Recently, Janelle got a Pussy Reading. No, really. Sound revolutionary? It is. Based on physical attributes, Quodoushka helps you understand your genitals so you can deepen connection and expand your pleasure. It ALSO elevates the way we think about our pussy! What if we gave it reverence? What if we honored its beauty and unique style? You’ll hear:
-An unexpected way to deepen sisterhood
-Why knowing your pussy can you help boost sexual pleasure
-How to release the shame about “down there”
-Something new to do on a kitchen counter
-How porn is contributing to the rise in labiaplasty
TRANSCRIPT:
Janelle: Hey Andrea,
Andrea: Hey Janella.
Janelle: How do you feel about kumquats?
Andrea: I fucking love kumquats.
Janelle: Me too!
Andrea: Mean, they're a weird fruit. They have a weird name.
Janelle: Yeah, but the name is fun to say. They make me happy thinking about saying them or saying them and eating them.
Andrea: I love the texture. Dude, that's my favorite part. if you can get through the slightly bitter outside, then you can get to the sweet in the middle.
Janelle: Tart, sweet and tart.
Andrea: And tart depends on the kumquat.
Janelle: Yes. It's also there either a bit of a surprise like seasonality where you get them, you never really know I'm always hoping it's gonna be a great kumquat and
Andrea: Not always. Yeah. Yeah. This is another metaphor for life. , it really isn't everything. Okay. This is gonna be a fucking epic episode. I can feel it. You ready? Y'all ready for this? Ba ba ba ba ba
Janelle: Brave hearts, sometimes I do take a moment to reflect on my life and I'm like, wow. Wow. This is what I've chosen. It is wide ranging in its diversity taboo ness Oddity.
Andrea: Absolutely. And that's why today we're gonna be talking about pussy readings.
Janelle: Yep. That would be one way you could describe it
Andrea: I just wanted to translate it for our audience, but I know that you call it.
Janelle: Well, I'm going to call it Yoni reading, but the technical term would be the female genital anatomy.
Andrea: Oh Thank you for that. Okay So, how did this come into your life? What's the deal? are we talking about? What does this really mean? And we're not naked right
Janelle: We are not naked. Yes. Yes. It all started last year when my friend Alexis, someone I had camped with at Burning Man in 2022, reached out. She was driving across country and was going to stop in Denver, and I invited her to stay with me. This was pre Goddess Temple. My husband and I had already decided to get divorced, but we're still living on the other side.
And I was actually living in the basement. And I would only move into the goddess temple a few weeks later. It was great to see her, and as we cut up, she shared with me that she had just come across this book that had illustrations and descriptions for different shapes of female and male genital anatomy.
And you could , read about them and try to figure out. What you were.
Andrea: Like which one you
Janelle: Which one you were. there were eight types for each. Eight female genital types and eight male genital types. So I had never heard of this book. It was called The Sexual Practices of Kudoshka, Teachings from the Nagual Tradition.
So you may have guessed at this point. Brave hearts that I was like, fuck. Yeah, let's do this
Andrea: Not a moment's hesitation.
Janelle: A moment's hesitation. I was like, I'm totally up for checking this out so I went and got a mirror and a flashlight and we had the book and we dropped our pants and We sat down and looked at each other and then ourselves and tried to figure out what type of genital anatomy We had based on the descriptions in the book. Just imagine the pants down, legs up, flashlights out. Lots of laughter.
Andrea: All right, let me just take a minute here Is this the first time you'd really taken a look at your private parts?
Janelle: I'm having private parts. Oh my god.
Andrea: To use a very pre pubescent term, and had you done something like this before when you were young during puberty?
Janelle: So I've definitely looked at myself before. In fact, the mirror that I was using is still the one I was using from 40 years ago. Estee Lauder.
Andrea: That's so funny. This is a little like one of the free ones you get with the gift, right?
