Let's get naked: Sheila Kelley at TEDxAmericanRiviera 

This is a great TED talk! I've always thought of pole dancers as twisting and writhing around a phallic image and essentially being a servant to the male organ. But I like the depth and class she brings to the dance in talking about the power of feminine eroticism. The pole is only one type of dance that expresses this, there are many. All she is saying (for all you nay sayers in the comments below) is that when we embrace and allow the awesome power of female sexuality to be out in the open, we also allow the male to claim his awesome powerful masculine sexuality, and together they absolutely compliment each other and protect EACH OTHER. Women offer protection just as men do. Being a "feminist" does not mean that you hate men or don't need the help and protection they offer. THIS IS NOT A COMPETITION! We are designed to work together as a team. Where did we ever get the idea to compete with each other? It is stupid. There is so much to be gained by working together. Thank you for bringing this message out in your unique way.

I apologize for my previous comment for a very wrong observation. Sheila is a wonderful woman with an outstanding outlook on life. Thank you for taking the time to post this, and thanks to Sheila for helping educate an all knowing old man in an area where he must gladly confess complete and obvious ignorance. :)

The message she is sending is just to be comfortable in your own body and embrace what you're born with and don't feel ashamed of yourself and people are commenting saying she's a "stupid feminist bitch", etc. Lmao I don't understand how people can go on the defense and start spewing feminist hate over such a simply positive message.

I like that she’s speaking about this erotic creature in a very beautiful way. Being feminine doesn’t mean being vulgar or cheap.Her dance at the beginning was very suble,gentle,feminine. We should make the difference

This is SO important. Not just for femininism but i truley believe EXACTLY what you are saying is the key to a more peacful and (some would say ironically), loving, safe and passionate, decent world. Honestly this video gave me shivers it is so vital!!!

The "First offense" is a powerful concept to explore. It is often the trigger for little girls to head toward body dysmorphia and all it's related problems. Women are drawn to learning pole at epidemic rates since the turn of the century. When it's confined to a dance studio or at home, women are freeing themselves in every way imaginable. Many of them thank pole fitness and the seductive side of learning to pole, with elevating their mood, self confidence, level of success in life and relationships, and finding real friends..real open women who are all after the same thing. being free in body and mind and working toward a healthy fit body.

I am honored and humbled to be your student Sheila. I cannot begin to express what you've helped me reclaim after years of struggle! Thank you for EVERYTHING.

This was such a great talk. I am so glad I was there to experience you live! EVERYONE loved this POWERFUL talk! thanks @sheilakelley you rock!

I loved this speech, I'm sharing this with the girl i like, I've been very much trying to empower her. thank you Sheila!

I'd modify only one small part of Sheila Kelley's presentation and message.... Instead of the quote from Joseph Campbell, the exact quote, I'd perhaps make it say.... "Woman is life and Man is the servant of life. The Male's job is to protect [that service so that Woman may freely give more life.]" Some/many women can protect themselves quite well. There's no need for us to prematurely step-in, unless SHE asks us to. The VALUE of collaboration, protection, service, and the culturing between Woman and Man that Sheila is urging, is hence increased exponentially as BOTH are more empowered. Well, at least that's my own take to her fantastic presentation.

Nearly 25,000 views already! WOW Sheila! You are amazing and so incredibly inspiring! I recall a phone call when my daughter was about 6 from a very good friend at the time who sent her home when her brother and two friends were pretending to moon each other.. It was ok for the boys but not the little girl who cried all the way home told she did this AWFUL thing--she was about 6. It created a rift in the relationship with my friend. My daughter is beyond amazing and I never forget to tell her so

This was fantastic, one of my favorite TED Talks.

The more we as women become empowered in our bodies and our femininity, the greater power and healing ability we really have. As a S woman, I am so grateful for Sheila Kelley, her beautiful movement of empowering women in their femininity and in their bodies and the S Factor community.

