yes, we can begin to massage our vulva with our favourite organic oil and gently insert the egg.

It’s completely normal not to feel the egg when you practice initially. Our vagina senses weight so it’s not the same as you feel the egg when you hold it in your hand. When we work with the Jade Egg we develop a new found sensitivity that maybe unlike anything we have felt before; with regular practice we can literally feel so much more sensation inside our vagina during sex.

How do you remove your egg at the end of you practice? Is there any cleaning or aftercare needed?

Use the string to gently pull the egg out and then dispose of it. Rinse the egg in hot water and ensure you clean the hole of the egg; I find a dental tepe brush works brilliantly for this.

Anna is currently working online with clients in a ten-week container. This is for women who want a deep dive immersion and are ready to commit to that journey. If you would like to explore this further, Anna is offering her one off Activation Sessions for a reduced rate for Glasshouse clients. Designed to map out obstacles that are blocking you sexually and kickstart a shift in your nervous system to create the safety you need to welcome in more desire and pleasure. Click here and add the code OFFJE to book the session for £60 instead of £99.