Janelle: So I've definitely looked and I've also had sex with women, I've worked in lingerie where I've saw naked women all the time but this was definitely the first time that I was really examining with awe and wonder and curiosity. With a friend like scientists we're here to discover something
Andrea: Okay, all right, so there's a bunch of different descriptions And there's these different categories. So what are the descriptions based on?
Janelle: the different genital anatomy types were based on Size and contour of the inner and outer lips the distance between the clitoris and the vaginal opening the shape of the hood Covering the clitoris the hood. Yeah.
Andrea: Yeah, I guess I don't use this term. yeah, it makes sense.
Janelle: I didn't know that term that wasn't a new term, but other things, overall size and shape of the entire vulva and the location of the g spot.
Andrea: Okay. a lot going on down there, isn't there?
Janelle: There's a lot going on depending on all those things and some different attributes, then the eight different types were, there's a fox woman, a buffalo woman, a deer woman,
Andrea: All animal associations. Yes. Okay. So what'd you notice?
Janelle: the first thing that was super obvious was that and Alexis and I looked incredibly different her Pussy looked like this gorgeous pulsing piece of coral wavy lines on her inner lips everything on the outside everything was on display, whereas mine, , I was all tucked in, , I had to open my outer lips to even see my inner lips and then notice that, oh, my, my inner lips are actually quite small.
And I just remembering thinking like, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. , if someone was going to go down on me and then go down on her, whatever brought me pleasure would not be the same things that brought her pleasure. it was just so obvious that. The shapes of us were so different that whatever , you learned about me wouldn't necessarily apply to her.
Andrea: Yeah, so it seems like we should all come with a guidebook. , just whip out our little brochure and be like, Hi, here's, here's my pussy language. Here's who I am. Here's where my clit is. Here's where my T spot is.
Janelle: Yes.
Andrea: sense to have this self knowledge about. It's like a user guide.
Janelle: Yes. Women. Bravehearts. Young girls. Anyone listening. Yes. I would love for women to know their own user guide because we're the ones writing it. No one else is writing it for
Andrea: Yeah. Okay. Huge. Mind blowing.
Janelle: And so the other thing that I noticed was that we were so different she was not prettier than me and I wasn't prettier than her.
And that just made me feel so normal. That, oh, there's nothing wrong with me. Like impossible for me to look like her. It's impossible for her to look like me. And then as we looked at all the other different types, it was like, Wow, there is such variety. So the other thing the book did was that it not only described the physical traits of the genital there was also descriptions of the types of them as lovers.
Andrea: So what's an example of that?
Janelle: For example, a buffalo woman really likes physicality, carnal, primal, coming together, intense. energetic exchange and another type was really into this spiritual heart connection mind connection and so as you were looking at the physical attributes and then reading about them you were also trying to line up me the buffalo women not only did the physical attributes didn't line up but nor did How I like to have sex like how I am as a lover also didn't line up So I was like, oh, okay, so that's not me. So then go on to the next one So there are both aspects are in the book.
Andrea: Okay. So, I'm hearing that this is more of an art than a science.
Janelle: Yes. Well one the illustrations in the book are a little bit hard to make out because they're just illustrations I did go to a training, so I got to learn more, but ultimately, there's eight types, there's eight billion people, there's going to be, , variations
Andrea: Like any type of quiz or any type of system that has categorizations. You're not gonna completely fall into one.
So let's talk about the name. we said pussy, we said Yoni. what's the difference? What do you call this? What does Yoni mean? When did you start using that?
Janelle: You also brought up private parts. There's also down there.
Andrea: And Yoohoo and all sorts of weird names that moms have given their daughters
Janelle: Yes, and Culture has as well. So, like, there's an incredible number of names that our Culture uses to describe the female genital anatomy. And yoni is a Sanskrit word that I was introduced to, as I learned about Tantra. And yoni is synonymous for pussy.
And then lingam is Sanskrit word for, penis. and there is a lot of reverence when using the word yoni or lingam, it's sacred. part of our body is sacred. The word is sacred. I use that word mostly now.
