Since urban wellness space Asaya opened in Hong Kong, it’s become the one-stop holistic hub to address all spa and wellbeing needs. Last month, Asaya launched its A-Team, a series of workshops conducted by the city’s most elite wellness professionals and now, it’s announced its latest Sexual Wellbeing Workshops, led by certified sex coach Sara Tang.
Every Thursday at Asaya Wellness, Tang hosts private workshops and classes that debunk myths, clarify confusions and promote holistic ways to experience pleasure. It’s a great way to promote sex education in a region that’s typically culturally conservative when it comes to sexual wellbeing. Tang takes a motivational, educational and holistic approach to give clients practical tools and evidence-based techniques to achieve goals. We speak to Sara Tang and Asaya’s new wellness director Corinna Yap on why this launch is so important for Hong Kong.
Sara Tang, Sexual Health Coach:
Can you tell us about the new Sexual Wellbeing Workshops at Asaya?Our workshops are educational sessions for small groups of participants to listen, learn and talk about sex, relationships and other sensitive topics in a safe and intimate environment.
Covering topics like sexual confidence, sexual communication and mindful sex, each workshop offers a hands-on opportunity to learn the tools to become more uninhibited, skilled and confident in the bedroom.
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Who are the new workshops and coaching sessions aimed at?Workshops and coaching sessions are for anyone with an interest in improving their sexual wellbeing, fostering fulfilling connections and cultivating intimate relationships between themselves, their body, and those they love. They are open to singles and couples, all genders and sexual orientations.
Specifically, workshops are aimed at people with an interest in:
- Gaining skills to improve their sex and love lives, thereby improving sexual confidence
- Gaining a sex-positive, pleasure education around topics like sexual anatomy, sexual wellness, mindful sex etc.
- Starting meaningful conversations around sex to deepen intimacy and connection
Private coaching sessions are more individualised, and tailored to helping a client achieve their specific goals, such as:
- Tackling concerns like painful sex, low desire, poor body image, mismatched libidos, pleasure gaps
- Identifying and breaking patterns that result in unfulfilling, lacklustre sex
- Overcoming internal blocks due to sexual taboos, shame and inhibitions
What are some common myths with Sexual Wellbeing?
Myth #1: Sexual wellbeing should be spontaneous, effortless and come naturally.
The truth is that sex doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Sex is a skill that can be learned. We learn to be better at sex by understanding our bodies, knowing our likes / dislikes, building our communication skills etc.
Sexual wellbeing is a practice. And like all practices, it requires time and effort. It needs to be made a priority in order for us to get better at it.
Myth #2: The goal of sexual wellbeing is always to reach orgasm.
If we define sexual wellbeing this way, then it becomes a performance. Almost like something we see on porn. Many people feel like a failure or are frustrated that things “don’t go right” if they can’t reach orgasm, even though they enjoyed the overall experience, as there’s so much pressure to perform.
The truth is, orgasm isn’t a requirement for sexual wellbeing. The concept of sexual wellbeing is more about taking an expansive definition of sex – it involves pleasure, discovery, connection, playfulness and intimacy. It doesn’t need to be goal-oriented. It’s really about the journey, not the destination.
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How has Asian sex education evolved over the last decade?Unfortunately sex education still isn’t mandatory in many parts of Asia, like Hong Kong. Due to the taboo, parents are still reluctant to talk to their kids about sex, and believe it’s the role of the teachers and school to provide this.
Also whatever sex education is provided in schools is often fear-based, and focuses on reproduction, anatomy, contraception, STIs and abstinence. Or sex within the context of marriage and a family unit.
Pleasure isn’t something that is discussed as part of the sex education curriculum.
However over the last decade, since Internet porn has become so widespread, it is regrettable that many youths have first learned about sex by watching porn. That brings its own sets of issues, since porn is designed to be a resource for entertainment, not education.
What’s the importance of discussing sexual wellness in everyday life?The nature of the conversations we have around sex are shifting. Sex isn’t just about intercourse and reproduction, it’s now part of the health and wellbeing conversation. Asaya is at the forefront of facilitating this shift.
One day we hope to talk about sex in the same way we talk about taking a yoga class, eating healthy or taking supplements.
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Corinna Yap, Wellness Director, Asaya:
How can Asaya facilitate the conversation? Asaya facilitates this sex conversation by creating a safe space for people to share their questions and experiences around sex. Asaya helps to normalise the conversations we have around sex and makes the topic less taboo.
What’s next for Asaya and sexual wellness? Asaya is the leading wellness centre in Hong Kong, and we hope to offer our guests a healing place where they can work on their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Sexual wellness falls within this larger structure, and we are looking forward to launching a number of campaigns that include sexuality—be it hormonal rebalancing, male menopause, Women’s Circles and beyond.
Workshops start at HKD880 for 90 minutes, and must be booked 48 hours in advance.
For more information and reservations for Sexual Wellbeing Workshopsat Asaya, please email hongkong.asaya@rosewoodhotels.com or call Asaya at +852 3891 8588.
