Photo Play at Lolo's Boudoir isn't just about smiling at the camera. In the process of exploring and expressing, we touch on everything from body image, claiming your sexual and sensual self and getting comfortable with your feminine power and free self-expression. It's my desire to inspire and help you deepen your self-exploration and self -relationship in various creative, juicy ways.

A young, beautiful woman wanted to share herself with her finance in an artistic way. As we were trying to tease authentic expressions out of her at the studio, her discomfort with the more assertive poses became apparent. Her knees were coyly pressed together, her chest inward and shoulders slumped. I pulled the mirror over so she could see how shyness and slight shame of one's power and sexuality translated to posture and expression. I then asked her to take on a stronger stance, her back straight, shoulders rolled back, heels solidly planted on the ground, knees slightly apart, and a direct gaze at the camera. Can you see how you give off a sense of freedom and power now? She nodded hesitantly. "But it seems so masculine."

“And?” I mused. We are each both feminine and masculine, and, I dare say, we can be and express both simultaneously. But it requires that we get comfortable with our strength, will and desire as well as our softness, responsiveness and vulnerability, and learn that one side doesn't exclude the other. But many of us are ashamed, even afraid, of both our power and vulnerability. Becoming whole, integrated beings is a life-long journey. For me, that journey starts in my body.

I dialogue with my body regularly. Do I feel strong or tender in my body? Do I feel alive, dull or stuck? My body, I'm learning, knows how I'm doing and what I'm needing. It wasn't always like this. I've done my fair share of holding back, hiding or otherwise dulling emotions, because I denied emotions like anger and shame and sadness and lust, or deemed them negative or shameful. And I've spent a lot of time living in my head. Yet, our bodies are like intricate maps to ourselves. Once you start to live from inside out, your filters drop, your self expressions become freer, and you will know where in you body to go to find your strength and tenderness, your sassy and sexy freedom.

A dear friend of mine, Sasa Mkalar, founder of Embodied Heart Pathways. has shown me how deeply satisfying it is to live from the inside out. She talks about home coming to your body. She says, “The most direct path to knowing oneself beyond conditioned self-image and habitual ways of thinking, feeling and engaging with the world is through our moving bodies.”

Enough said. Let's all explore the wisdom our bodies hold, and flaunt our inner lovers this summer.

With much pleasure,

Miss Lolo

Lissa's Note: I'm gonna do it, Pinkies. Lone is going to photograph me. Yikes! Would you do it? Are you willing to love your body- just the way it is?