by Bernadette Martinez
When I first heard about Orgasmic Meditation, it was 2012, and I’d been suicidal for six months. I didn’t dare tell anyone about my suicidal thoughts, but I did agree to go to an ecstatic dance class with a friend of mine, which was highly unusual for me. I come from a scientific background, so ecstatic dancing and meditation always seemed way too ‘woo woo’ for me. But my friends who did it all seemed happy, so I thought I’d try it.
All I remember from that night was when my friend started talking about Orgasmic Meditation. When he said the word ‘clitoris,’ I remember feeling as if the skin on my arms was crawling; an intense heat spread through my body. I’d always considered myself open-minded but was shocked and wanted to run away.
In those days, I would feel depression in my stomach and my shoulders. My stomach would cramp, and my shoulders would get tense. I always felt as if I wanted to flee to protect my stomach. At work, I felt that I was expected to be one of the pack. Weakness was not tolerated--it was an aggressive work environment.
Relationship-wise, I was obsessed with a guy I considered my intellectual inferior. I didn’t think I should be so attracted to him, but I wanted to make it more serious. He was happy seeing lots of women, which was a big blow to my ego. I’d cry at my computer so nobody would notice.
During my depression, I’d spent time working out how I was going to buy life insurance, play the happy person for another year, and then go on a cruise and jump over the side of the ship so it would look like an accident. I’d read that drowning was painful, so I was still researching which were the best drugs to take. I wanted my estate to go to my parents, and I didn’t want to upset them with the knowledge that it was suicide because my little sister drowned when she was four.
In 2013, I attended a lecture about Orgasmic Meditation. I was petrified when I arrived at the event. I expected everyone to be hippies, but instead, I found a group of people who were curious, gentle, and kind. Something in me relaxed, and I was able to say to a bunch of strangers that I was deeply depressed.
By the time I arrived at my first class, I had experienced a shift. I didn’t feel so confronted. I’d done yoga before, but it had felt competitive. I have great agility, but I never felt connected to my body. I’d tense up a lot, and if you are depressed, you are already very tense in your body. My shoulders were tense all the time.
Later, as I settled into the nest for my first Orgasmic Meditation (OM), I felt that just being there was enough. I had expected to feel very little, but my whole body was ignited with warmth. I quickly understood that I wanted to practice Orgasmic Meditation (OM) frequently.
I naturally have a lot of sensation in my body with a very gentle touch. I’ve never used vibrators, as I’m so sensitive. Orgasmic Meditation helped me develop that capacity, tune into my sensitivity, and take it further. Some days, I started to feel connected to my stroker. I knew he was feeling what I was feeling. I could feel, too, when a stroker was tense. I had no idea how it was happening. Understanding this was hard for someone who had learned to rely on science.
A gradual gentleness started to infuse my body. My stomach felt happier. Then, two years into my practice, a deeper change happened. I OMed with a friend and reached a new level of awareness in my body. Until then, I’d had electric sensations, and my body would vibrate. This time, the vibrations went into a solid throb, and my body stayed very still. My awareness grew to fill the room. I heard a ‘boom, boom’ sound. I felt nauseous. I had to breathe and relax to feel it. I heard my stroker friend gasp as well. Afterward, when we shared frames of what we’d felt during the OM, we realized we’d had an extraordinary experience.
It was the first time I’d truly relaxed, which is why I went to that place. Before, I’d have engaged my mind and stopped the process. My thoughts would go to the noise of wind or a train. I wouldn’t stay with the pulse of life in my body.
I feel things are getting better and better. There’s a sense of positivity. Now that I feel more connected, I don’t feel a need to drink heavily or go to parties all the time. I still occasionally feel fear, but now I know that the minute my body tenses, I need to slow down and sit with my feelings until they change into something else.
In 2013, after practicing Orgasmic Meditation for some time, my depression went away, and I haven’t been depressed since. I’ve learned to relax into my body rather than retract and be afraid of it. I’ve learned to trust it -- to believe I can come out on the other side of any experience.
