Holistic Sacred Sexuality
Are you ready for Pleasure?
At CultureShift SexEd I help people move from shame to pleasure. From constriction to blossoming. I use a method and model that blends
embodiment practices
mystical lineages
sex science
Into experiences that help you reclaim your pleasure, your body and your life.
I am dedicated to decolonizing the sexual wellness industry by reimagining holistic sexuality in ways that are inclusive, accepting and healing. Everyone deserves care and we must all strive to bestow service and truth upon one another, for therein is our freedom.
I use the symbol of the rabbit for my work as a nod to my Guatemalan lineage, an indelible part of my inspiration. The rabbit has spiritual significance for Ixchel, the Mayan Goddess of sexuality, creation and fertility. As a triple goddess, she embodies the maiden, mother, and crone. She is known for her ability to work with the magic of the moon.
My approach
Mystical Lineages
The foundation of pre-colonial sexual realities in the east and the west is connection, expansion, and acceptance. Far less judgment. Being able to work towards accepting all the parts of yourself.
At Culture Shift Sex Ed, life is an experience to be had and shared with others. Mystical lineages like tantra, will help with reframe and discovery, so that you can focus on the experiences that bring connection and joy. You're not here to be productive, you’re here to be you.
Embodiment
One of the most consistent frustrations I hear from people is their struggle with being present during wanted sexual encounters. Their minds have a hard time shutting off, they’re struggling with accepting focused pleasure from their partner, or they don’t feel like there is enough time to get relaxed enough to enjoy it. Embodiment is the practice of using the power of your breath, movement and your voice to tune into your innate body wisdom and improve your sexual experiences. You use the sensations of your body as a tool to develop awareness, presence, self-regulation, wholeness, balance, and connection.
Sex Science
We need to know what’s true in order to create honest relationships with that truth.
While our society is currently experiencing a social sexual awakening and the rise of sex science as a valid-vital- area of study for the human body, it is important to remember that the clitoris wasn’t a mapped organ until 2005. Knowledge of women’s sexuality has been lost or hidden for most of modern human history. There are significant “dynamics surrounding the body and sexuality in the global twentieth century, as found in evolutionary biology, sexology, and psychoanalysis, and the relation between mass culture and ideals of the sexual revolution. Sexual science appears paradoxical: sometimes, it seemed an agent of discipline and power, supporting entrenched values, or it seemed to help emancipate individuals, debunking prejudices and superstitions and liberating attitudes and behaviors.” (sexual science in history by Sean M. Quinlan)
I work with you to sift through this larger context and address how it affects your feelings about your body.
1:1 Sessions
My individual sessions are personalized and tailored to your starting point, your goals, and your desires. They are curated, safe spaces where you will be supported, validated and challenged. Individuals and couples are welcome.
Happy Clients
“Every interaction with Maria is always such a transformative experience. Her approach is not only deeply knowledgeable but also incredibly compassionate and non-judgmental. It isn't always easy discussing intimate topics but Maria does a phenomenal job of creating a safe, open space where anyone can ask questions. Whether you're looking to better understand your body, improve your communication skills on sex ed topics, or simply enhance your overall sexual well-being, Maria offers guidance that's rooted in community, empathy, and empowerment. I always come away with a deeper sense of confidence, clarity, and connection to myself after sessions with Maria. I can't recommend her services enough! "
April A.
“Maria is very warm and present in her work with you and any education she provides. She knows how to be there with you in that moment and she also has the ability to make connections and offer resources and information that is incredibly practical. She creates learning spaces that are open and comfortable where you can explore and be curious and not feel judged.”
Casey.
About Me
Maria Rodriguez, Founder
I've been involved in sex education since my teenage years at Catholic school, where I handed out pamphlets about birth control to my peers even before my own sexual debut. I bristled at the controlling and limiting gender expectations imposed by the Catholic Church, especially its refusal to support consent, bodily autonomy, and women’s pleasure, and that experience profoundly radicalized me. However, even before that, I was already challenging the status quo, making adults uncomfortable by demanding better answers to the gender double standards in my Latinx community. “Porque así son las cosas” ["Because that’s how things are"] was never a satisfying response for me, and my behavior reflected that frustration, as I struggled to live in ways that felt inauthentic to me, while also trying to reconnect with my true self.
