profile

Erica Smith, Sexuality Education and Consulting

Yin Yoga for Purity Culture Survivors + My Book is 20% Off

Published 3 days ago • 4 min read

Hey newsletter friends!

Don't forget this Sunday May 31 I'm hosting a virtual class called Yin Yoga for Purity Culture Survivors! You can read more about it if you scroll down a bit. ⬇️

If you're in the US, how was your Memorial Day weekend? Here in Philly it was rainy, cold, and generally gross- definitely not "down the shore" weather. If you had a day off, I hope you made the most of it!

I wasn't technically off work all weekend (obviously my own choice lol). On Sunday I ran one of the Men's Support Groups. This week we talked about men and emotions, and answered questions like do you cry? and what is your relationship to anger? Last night I ran a PCD Queer Support Group, and we talked about the role that erotica/ smut/ romance novels can play in purity culture healing.

I've had some lovely reviews of my book come out recently! This one from a local Philly publication, Broad Street Review, says:

By offering facts to counter purity culture lies (no, masturbation will not make you blind; nope, the vagina is not an open-ended cave; actually, your body belongs to you, not to God or to your father), along with back-to-basics diagrams of anatomy and frank discussion of everything from consent to sexual fantasies, [Smith] aims to leave readers informed and empowered to thrive as sexual beings—whatever that might mean for any individual.

That's exactly what I was going for 🥹🥹🥹!

​Another review from therapist Tara McGrath (@theagnostictherapist) says:

Smith, a sex educator for 25+ years, has spent the last seven years specifically helping survivors of purity culture. She differs from many of the therapists, coaches, and writers in the religious trauma space in that she didn’t personally experience purity culture or high-control religion. This difference comes across as a strength, not a negative, when addressing the topic at hand. She has an undiluted, real-world perspective on sex and sexuality that is grounded in science, professional experience, and sociology, not in dogma. Though the tone is unapologetic, everything in this guide is delivered with tremendous warmth and compassion. It’s also super easy to read. She writes with a voice that is just chatty enough, without sacrificing a well-earned sense of authority and expertise.

If my book sounds like something you or someone you love could use, you can find it here! It's actually 20% off on the publisher's site right now! ​

Some other reading you might enjoy: My friend Eric Skwarczynski of the Preacher Boys podcast wrote an incredible piece for Playboy Magazine (yes, that one) called Religion and the Manosphere is a Match Made in Hell in which he discusses how women are treated similarly in both spheres. ​

A podcast interview I recently did with Arielle Zadok of Birds and Bees Don't Fck: Purity Culture and Fascism Are Good Friends.

video preview​

Now for the yin class happening Sunday:

This class is accessible to all abilities. It's more like meditation, and definitely not exercise.

Here's what you can expect:

A slow, restorative practice designed with gentle healing in mind. Long, supported holds invite you to settle into your body without demand or performance. No pushing, no pressure, no “right way.”

For those of us unlearning the idea that our bodies are problems to be fixed or controlled, this is a quiet invitation to simply be in your body, perhaps for the first time in a long time. We will breathe, stretch and rest together as we resist the messages that our bodies are objects to be used or constantly producing.

Props are encouraged, modifications based on your own body’s needs are invited, and rest is a completely valid choice for the entire class. You are welcome just as you are.

Erica Smith is a sexuality educator and creator of the Purity Culture Dropout™ Program. Erica specializes in providing shame-free, affirming, queer inclusive, comprehensive, and evidence-based sex education to people who grew up in purity culture and high control religion. She is honored to partner with Shauna to bring in the somatic piece that many of her clients are missing in their healing.

Shauna Marigold is a 200-hour Yoga Alliance certified instructor with a passion for creating safe, nurturing spaces for healing and self-discovery. Shauna brings a grounded, trauma-informed presence to her teaching as well as a warm real-life humanity to everything she does, making her a natural fit for this deeply intentional somatic work. Having been raised in a high control religion herself, Shauna brings lived experience and deep personal understanding to this space. She knows firsthand the complexity of untangling faith, bodily autonomy, connection to oneself, and identity and is committed to walking alongside students in that process with compassion and care. A forever student, she believes that healing is an ongoing, ever-unfolding journey. Shauna is honored to co-lead this religious trauma-informed somatic class alongside sex educator Erica Smith, holding space for students to reconnect with their bodies, their breath, and themselves.

If you feel like you have trouble being present in your body or listening to your own inner wisdom because of purity culture messaging, this class is for you.

Thank you all for your time!

As always, hit reply to this email if there's anything you want to chat or ask questions about!

xo

E

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

​

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Erica Smith, Sexuality Education and Consulting

The Purity Culture Dropout™ Program

I developed the Purity Culture Dropout™️ Program to help people learn all of the sex education that they missed growing up in purity culture- sex ed that is accurate, queer inclusive, trauma informed, compassionate, and comprehensive. I have worked with hundreds of people to help them learn about healthy sexuality after high control religion. Subscribe if you're curious about / invested in shame free sexuality education that's specifically tailored to the needs of people coming out of high control religions and purity culture. Expect information not just about healthy sexuality and upcoming programming, but also cultural commentary on sexual politics in the US. I'm a sex educator with 25 years of experience and I'm excited to share that with you.

Read more from Erica Smith, Sexuality Education and Consulting

A story: Last year in one of my Purity Culture Dropout™ Divorce Support Groups, I met an incredible woman named Shauna. She shared with us how she's healing her own religious trauma and relationship with her body through yin yoga- first as a student, and then as an instructor. I invited Shauna to lead our group through one of her classes, and it was just incredible. Shauna tailored her class to the experience of a religious trauma survivor, and it felt like a warm hug. I was struck by her...

10 days ago • 3 min read

This is just a last chance reminder that you can still join the Purity Culture and Masculinity Group that meets: Wednesday nights (we begin tonight at 7pm ET) or Thursday nights! (We begin tomorrow night at 9pm ET- this group is great for night owls and West Coasters) Another group begins this Sunday May 10 and runs on Sundays at 11am ET. You have four more days to join that one, and there is one spot left! Each group session is 1.5 hours long. If you are interested in these groups and the...

23 days ago • 1 min read

Sometimes social media makes me think "We really don't need to hear all of each other's thoughts." I have this thought when I see posts made by men, urging other men to not accidentally appear gay. Some of the things that might make you appear gay, according to Toxic Internet Masculinity: eating salad enjoying a fruity cocktail being vegetarian being nice to people being really into your wife/ girlfriend driving an electric vehicle I wish I was making up that list, but every single thing on...

25 days ago • 2 min read