Andrea: Okay, Yoni. So I think that what I've heard so far is that there's both cosmetic differences and pleasure differences and Love making differences. this seems like such a good self education beyond self pleasure. Is this the only book that's doing this? Has it been going on for a long time? Is this something new? Guess I'm trying to figure out, why we're just hearing about this now.
Janelle: I agree. my journey with sacred sexuality has over the course of the last several years. It's just been so mind blowing how much we are not educated in this culture about ourselves, our own body, our own pleasure, our own biology, all of this stuff. And so the book that I just mentioned, the sexual practices of Kudoshka, they relay the teachings that are designed to help you increase your understanding of your sexuality so you can have deeper connections and experience more pleasure. So the word Kudoshka, means to become one or to unite and it's a Native American word. chi or life force. Our synonyms
Andrea: Oh, okay.
Janelle: And the Kodoshka teachings when you're saying why are we just hearing about that? , is everyone teaching this? And no, these teachings were developed and promoted by the Deer Tribe Medicine Society, which is a new age new religious movement and business co founded by Harley Regan and Diane Regan in 1986.
So just like there's human design, just like there's Jinki's, here's the Kedoshka training by this particular group. And I would also say that the Dear Tribe Medicine Society is a spiritual path that provides teachings, ceremony, and tools to support our human quest for growth, for excellence, maturity, and integrity.
Andrea: Okay, great. So I'm also hearing that this thing you did with Alexis is a bonding experience. You looked at it as an intimate way to connect with another woman, with your own Yoni, with yourself. And it sounds potentially awkward for some Bravehearts. I mean, I, I definitely would embrace it.
I like being naked. I'm good with being naked in front of other people , but , what was it like? And what did you take away from that part of it, beyond the labeling or the categorization of your yoni?
Janelle: I agree, which is why I started out that my life is fascinating, most people would feel pretty edgy, vulnerable, and uncomfortable with what I'm describing here. Totally get that. hmm. And. I noticed, that yes I'm comfortable with my sexuality, yes I'm comfortable looking at myself, yes I'm comfortable being naked, yes I'm also comfortable with sisterhood and being with women.
And I was so invigorated. After our time together, as I've said, I have seen lots of Yoni's in my lifetime, and yet I had never explored another woman's Yoni or myself with such curiosity and awe. I felt such a kinship and connection to her, it, it was almost like a rite of passage. It was a deep sisterhood moment of , Hey, I see you.
This is part of you. I see you. I honor you. You are beautiful.
Andrea: Just like a reverence for yourself. Like another layer of yourself is what I'm hearing.
So have you shared this new insight with other women? I feel like maybe I've heard you say that you've done a training or you're going to incorporate it into some kind of sharing workshop.
Janelle: I have shared it with other women. It's not that I'm teaching it per se. I did go to a Kodoshka workshop and this anatomy reading is just one small part of their teachings and the overarching point of going to a Kodoshka workshop is to learn. About how I experience pleasure, but obviously there is something quite titillating about The anatomy readings and so that is the part that I have shared So I was with a group of women and so now Bravehearts Just imagine six of us hovered over a kitchen counter one woman sitting on it with her legs spread someone holding the flashlight another holding the mirror And another one holding the book.
And then we're like, okay, look at you. Then read the book. What do you think you are? And again, it was so incredibly bonding, connecting, and normalizing. So vulnerable, but so nourishing to be seen by fellow sisters. And I think a really big part of it was that we are all so unique. Magical, glorious yonis in different colors and textures and size and shapes.
And, I didn't actually used to think my yoni was beautiful. I didn't think it looked right. I used to bike a lot. It was more swollen on one side. And even though I looked at it as a kid, I didn't look at it very often.
And I certainly didn't look at it with awe and beauty. And I remember reading, Urban Tantra by Barbara Corrales. one of the exercises was to look at yourself and then think how you feel about it and then ask your partner. And I remember asking. My husband at the time, and he told me he loved how it looked, and he loved how I was all tucked in.
