Erotic Conversations with Embodied Men: The Body Language of the Feminine in 51 Forms of Shakti

I am Neelu. I am an Artist.

I create men. Embodied men, specifically.

What is an embodied man? A man who lives comfortably in his body and feels awe and joy with women living comfortably within their own bodies.

As a marriage and family therapist in America for the past 15 years, I have been in deep dialogue with thousands of American men to talk about their bodies and their relationships with women's bodies.

This book is a looking glass into my inner dialogues as I study, meditate on, and contemplate men's bodies and my own body as a woman.

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A man's body, the first place he calls home. His mother's body, also the first place he calls home.

I have championed thousands of American men to enjoy their bodies, to value their bodies, to share their bodies, and to take the very best care of their bodies.

A man's body, his first caretaker. A man's body, the first thing he must take care of along with his mind.

When illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, addictions to alcohol, gambling, pornography strike, taking care of the body and mind is a matter of life or death. I have been a reassuring and motivating presence in the lives of thousands of American men who decided to take charge and take better care of their bodies to heal and choose life.

A man's body is strong. A man's body is resilient.

Men have told me all kinds of stories about their bodies - their aches and pains, their strengths and triumphs, their bodily desires, their disgusts and their delights. Men have told me about what they love and hate about their bodies.

A man's body is sacred. A man's body is simultaneously meaningful and meaningless.

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Men ask me difficult questions about their bodies:

- How do I get her to be turned on by me?

- Am I attractive?

- Will I get cancer again?

- What happens to my body, to me when I die?

The body is strange. The body is mysterious.

I began having deep conversations with myself to understand men's bodies, to understand my own body. I asked myself the same questions my clients were asking me.

I found some answers in my contemplation and introspection. I also turned to great thinkers like Dr. Carl Gustav Jung and great works in the ancient writings of the Hindu faith. I turned to philosophers like Jacques Derrida and writers like Philip Roth to understand how men feel about their bodies. 

I looked at films, sports, paintings, and advertisements to study men's bodies and how men lived, moved, stood, and danced in their bodies.

To understand how men feel about their bodies and to help men feel comfortable in their bodies, I had to feel comfortable in my own body.

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There are 51 Shakti Peeths or temples around South Asia, primarily in India. These temples were erected where the 51 body parts of Sati were scattered when Vishnu tore apart Sati's dead body with his Chakra, his spinning wheel. There are also 51 letters in the Sanskrit language. How mysterious is this myth, this metaphor, this story made from the mind of man.

In this book, I share with you my inner dialogues about men's bodies and my own body. I reflect on the 51 body parts of Shakti, the 51 temples erected in South Asia, and the 51 letters of the Sanskrit language.

Photographer-Seer-Sage: Mr. Nate Dale, New Adventure Productions