Provider Feature // Sydney Zwicker of Zwicker Healing Arts

The Yoni Egg

Yes, I put a crystal in my vagina. Maybe you should too.

Some of you might have heard of the Jade Egg practice, also called a yoni egg. For others, even the mention of it might feel like a one-way ticket to the Land of Woo. Some of you are Googling the word, “yoni,” right this minute. I get it. Hear me out.

The yoni egg practice is said to have cultural roots back to ancient China and the Taoist tradition. Whether or not you subscribe to this lineage, there are many benefits to using certain tools to increase your vitality and bring awareness “down there.” 

Let’s de-mystify the yoni egg, shall we? 

First, what is it? 

Yoni means “sacred space” in Sanskrit and refers to the entirety of the female pelvic anatomy.  A yoni egg, is an egg-shaped stone usually made of Jade, and sometimes Rose Quartz or Obsidian, that can be inserted into the vagina. 

Why would I use one? 

Distilled down, a yoni egg practice offers physiological and emotional benefits in an accessible methodology. 

Let’s first talk physiological. 

The lore and myth of the mighty Kegel exercises (pelvic contractions) as the way one achieves a healthy pelvic floor is a story over-told. Truth: most women already have hypertonic (tight) pelvic floors. And no, a tight pelvic floor will not give you the illusive “tight pussy.” And no, a tight vagina is not actually a healthy vagina—but that is a soapbox for another time.

Like any muscle group in your body, the pelvic floor needs flexibility, movement, and blood flow to work at its fullest potential. When used internally a yoni egg can massage the pelvic floor through compression and movement. One of the most potent benefits of any type of massage is increased circulation. With increased circulation (blood flow) we increase hormonal circulation—because hormones are carried in the bloodstream— creating hormonal balance, and regulating symptoms of PMS or menopause. 

Softening of the pelvic floor also helps regulate low back pain, pain during intercourse, some types of bladder incontinence, and more.  

OK, I’m listening, but what about this emotional stuff?

Even more than the physiological benefits, a yoni egg practice is about reclaiming and understanding your female anatomy and creating connection. 

You are not alone if you feel disconnected from your lady bits. Most women do not receive in-depth sex education or even basic anatomy to understand how their female body works. Only 24 states have mandated sex education classes for high school students. And let’s be real even if you did learn about your body growing up, do you feel safe to talk about it? 

Despite many advances of our modern world, we still live in an antiquated and pretty sex-negative culture. It is no wonder healthy exploration of one’s female body and sexuality can be intimidating. 

Wait, why use a yoni crystal, why not just go see a pelvic floor Physical Therapist? 

The answer is yes, pelvic floor PTs are great (check out Amy Osborne at Nurture), but for many of us, this is not always accessible and often doesn’t address the emotional components to this work. 

The yoni egg practice is about Mind + Body connection. It can have deeply grounding effects on the nervous system, and help to regulate both anxiety and depression.

A yoni egg practice is an affordable way to start to unwind your own relationship to your pelvis. Unfortunately, many of us have a story around the safety of being in our female bodies. Whether it was a tampon full of bleaches and unregulated chemicals, or a lover you said yes to when you really wanted to say no, many of us have put things inside our vaginas we wished we hadn’t. 

The potential for changing that conversation with ourselves begins with education and clarity, and perhaps, a little healing crystal egg. 

Sydney Zwicker is a women’s health mentor and a certified Holistic Pelvic Care™ practitioner. She has a bodywork practice as a licensed massage therapist and women’s pelvic care specialist at Nurture. Sydney also offers online courses, workshops and 1:1 coaching programs to help women reclaim their essence and embody their truth. She believes that education is the key to empowerment and that chronic pain, fatigue, and anxiety often stem from not knowing things could feel differently.

Her online course Yoni Eggs |Tool for Pelvic Health is a holistic approach to the Jade Egg practice. In this three module course, you will learn all about female anatomy and physiology, everything you need to know about the yoni egg to feel confident, as well as a library of pre recorded guided exercises to help you find your own practice.

Sydney believes there is no one way, or right way to heal. It’s a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a whole lot of courage. Every person is different. By shedding the stigma of the female-lived experience, we can journey into wholeness.

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