The yOniversity’s Vulvalicious Cushions are 10 years old this year! So this post is a bit of a celebratory retrospective.
Way back in 2011 (which feels like a lifetime ago!) I conceived the idea of creating an anatomically accurate teaching tool about female arousal anatomy. I wanted to produce something beautiful, that felt and looked delightful and that would provide a good simulation of the feeling of exploring a real vulva and vagina.
I wanted to empower people by using the latest information about the vulva owners' amazing arousal structures. This was in the days when very few people had any idea that the clitoris was much larger than just that sensitive little tip.
I also wanted to create something that would be non-threatening for those who might feel uncomfortable discussing and exploring genitals and I wanted to give someone exploring my product a real sense of the different structures in the vulva owner's pelvis, what they felt like and how they interrelated.
My talented friend, seamstress and costume designer, Maggie Golightly agreed to help me.
There followed a six month process of developing and iterating our design.
We were a great team.
How do you create a fabric structure that mimics the sensation of stroking the G-spot?
I had the information about the arousal structures and how it felt to touch them. Maggie had the skill and the knowledge of fabrics and sewing techniques. For each of the amazing hot spots in the vulva owners pelvis we explored a variety of options until we came up with the solutions we were happy with.
Towards the end of 2011 the first completed cushions were trialed in a professional training at The Institute of Somatic Sexology. The result was a big thumbs up. Both teachers and students loved them and they wanted more!
Each cushion was (and still is) hand made and took about two days to complete. The first complete batch was delivered almost exactly 10 years ago.
Here’s the Facebook post I made at the time.
Since then the Vulvalicious Cushions have winged their way to educators, therapists, birth professionals, home schoolers, vulva enthusiasts and Vulvalationaries all over the world.It is so rewarding seeing them fulfil their mission to educate, inspire and empower people regarding vulva anatomy, in the hands of so many dedicated folk.
Last year the cushions hit the silver screen and really started to make a name for themselves on the world stage. Check out some of their starring roles below.
In the tender care of UK tantric practitioner, Kerry O, the Vulvalicious Cushions made it to mainstream TV – Channel 4 no less – in the United Kingdom.
Sex Actually with Alice Levine is a series produced by Louis Theroux. Alice travels across the UK exploring what sex means to people these days.
Kerry and her Vulvalicious Cushion appear in Episode 3, aired in October last year, in which Alice explores the flourishing world of sex and wellness in the UK. They even feature on the thumbnail for that episode. If you have access to Channel 4 on demand you can see the episode right here.
The Mini Vulvalicious cushions are a smaller version of the original heart shaped cushions.
Kiki (@yonilicious) is an Australian Instagram influencer with 35K followers who uses her cushion regularly in her Insta and Tic Toc videos.
And sex educator Lucy Rowett (@lucylurowett) features hers in her Instagram profile pic.
We’ve even made it into the movies!!
The fabulous Stella Anne Saunenbaum took hers on to the set of the Netflix comedy Sex Unzipped.
Hosted by rap star Saweetie the show is billed as ‘a celebration of sexual health and positivity, with help from expert educators, candid stand-ups and uninhibited puppets’. It’s not quite my thing but Stella’s contributions is .. well … stellar!!
Check her out with her Vulvalicious Cushion in the Vulva Education section
If the cushions are new to you and you feel you must have one then do head over to the yOni shop.
