Struggling with the physical side of intimacy? Jenny Keane is coming to Cork to help
Jenny Keane Picture: Orfhlaith Whelan
Jenny Keane is windswept from the beach when we sit down to chat to her about her upcoming shows. The 35-year-old says she tries to get a sea-swim in every morning before she starts work, a habit perhaps formed from her time living in California, where she first began her journey into her current career.
“We are so caught up in a productivity mindset,” the holistic sex educator explains.
“I’d like to put pleasure at the centre of our lives instead. It shouldn’t be a shameful thing to want to want to put that side of ourselves first. After all, a lot of our systems; our cardiovascular system, our emotional health and our mental health all function better when you prioritise pleasure. and that’s regardless of gender.”
Keane’s mission to revolutionise the way we approach adult sex education expands even further than simply focusing on desire. She wants to educate those who are struggling with physical intimacy, and to show them they are not, in any way, “abnormal”.
“There is such a lack of information and a lack of education when it comes to discussion around sexuality,” she points out. “As we grow up, we are not given enough tools to be able to approach situations. It’s important to say that everyone will experience sexual struggles at one point in their lives, if not at multiple points. I’m trying to make education accessible to adults, which means giving people options and choices.”
Keane plans to fill in the gaps in the coming weeks. On September 13, she’ll take to the stage at Cork’s Opera House with her unique sex education show which is resolutely “not a sex show”.
She will be in Dublin’s Vicar Street on 14 and 17 of September and in Belfast’s Mandela Hall on the 15th.
Sexed Up is described by the Dubliner as a feast for the senses and “a celebration of sexual expression” which promises to be a fun night out for friends, solos and couples.
“I’ve worked with some incredible performers from all over the world who have created choreography and performances that will inspire people to get creative. Even they say they’ve never seen anything like this.
"You can expect tips and tricks that you can use in order to feel more pleasure. I call it the country’s first sex education show but actually it’s the world’s first sex education show.”
Though it promises to be a night out to remember, behind the splashy headlines about cucumber shortages and sex toy giveaways, there are those in the audience turning up because they are genuinely struggling with the physical side of intimacy, and who want to learn more about why.
“We have people from between the ages of 25-45 coming to the show. Both men and women who might be struggling, but who don’t realise the issues they face are extremely common. These issues are around orgasms mainly, pain during sex, premature ejaculation or a lack of interest in sex.
"Just like those who attend my workshops, some people discover that they only need to make some small adjustments or to learn more about their bodies to make a real difference.
"Then there are those who will turn up because they are looking for ways to create more spark, or who want to keep things a little more interesting.”
Jenny’s journey into this sphere began as a result of the dearth of information available to her when it came to her own “difficult” menstrual cycle.
“I wanted to find other ways to have a relationship with my menstrual cycle rather than being told to just go on the pill. I was living in California at the time, and it was a very sexually progressive city, very open.
"I started to see that there was more to the world than I'd learnt in Ireland. I began finding other really interesting and alternative options, and I wondered what else was out there.
"That led me down the path of going to workshops and pursuing different avenues of adult sex education.”
For many years Jenny trained in somatic therapy and trauma therapy, she’s a tantric yoga teacher and has studied under experts around the world throughout her travels.
However, ultimately, she says everyone just wants to experience intimacy and pleasure in the best way possible.
“The first workshop I taught in Ireland was called Orgasm, and the numbers really started climbing by word of mouth.
"By 2019, I had really long waiting lists for these workshops which I try to keep small, and in 2020, when lockdown happened, I held them on Zoom.
"After that, it just snowballed. The demand is there and it’s growing.”
When it comes to pleasure and sexual desire, 35-year-old Keane believes that the stereotype of the Irish being sexually repressed, though pervasive, isn’t actually true. She believes we just never had an avenue to explore it.
“The Irish are some of the most curious about sexual desire that I’ve come across, actually,” Keane says.
“I think we have this very inquisitive nature. And the interesting part is that, unlike I’ve seen anywhere else, we're able to actually add elements of humour to the conversation. That definitely helps.”
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