That it felt so clean, or tidy, it looked so tidy, and I would remember just being like flabbergasted, because I realized I had just projected my own feelings about my Ione onto whoever was interacting with it.
Andrea: I'm just going through what's coming up for me. I'm just like, Oh, this is making me slightly uncomfortable.
Janelle: What part?
Andrea: I don't know. I'm just like, Oh, can I share about this? Can I talk about it? It feels all taboo, even though it's like part of my body and there's nothing wrong with it. And. I am hearing, we have our own idea of what it looks like. And I think I've always thought about it as being really messy down there.
I'm like, Oh my God. I just have to deal with a penis, suck on it, touch it, whatever. I don't have to deal with all the folds, all the hair, all the holes. That just seems like such a mess that's how I think of it. part of why I'm not attracted to, mean, I'm bi curious, but I'm not really, that practiced in. being physical, with a female. And so, yeah, it just seems , oh, so confusing. but I've always liked mine. At the same time. I've never had an aversion.
It's like, oh, okay, yeah. I'm all out there and expressive. Everything is visible. From the front. one of my partners said, oh, it's just like your personality. He's like, you are all on display. You are so self expressive. Everything is showing. You are dancing. All the time.
Janelle: I love, I love. Okay, now I'm just going to close my eyes and envision you're dancing Yoni.
Andrea: I remember seeing yours when we first had our threesome, and I'm just like, oh, it's so different. So different. So different. I was like, I didn't even know. I was like, oh, where is, oh, I'm not sure.
Janelle: Hearing you talk I believe it really starts with, us as individuals, as women, , really being able to look at ourselves, , without judgment. And for any Bravehearts, who, maybe who know Mama Gina, she's an author of the book Pussy. she recommends taking a mirror and looking at your pussy, every morning and saying hello.
I didn't do that after reading her book, but I remember that that was one of the things she recommended. But now that I know what type I am, and I'm a fox woman, I have started taking my mirror and saying hello to my foxy lady every morning. so we just, recorded a podcast on feminism and feminist and feminine.
And we talked about this heavy weight of cultural conditioning that having to like wade through and I feel that that is very true when it comes to our there is so much cultural. Shame, ancestral shame, sexual shame, physical shame, so much is put on us and having to Try to be free of that really takes actually effort in my opinion I mean,
Andrea: Really does. I've been thinking as we've been talking about, our breasts, Also very private, but way easier to talk about. Like, oh, we all have different breasts. They look different. Some nipples are big. Some nipples are small. Some people have small breasts. Some people have flat breasts.
Janelle: I think we just see that more in clothing and in culture they're not as hidden.
Andrea: Exactly. And not as taboo. this is just something we don't talk about very much. And so I just, I love the idea of, from a young age, having people honor and love their yoni and not having it be a source of anxiety that would be huge.
Janelle: Yeah, it feels like a dream and an aspiration I mean for every woman and every man to realize that every yoni is beautiful and unique just like a flower in a garden. beautiful in its own way. And that the recognition is that, whatever type of yoni you are it has to do for a variety of reasons, right?
Where I said earlier, like, where's your g spot? Where's your clitoris located in the depth of your cave? There's such a wide range. Whatever type you are, that's only one type.
Andrea: so why do you think certain types get revered more than others? Because of pop culture like what we see in the movies
Janelle: Primarily I think it's what we see in porn. So the rise in porn and porn's accessibility, I would say, is watched by both boys and girls,
Andrea: From a younger and younger age
Janelle: Exactly, is that there's a misconception that, the type of yoni, based on, again, G spot location, size of the cave and the clitoris location that's suitable for a particular type of cock and a type of orgasm has one particular shape to it and so that shape of yoni is porn stars often have that type, they can feel pleasure this certain way that matches what porn's looking for.