So beautiful. Like Christina, I finally began reclaiming my life after "just" the intro class. Your SF staff is FANTASTIC. Thank you S Factor!

This. Oh my gawd. This is so important. No one should have to feel shame or the need to hide their body. This gave me goosebumps.

My Dad taught me that if you make a woman feel beautiful they love it. I love to tell women how beautiful their eyes are. ☺💃

Thanks for your comment Abbie! We appreciate it.

This is such a beautiful topic. So happy I watched it!

Thank you. SFactor has been a part of my journey. I encourage all women to explore this.

I am so glad that I chose to watch and listens to this presentation. I am absolutely agreed!

Thank you for this beautifully inspiring comment.

I am in tears…deeply touched by the energy behind your words Sheila. Your video went straight to my Feminine Soul…my body is shaking, I feel awaken…alive…THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! For me and for all the women, sisters in the world!

Cried through the whole thing. You are the voice we are looking for, the voice we need! thank you.

BRAVO!!!!!! This is amazing and I want to be involved in this! Way to go Sheila Kelley, amazing talk and performance.

Sheila - You/S Factor have changed my life! Thank you for blessing us with the beauty of organic feminine movement!!

As a man, deep gratitude for your voice in the world. A brilliant presentation from the naked heart, you did not just talk about this subject, you embodied it. Deep, deep thanks for this.

SO POWERFUL! Thank YOU, Sheila and your amazing teacher creatures!

I love it. Now I have to decide if it's appropriate to share with my college students. The message needs to hit them and resonate deeply.

> is surprised to find a TedTalk video about sexuality with a female presenter where the comments haven't been disabled. > makes the mistake of looking at the comments. > is reminded all over again of why the comments are typically disabled on such videos. *sigh*

Love this message! I feel the power in the truth of her words! Bravo Sheila! You are empowering the culture!!

What a woman! Amazing that you understand women on this level. Also helping heart, bless you...

This speech is really beautiful. Loved it.

I need to dig out her book (bought it years ago, but never finished it). Excellent talk!

This is the kind of messages that I wish were delivered on sunday mornings to the populaces. Very beautiful message, useful for both women and men.

This is the best Ted talk I have heard so far.

I have been a student since 2009 and can't speak highly enough about the journey my soul has been on - thank you Sheila!

Very well spoken.

AMAZING talk! 👏🏻👏🏻

Thank you for the talk.

Fantastic speech! Sheila is so right. No painting, no architecture, no landscape is a beautiful as women......all women! Let us protect our women, and help them to blossom into their true and incredible beauty.

The dance at the beginning is so beautiful, intoxicating, and vulnerable, but I feel almost every women has a small portion of her that craves that complete abandonment that surrender to throwing her whole body mind and soul into and dance like this...I crave dancing in this state..(Get over the pole)...its the sense of abandonment. and revel, that is intoxicating. Love it so much almost made me cry..the song is perfect..."Don't harm me"! I think a women in this state inspires every fiber of a (good) true man to want to rise up, Protect, Love and nurture a women like this..It is built into their DNA....And I have to constantly remind myself of this when making the choice to be feminine and even vulnerable...that those I love don't want to harm me. They want to love and protect me, and only in this state of mind can a women relax and feel cherished and sexy. Fantastic stuff lady!! Bravo!!!!

Very good Talk.

That was amazing. Thank you.

Your observation of the purpose of males toward women moved me to tears. I've longed to hear that from a woman such as you for years.

One of the best TEDx speeches I heard

Thank you. There's so much more!!

Wonderful talk, very enlightening

thank you Sheila for expressing what so many of us just can't seem to do for ourselves.This presentation is valuable and I will share it with my family and friends,Thank you!