As a part of that reconnection journey, I dug into pre-colonial cultural understandings of sex, gender, pleasure, and ritual. Reconnecting with a long-lived/historical/alternative version of sexuality has been the reference guide I follow in my work.
Credentials:
9 years at Planned Parenthood Arizona, Sr. Director of Education
2 years at ALAS, a sexual & reproductive health org in Guatemala
Mentored new sex educators
Sexual Attitude Reassessment training certification
200 hr certified yoga teacher
Embodiment & Tantra education
B.A. in Psychology from George Mason University with a minor in Women’s Studies
Master’s in Public Health from the University of Arizona with a minor in Anthropology
Offerings for Partnership & Collaboration
Adult Sex Ed 101
ADHD and Your Sex Life
Pleasuring People with Vulvas
Pleasuring People with Penises
Sex Positive Professional Development for therapists, and other professionals
Guest lecturer
"Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion."
Bell Hooks
This work is for everyone
Especially for people who are frustrated with the state of their erotic life.
As Esther Perel says, “Inside of your sexual preferences lie your deepest emotional needs.” If you want to have fulfilling, pleasurable, and satisfying sex, the work of understanding yourself, your desires, and what you bring to the experience is essential.
When you were born, the doctor or midwife most likely looked between your legs and said, “It’s a girl!” or “It’s a boy!” depending on what genitalia they saw there. And from that day forward, you were handed a script on How To Be a Human Girl or Boy*, depending on your gender.
You’ve probably been working really hard to live up to those expectations because, let’s face it, getting accolades and being validated feels nice. And somewhere along the way, you’ve realized that those scripts are less helpful than they first appeared. You might even be frustrated and angry with the way your partner is doing Human Girl or Boy so well. So well that you may have lost sight of each other outside of the cultural scripts. I’m here to help you work through the disconnect and really know each other as your full selves, not just who you are through your scripted expectations.
(*Gender is influenced by socialization and culture. My work about these gender “mandates” comes from the perspective of Mainstream Western Culture’s gender handbook. If you’ve spent much time in the United States, you know what I mean.)
Resources
Planned Parenthood
Click on any of the categories below to browse our sexperts’ top picks of online sexual and reproductive health resources! All resources listed have been vetted by the Education team so you can be sure the information you are getting is accurate, supportive, and holistic.
OMGYES
Findings from the largest-ever research study into women’s pleasure. Explore new techniques with super-honest videos, animations & how-to’s. Inspiration for women, men & couples, solo or together.
Aneros
At Aneros, we create hands-free, patented prostate massagers for the ultimate in male pleasure and sexual wellbeing. For more than 20 years we have been expanding the limits of human sexuality.
This Is For You
This is about offering support for what your instincts are already telling you.
This is about understanding that the expectations were false & unattainable to begin with.
This is about healing.
This is about self-compassion.
This is about discovering who you are when you begin to live your life from a more expansive, connective, and pleasurable context.
This is about learning tools, using skills, and giving yourself time.
Sliding Scale Info.
$85 per session: This is the true cost of the service. If you have financial security, own property, have savings, or can afford wants without worrying about necessities, this price is for you.
$65 per session: This is for those who can't afford the highest cost but don't fit into the highest or lowest cost descriptions. If you have steady income but are working on savings or debt and can meet basic needs without constant worry, you belong here.
$45 per session: This is for those whose economic circumstances make the other prices unaffordable. If you struggle to afford health care, housing, food, child care, and live paycheck to paycheck or have significant debt, this price is for you.
(Sliding scale info attributed to Alexis J. Cunningfolk of Warts & Cunning Apothecary)
The Best Decision
“It was great the space felt safe and very welcoming. I definitely want to participate in more spaces like these, I was excited to just write down my memory and seeing all the words that everyone came up with of their own. It felt reassuring, even though most words were different and there weren't many correlations, it just prove to me how wide and complex, pleasure and sex can be to all of us and I think that is beautiful. I am looking forward to participating in more activities, workshops, sessions maybe some cafecitos, thank you for allowing us to have this space Maria.”