So what is happening is that because that one yoni type is what's being seen by so many boys and girls, there is a misconception that that yoni type is better. And That particular Yoni type actually has very small inner lips. So like where you just described yourself as like dancing on full display, this particular Yoni type is not.
Andrea: It's different than mine. I know that
Janelle: And something that I want people to be aware of is that a labiaplasty is a fast growing cosmetic surgery where young girls, I'm gonna say young girls because That particular cosmetic surgery is quite common in young women where they have their inner or outer lips Cosmetically altered so that they look like this one particular type of Yoni that they see in porn
Andrea: Wow, that is so crazy
Janelle: I want every young girl and woman out there to know That her Yoni is as beautiful as it is and I actually want every boy and man to know that Every Yoni shape, style, texture is beautiful. and that surgery is not required. there's just so many different ways to look and to feel and to feel pleasure.
Andrea: I think you're working on a program for girls. Can you tell me more about that?
Janelle: Yes, I'm still listening to the divine. , but I know the name of this and I'm still cultivating the curriculum that it's going to include. but it's called The epic girls of the goddess temple and epic stands for embracing pleasure, intuition, and consent,
Andrea: Love it.
Janelle: And it will be designed, for different age groups, but primarily for 14 to 20 year old girls and it isn't about promoting sex at an early age. It's about promoting the young girls to know themselves better, to be able to listen to their intuition, to know that they are beautiful and normal and unique just as they are. And if they can understand their own pleasure. then they can, as you said, be able to share that with others and Whereas you and I we spent a lot of our lives looking towards someone else To know what to do with me to give me pleasure read my mind or read my body and because I don't know and that leads to very unsatisfying and all sorts of ways and so wanting to empower young girls to know themselves so that they can lead a more confident and enriched and pleasure filled life.
Andrea: Yeah, and I think this also relates to our self pleasure episode where we talked about just this, there is a downplaying or a shame around women and girls self pleasuring. And in fact, the better you know your body, the more you can tell people what you want.
Instead of playing this mind reading game. And this feels like a great first step before even learning how to self pleasure because you're going to know what your body wants, how your body works.
Janelle: This is just the stuff that is just not taught at all, anywhere, in our educational system. yeah, it's bringing curiosity and normalcy and lack of shame to you. Our genital anatomy, I recognize, we said trigger wording for our last episode, that this is a fucking revolution. this is revolutionary stuff we're talking about in our culture. and I also just want to say, I'm talking about women here specifically. I'm talking about yoni readings.
Andrea: I want to mention that too. Because, and I can't speak for what it would feel like to be a guy, but it's like, wow, this could be big for them too.
Janelle: 100%. In the book, it also does the, lingam readings. And, um, there's eight different types of that. And I also can't speak to what it's like to be a man, but when you look around and see all these other different types of lingams and shapes, but then realize that, oh, big isn't always better.
Thick isn't always better. this is what , small and thin can do. I think there's all these attributes. And so for every size and shape of lingam, every size and shape of yoni they all can mix and match there's not like oh this only this one type of lamb can match with this one type of yoni it's not that either but that there's just like an infinite number of possibilities of pleasure that's there in your version is totally normal
Andrea: Wow. This is, it feels like a really big breakthrough in general and I'm still kind of taking it in. So just consider this the first episode, Bravehearts, of talking about our yonis and there's probably going to be more because we haven't talked about it enough in our society, in my life, even in my friendships with women.
Janelle: That may be something i didn't like articulate very specifically as I'm like, holding the flashlights. This isn't It's an exchanging of sexual energy. this is like that scientific curiosity of like, oh, like what's here? take your Flashlight to go collect butterflies it's that kind of curiosity of like oh What's here like this is biology.
This is normal. this is part of us
Okay. Well, then that's a wrap
Thanks for listening Bravehearts, we'll put a link to the book in the show notes
Andrea: Yeah. Go check out your yoni.
Janelle: And lingum.
Andrea: And your lingum.
Janelle: And are you a fox or a buffalo or a bear?
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