Science has already proven that hugging a tree can be beneficial to your health (http://www.trueactivist.com/science-proves-hugging-trees-is-good-for-health/). But, have you ever had the urge to take your relationship with mother nature to the next level? If so, you may be an Ecosexual.

Ecosexual is a term coined by Annie Sprinkle and Elizabeth Stephens, who, during their seven year Love Art Laboratory project, staged ecosexual weddings between themselves and the earth, the sky, the sea, the moon, the mountains, and other various elements and entities throughout the nonhuman world. Since then, the practice has drawn many more people who share the urge for intimacy with the natural world, and who may even be “turned on” by it.

When I first learned of this term, and of the people whom it describes, I was very excited. As the creator of sexual wellness products made of crystal, I know what it is to benefit from the beauty and sensuality that is stored within our earth. But I had to ask myself, could I really become aroused by the mud, the water, the sun?

I thought back to the time I tried psychedelic drugs at a friend’s house in Santa Cruz. We were outside, naked, and I happened to sit down on a haystack. I remember first moving my hands around on the hay. It felt so tingly and sensually gratifying  even though it was just a pile of fucking rough hay. Then, I started to notice how great it felt on my thighs and butt as well. So good, in fact, I had to take a few minutes from writing this article just to mentally relive the experience. Needless to say, it wasn’t difficult for me to understand the desire that ecosexuals feel. Sexual energy is an energy just like any other energy. If I remove my preconceptions about what sex is or should be, and imagine myself feeling the warmth of the sun drenching my body in vitamin d; if I imagine myself bathing in nutrient-rich mud, or swimming naked in a lake; it is easy to see the inherent sexuality of communion with nature.

Of course, Ecosexuality is about more than just about dry-humping grass. It’s about respecting and dedicating oneself to preserving our ecosystem. The Ecosex Manifesto written by Annie Sprinkle and Elizabeth Stephens will explain:

Though I may call myself more eco“sensual” than ecosexual, I love the extra bit of romanticism that this term lends to, for lack of a better term, tree-hugging.

Vanessa Cuccia: Founder and CEO, Chakrubs

Vanessa Cuccia is the founder and CEO of @chakrubs. She is based in New York where she does work with crystal healing, is a singer and keyboardist with her band @butterflydresspledge, and studies energetic systems, sexuality, love, and intimacy. You can reach her at [email protected] if you have any topics you would like her to discuss in this column.