I am a cis-gender, heterosexual, androphilic, upper-middle class, abled, well-educated, English-speaking woman born into an erotophobic, patriarchal Indian society. I'm currently pursuing the Holistic Sexuality Educator Certificate Program at the Institute for Sexuality Education and Enlightenment (ISEE). I have an MSc. in Neurosciences with a concentration in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, and aspire for a PhD in Social Neuroscience and Cross-cultural Psychology. My research delves into the development of human sexuality and social behaviors, fetish development, mating styles and mate preferences, and post-colonial influences on sensuality, sexuality and eroticism. I am also a Reiki Grandmaster and a Level I Hypnotherapist with 8 years of experience as an energy healer. Furthermore, I have been trained as an Indian Classical Singer and as a Mandala Artist for 2 decades and have utilized my training towards Raga (Music) Therapy and Art Therapy, respectively. I am also a Bellydancer and a Pole dance enthusiast, and aim to utilize the two as forms of Dance-Movement Therapy.

From a very young age, I was being conditioned to respond appropriately to the patriarchal existence of our society. Patriarchal structures have long ensured their reign by controlling vulva-bearer's sexuality and their bodies. It wasn't until my 6th grade, where there was an attempt at abstinence-based sex education at my school, that I revolted. It was the structure with which this exchange was conditioned: the boys were asked to go out to play, while the girls were hardwired to keep their knees shut and their hems long. Post a rather confusing conversation which just raised more questions than we had begun with, our voices were silenced in the hopes of keeping the boys unaware of menstruation, sex and the abstinence-based education that was provided to us. I, of course, thought it was ridiculous. Having my mind blown away by what my body was capable of doing, I at the age of 11, proceeded to organize my first sex-ed class for boys of ages 8-11, on the Indian streets, I grew up in. Naturally, I was caught by parents and my attempt to fascinate my peers was deemed as an endeavor set to corrupt their kids' innocence. My second attempt though, was at a much higher scale, and was organized at the collegiate level. Still underground, as my work could have resulted in my arrest and a jail-time of 2 years, I launched a project entitled Rape Fossilization at the student-led club, Educate The Youth (ETY). I continued to address mating behaviors, consent, dating, monogamous and non-monogamous lifestyles, kink, BDSM, alt sex, prostitution, STI/STDs, medical conditions and so on, in order to nullify the stigma associated with sexuality, sensuality and eroticism, and to create a safe space for queries and curious selves to be nurtured, received, and addressed. That of course did not last long as these patriarchal wounds run very deep. Erotophobia was embedded into our DNA. Despite having travelled and relocated to a first-world country, issues regarding consent, rape and misogyny, hovered around me. Once again, I was propelled windward into sex education. This time, with the assistance of a formal education, I hope to be helpful in breaking down patriarchal, post-colonial and racial ideologies influencing our sexual, sensual and erotic expressions.

My real interest is deeper than sexuality, it is to study culture and human behavior. Sexuality is but a vehicle I employ to answer these deeper questions I ask.

Sexuality studies interacts with the study of Psychology, Neuroscience, Religious Studies, Culture and Language, Music and Dance, Art and Theater; its the foundation into which civilizations are rooted. To gain a deeper understanding of human civilization, one needs to piggyback off of it's most erotic and highly penalized history. Revolutions, radical and progressive metamorphosis in societies, industrialization and scientific developments, and every evolutionary milestone in human history has its impacts in its sexuality and vice-versa. Thus, sexuality is a lens: it's a story of the values, attitudes, behaviors and politics embodied by the body when interacting with pleasure, intimacy, power and spirituality.