Article By: Katrina Geenevasen-Garlough for Refined Magazine.
Photos By: Stephen Wild
“Jade eggs — with their healing, restorative powers — and Tantra provide us with tools to reclaim and reconnect, both with ourselves and one another”.
– Cheryl Hiebert
Outside, rain is falling softly. Its rhythmic sound is soothing; its earthy smell is sweet and fresh. Long associated with emotions and cleansing, the shower is quite fitting on this particular autumn day. For inside, a small group of women are sitting comfortably on soft sheepskin rugs, a fire softly illuminating their faces as they work together to awaken their power, magic, passion and creativity.
They’re there with the nurturing support of certified wellness and personal growth coach Cheryl Hiebert, who is passionate about helping all women discover their source of power with Jade Egg Practice.
What is Jade Egg Practice?
“Jade Egg Practice helps women tap into the wisdom of their feminine chakras,” explains Hiebert. “Through practice, women can explore and expand their intuition, power and sensuality, their divine feminine essence.”
Introducing this practice to the women of our city has been a long time coming; it’s an idea Hiebert has been curious about further exploring for a while. But it wasn’t until two years ago, following a car accident that left her with whiplash, an injured back and a concussion, that the fire was lit within her to avidly pursue her goal. “The universe was literally giving me a bump on the head to slow me down,” she says, adding that as a menopausal woman, she was also unfortunately becoming all-too-familiar with what so many menopausal women experience: uncomfortable, painful sex. “The gift in all of this was that I started to explore other things I was interested in.” One of those things was Jade Egg Practice.
In eastern cultures, jade is a sacred stone. It’s been revered for more than 6,000 years and is considered the stone of heaven. “Jade itself has healing intrinsic properties,” explains Hiebert. “It helps us heal slowly and gently.”
With a combination of intention, meditation and breath work, a jade egg is used internally. “Jade stimulates the body’s natural healing capacity,” says Hiebert, holding the smooth, green egg tenderly in the palm of her hand. “It helps heal the female reproductive system by assisting with circulation of blood and balancing of hormones.” It is also associated with the heart chakra, she explains, and is a wonderful heartopening stone. It’s also very good for grounding. “So an egg inside a woman’s body is amazing. It heals very softly and safety and gently,” she says.
The workshops and one-on-one sessions Hiebert provides on Jade Egg Practice have caused quite a stir in the city already, with sessions quickly filling up. But really, it comes as no surprise. So many married couples lose the ‘spark’, the passion, that was there in the beginning of their relationship with their significant other. “Women will tell me, ‘I go through the motions. We’re like roommates, buddies. There’s no passion, spark, or fire.’ So if we want to rekindle that spark, that fire, we need to rekindle it within ourselves first. And Jade Egg Practice helps us do that. There are so many nerve endings in a woman’s yoni. It’s the place of a woman’s power, her strength, her intuition, her wisdom.”
Couples’ Conscious Connecting Workshops
The Jade Egg Practice ties in perfectly with the Couples’ Conscious Connecting Workshops Hiebert is also now offering. Through these workshops, Hiebert hopes to dispel some of the myths around Tantra (which means technique; movement; breath; and sound), and how conscious connecting with no sex can be beautiful. “It’s not even about having sex,” exclaims Hiebert. “It’s about a conscious connection.”
During the couples’ workshops (all orientations are welcome), participants will learn things like eye gazing, breathing, and nurturing holds, says Hiebert. They’ll also learn how to look at each other, how they can sound together, how they can change things together during lovemaking, and the language of love. “Even if everything has been disconnected, even if that sizzle is gone, when a couple figures out what each other’s love language is, everything changes,” says Hiebert. (Be sure to learn about these different languages in-depth in the workshops.)
While Hiebert acknowledges it might take courage at first for some to participate inJade Egg Practice or the Couples’ Conscious Connecting Workshops, she encourages everywoman to celebrate her divine female essence.
She, herself, is the perfect example of how effective the practice is; she’s fully healed fromher accident, and says she feels 25 years oldagain. “I have that same sensual, juicy feeling I had when I was in my 20s and 30s,” she says.
“Jade eggs — with their healing, restorative powers — and Tantra provide us with tools to reclaim and reconnect, both with ourselves andone another,” says Hiebert. “When we expandour hearts, we make love not only with our partners, but with the whole world.”
Editor’s Note: Because Jade Egg Practice rejuvenates vaginal tissue and creates fresh blood flow, menopausal women and new moms will find it particularly helpful. “These groups of women find it miraculous in helping them regain their youthful, juicy sensuality,” says Hiebert.
This article was published in Refined Magazine on November 15th and is available at Chapters. Check out their Digital Issue – here.