What you guys need to realize is that this is not a beautiful car, boat, or something else that you use for your physical pleasure. That is a human being, and the differences in her body and psyche are there to be both counterpoint, harmony, and unity with yours. Until you accept the challenge of life that you have to grow and accept the power that women have over your feelings and the future of your unborn children you will never truly be a man. Until you recognize that this is the most complete partnership you can ever aspire to you will never truly understand what it means to be a male human being. Until you are able to be part of a relationship in thought, word, and deed you are a half-human, and not a man.

woww... brilliant!

This is the best TED talk evar!

I forgot how much I love this!!!! Thank you!

Woah! I appreciated every word she said . Those are damn true words ..

Some great inviews here!

thanks for opening the eyes of your audience!

I dance S Factor, and it is truly changing me. Thank you, Shiela. I love you, sister.

Very empowering speech for me.. sharing it with my girlfriends..

While I completely agree that a systematic oppression of feminine sexuality has limited our society as a whole and I routinely encourage people in my life to embrace their sexuality, I think that this video is problematic in its approach to non-heterosexual relationships, the gender queer, and asexuality. This talk is very much framed in a way that presents all two-person, symbiotic relationships as male plus female, which is not the case. It also places gender into a clearly defined binary of feminine traits assigned to the female-bodied and masculine traits assigned to the male-bodied, but gender is so much more vastly complicated than that and we need to discuss it as such. Another point that was blatantly ignored is that there are individuals who simply do not identify with sexuality. Asexuality or demisexuality is not nearly as uncommon as people seem to think. Despite these problematic areas, I think that this video educates on a very important topic that I am extremely passionate about and hope will continue to be spread in a more inclusive manner.

This is the most valuable Ted talk I have ever watched! Truly transformative for women and for men.

Hi Sheila! I shared this video with my English professor. This subject is difficult to bring to academia. I would suggest you make a video designed for college students and an in-class environment. I'm sure it would be shown in many Human Sexuality classes. The challenge of life is being genuine and honest and respectful and appropriate when sharing ideas. And then listening to others, too. :)

Richard is an unbelievably blessed man. You are glorious, Sheila. I pray to find a woman of good heart and loving nature, awakened and alive and whole, just as you.

This talk is also good for men, esp those who repress their sexuality,it needs to be freed then all things can happen.Bravo and thx for this talk.

u put me into tears....thank u so much Sheila

Amazing. And so inspiring, not to mention of course LIBERATING! Thank you TED Talks for having Sheila as a guest. She in unique, passionate, brilliant and so needed. Bravo!

I almost cried once she got to the shirt part. I truly connected right there.

AMAZING! this is sooo important to heal our planet now!!

I was skeptic at first about this one but I was surprisingly inspiring.

Absolutely brilliant!! Shelia's words are powerful and amazingly truthful!! About 2 months ago I was doing an EFT technique when suddenly I said: Even though I am ashamed that I am a woman, I still deeply love and accept myself. I started crying, and when I completed the EFT technique I felt amazing! My son said, "Why would you be ashamed of being a woman mum?" Because, all my life I was told women are the reason there is sin in the world. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I stand naked!!

One of the most important Ted talks ever!

Thank you for watching til the end. We appreciate it.

Thanks for and Great talk with great perspective

Hi Paul - Song at the beginning is "Give Up The Ghost" by Radiohead, off "The King of Limbs album. Beautiful song. In fact, the whole King of Limbs album is beautiful!

I'm sure there are lots of RU-vid videos about the issues men go through, Vanitycraft. Fortunately for women, Sheila's expertise and focus is on healing society by creating awareness of the offenses committed towards women and girls in all degrees and calling on men and women to heal together by bringing forth both masculine and feminine genuis that live within us.

wow really great message.

Amazing. Thank you, Sheila!

