I always feel very lucky when Midori is visiting Seattle. She usually comes this way at least once a year, and thankfully Babeland is always on her list of places where she wants to teach. We have her teaching here this weekend while she is in town putting on Bang 4 The Buck, hands down the hottest women’s play party of the year. It is a fundraiser for AIDS Life Cycle, and Babeland donates tons of sex toys to the raffle to help raise money. The Strip-O-Rama is beyond hot with all shapes and sizes of women taking it off to the cheering crowd for charity. If you don’t have your tickets yet, be sure to get them ASAP and bring your dollar bills.

Midori is one of THE best sex educators I have had the honor of learning from. I especially love how much she pays attention to her pupils and weaves their questions into the lesson in seamless ways so we are all learning her tips and tricks and applying them to specific real life situations.

This weekend she is teaching the Art of Feminine Dominance, Level 1. I have taken this class before, and it has a major positive impact on my sex life. People often think they have to be a dominatrix to take this class, but really this class is about getting what you want in the bedroom, and in life in general to be honest.

This class is really a confidence booster at its core. It teaches you how to walk into a room and take charge. Not ordering people around and using a whip “take charge” (unless that is what you were hoping for), but how to channel your feminine energy; head up, shoulder back and walk into that room and with the turn of your head, the way you sit down, or ask (read: tell) someone to get you something, or touch someone, or look their way, “take charge”. It helps in the bedroom whether you want to be the top, or the bottom. It helps on first dates asserting yourself and conveying what you want in a relationship. It helps in long term relationships when you want to spice things up. It helps if you are typically passive and want a little role reversal. And it helps when you need that boost of confidence in other, non sexual situations. Midori is great at helping each participant develop their own brand of feminine dominance. It looks and feels really different for everyone, and she is a master at helping each person bring it out in their own way.

Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from Midori while she is in town. She might not be back again until next February so don’t miss her now.

Comment below to enter to win a ticket to this weekend’s class. Tell us your own tips for being dominant, sexy, feminine, how much you want to go to this class or anything else. We will pick a winner on Saturday afternoon.

Midori: The Art of Feminine Dominance, Level 1
Sunday, February 05, 7:30PM, $35
Elegance, power and confidence…learn an effective style of dominance that is authentic to you. Using her own special technique, Midori will help you to unleash your power femme, allowing you to pursue erotic fulfillment and sensual play. She will discuss psychology, politics, practical exercises, techniques, fashion and more. Novice and experienced dommes will pick up something. Open to all genders and orientations. Partners are welcome to attend.

This class is held in the Seattle Store.

We talk about sex all day every day with the most wonderful people, our customers, and there are definitely common themes to the issues and questions that come up. This list represents our best tips and techniques to take your sex life over the top in 2012. Share your lessons and insights with us in the comments.

1. Throw out what you’ve been told about sex, what you think you should be doing, the way you think you’re supposed to act or respond. It’s making your sex life less fun, less playful, and less fulfilling.

2.  All bodies are hot and however your body works is right. Great sex isn’t bestowed on people who look a certain way. Every day, our customers tell us that something about their sex lives doesn’t correspond to the response they think they should be having. None of it is true! All bodies and desires are different. Resolve to have the kind of sex you actually want and to learn what your partner wants, as well.

3. Lube! This one isn’t new, but it’s still one of the most important tools in your nightstand. Lube can take any kind of stimulation and make it feel even better. While we can offer some helpful advice about different types of lube for different activities – thicker lube for anal sex, silicone lube for use in water – what works best is a personal preference. Try the Sliquid Lube Cube so that you can sample six different kinds of lube.

4. Dirty talk is magical. Take any kind of stimulation and suddenly by talking about it, the whole act can feel even more intense and incredible. If it feels awkward, get started by describing the action. It’s okay to feel a bit silly at first. “I’m rubbing you with this finger vibe,” or “I’m going to slide this vibrating cock ring on you.”

5. Better communication via a Yes/No/Maybe list. Make a list of all the sex acts you can think of, from kissing to fisting to 69 and BDSM, or take the list from Moregasm: Babeland’s Guide to Mind-Blowing Sex. You and your partner get to mark each act indicating your willingness to do it. At the end, you have a hot sex menu to choose from! In the New Year, you can use this as a tool to see what you want to try out for the first time and what you want to learn about. (more…)

Join Babeland and Jacklyn Friedman for a reading and discussion to celebrate the release of her new book What You Really Really Want: The Smart Girl’s Shame-Free Guide to Sex And Safety, as well as her 40th birthday!  We are thrilled to see such an empowering book on the market for women.  Best of all, a Babeland Sex Educator will be there to award one lucky lady a Orgasm in a Box for Her!

This raucous evening, co-sponsored by Bluestockings Bookshop will feature:

emcee Jessica Valenti,

The burlesque stylings of Sake Fevah, Franny Fluffer, Essence Revealed, and Tiny D.

Jaclyn, interviewed live on stage by Irin Carmon.

Tunes spun before & after the show by DJ Lobotomy Copter.

and appearances by Samhita Mukopadhyay, Chloe Angyal, Sofia Quintero, Deanne Zandt, Jamia Wilson and other special guests to be announced.

No cover, 21+.

At Fontana’s, 105 Eldridge Street, Manhattan.

Be there!