Could a semi-precious stone bring you better orgasms, increased bladder control, and a stronger core? Fans of yoni eggs think so.
Yoni eggs, also known as jade eggs or love eggs, are small egg-shaped stones inserted into the "yoni" or vagina. According to legend, yoni eggs were used in ancient China by empresses and concubines to tap into their sexual power and maintain their health. Today, dedicated users also cite a variety of other benefits, like less painful periods, increased lubrication during sex, and tighter vaginal walls. (However, doctors have warned of the inherent risks of yoni eggs.)
We called up Anya Yurenya, who sells eggs through her website, Love Stone, to ask her about her own yoni egg practice. Here's what she said to say.
What are yoni eggs and how do they work?
They've become popular in recent years, but it's an ancient practice, kind of like yoga. It's been around for thousands of years, and it only became popular in the recent decades in the West. The yoni egg practice is not separate from tai chi and qi gong, it is also working with energy. This is our primordial creative energy. We don't necessarily need to use it for sex; we can use it for healing, we can channel it into creativity, we can channel it into our generosity, [and] how we show up in the world.
How do you pick your egg?
Traditionally, you would start with jade. The jade egg is a small stone that was carved in the egg shape and polished, so it has a really smooth surface to it. It's usually pretty small. Our medium egg, which is what most people would want to use, is 30 millimeters in diameter, and 43 millimeters length.
Once you have your egg, what comes next?
You've got your stone; then, you need to clean it. You might want to bond with it at first, so maybe carry it around, maybe meditate with it. You can sleep with it, kind of feel into it, [and] prepare yourself for this practice. It's a big step for a lot of us.
How do you start the practice?
You make the time, and it can be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. You can start by meditating, or maybe dancing a little bit. Do something that gets you into your body and out of your head " that's really important. Then, you start self-massaging. You can do a breast massage and you can massage your entire body. Then, you massage your pelvis, and your yoni. After that, you'd take the egg and then, hopefully, you'll have enough natural lubrication by then. But, if not, you can use organic coconut oil.
When do you insert the egg?
Well, you'd start making little circles around the opening of the vagina, and then you can ask your body, feel into your body, and you actually ask your body if it's ready. If you get a "no," either continue the massage until you get a "yes," or you stop right there, and that's fine. Your body might not be ready, and that's fine. It's good practice. Once you get a "yes," then you accept the egg into your vagina. On the inhale, your vagina opens, and then you hold the egg at the opening, wherever feels like a good angle. You insert it with the thicker end, not with the sharper end.
What sort of exercises do you do once you've inserted the yoni egg?
You can start engaging the different groups of muscles so, eventually, you might be able to differentiate the different sections of the muscles. You might be able to move the egg up and down inside your yoni. [And] then, if you have two eggs, you might be able to roll them around together. Just start with five minutes, because most people, in the beginning, they might not feel the egg. They might not be able to differentiate the muscles because, most of us, we haven't been using those muscles for our entire life.
Two eggs?!
Yeah, people lift weights with their vaginas. The eggs will be drilled on the end, and then you put a rope through it, and then you attach the weights to the rope. But I'm not going to recommend anybody do that without proper guidance from an instructor, because you can damage your muscles.
How often do you do the practice?
It can last anywhere from 10-15 minutes to an hour, two to three times a week. You don't want to overdo it. Some people get super enthusiastic, and they're like, "Okay, I've got the egg, now I'm just going to wear it all day long, all week." You can start cramping; your muscles get tired, just like after any workout.