Loved your class in costa mesa. Please bring the x factor to Seattle

A lot of commenters missing the point. Though to be expected as this is about a relatively new idea that's gaining momentum - the idea that a woman can (&should) define and internalize FOR HERSELF what her sexuality is versus having it defined externally (by men, society, other women) and conforming to those limiting standards lest she be punished (ie called-out by anyone who deems it their right to have a say about what a woman should or should not do with her body). She points out there is a spectrum - from (left) barbaric to (right) subtle. In this countrty we have moved mostly away from the left yet have many insidious subtle issues that linger and too oft minimized as being insignificant or apathetically chopped up to being 'natural'. Catcalls, slutshaming, notion of 'what was she wearing', reproductive right limitations, female politicians 'aging out' & being deemed as beyond their 'shelf life' (discussed all too openly & recently about Hillary Clinton and others - regardless of R/D politics, the agist sexist double standard is ridiculous yet discussed freely without much recognition) Small seemingly inane things can snowball, combining to create a much larger effect, however it can be easy to overlook the 'small' things, especially when it's not affecting your own personal reality or sense of safety. Guys please take note on that last part.

Thankyou. ♥

Thank you Christina Joy Howard. It is an honor and a privilege and extremely gratifying to see you reclaim yourself and positively influence those who touch your life every day.

What a beautiful talk. And so true.

I want to be honest and I am looking for so much more than "having a good time" with my body. Been there, done that. The body is so temporary and incomplete. Being with a man who is living all the way down to his soul, including his who being in a relationship is where it's at and the body will follow without needing any practice or attention. Flowing in harmony without thinking.

Fantastic video Sheila! :) Very Inspirational. We would love to feature this video on our website and share it with more people with your permission. This TED talk will change many women's lives. Our customers are searching for new ways to understand their bodies, keep fit and have fun. Your videos are well presented and will inspire our customers to make a positive change. We would be very happy to provide you with extra publicity for your great work. We will also provide a link to your channel for helping us out. If you could help us out, that would be great! We wish you all the best for the future Sheila.

She's 14 now and I stood behind her :) and thank you though sensitive, she's a strong young woman though a memorable experience for both of us.

Thank you for sharing this Ted talk, I

Thank you for being a fearless role model in embracing our femininity in a classy way (not cheap or overtly sexual way)

She is perfect!

Thank you Sheila Kelly!!

Thank you Sheila. I am grateful for your talk. Thanks for being you.

Sheila, I love this. Beautiful.:-)

People, Men, Women. Relax and undetstand. Be a Man. Hold our Women in high regaurd. These are our Mothers, Wives, and Daughters. They are Beautiful and they are life. Protect and love them. Make them feel Beautiful on the inside and the outside and they will give back 10 fold.

wow she's true, clear, and enlightening

Amazing insight. Thank you.

Coming from a standpoint of having been sexually abused and taught premarital sex is shameful and wrong, I can take several positive things away from this talk. I'm trying to learn not to fear my sexuality, as young girls are often taught. They are taught to fear their sexuality and told "guys only want one thing." Judging by some of these comments here, that is not entirely untrue. It is our job as a society to no longer let objectification pass, to tell those who would denigrate and abuse others that it's wrong. I support movements like "reclaim the nipple" but I am too afraid to participate myself until people stop seeing openness about sexuality as an invitation for verbal and physical abuse.

What a beautiful discription of feminine body... Hats off. ..

powerful and enlightening

Good one, loved it.

You're welcome!

I value the feminine. I really wish every woman on earth had the cultural freedom to be themselves. There is nothing shameful about the human body. I enjoy the mystery introduced by clothes of course, but I have zero objection to being afforded the privilege of viewing a naked female body. And somewhere in that mix there is a lot to appreciate and cherish.

My focus is you, every woman and her radiance and illuminating how the masculine and the feminine geniuses can come together in peaceful resolve. Good for you to be teaching dance! Pls continue to stay inspired.

good for you for allowing yourself to come to this understanding. and now that you have this awareness, begin to shift your old beliefs about your body. put up a few affirmations around your home - i am good, i am lovable, i believe in myself more every day now, i now know that my body is good and beautiful. kudos to you!!! and see if you can find an s class near you or even check out the next retreat. it's extremely powerful work and you deserve it!