FOR THE LOVER IN YOU

Here’s a little more to add to your Valentine week celebration. For all you couples (and singles) out there, have you heard of tantric sex?...

My first time hearing about it was while watching the Showtime series “Soul Food”. (A moment of silence for an awesome, awesome show. *sighs* May she rest in peace.) In a particular episode, they touched on tantric sex. Now in all honesty, I thought, “Is this some freaky ish they just wanna push on tv for more ratings?”Then I forgot about it or at least it was in the back of my mind.

From then til now, I’ve heard mentions of it but never gave it much thought beyond my initial judgment of it. Recently, Ebony magazine (Kimora Lee, Djimon and their precious bundle of joy are on the cover) surprised me and had a informative article on it which I’ll be sharing with you in this post.

First of all, what is Tantra?

It is described as spiritual sexuality, using a sensual connection to bring the spirit of love back to the act of sex. The Sanskrit word means “to weave together,” resulting in harmony between opposing aspects of tow beings. According to Cory Silverberg, (an AASECT certified sexuality educator, author, media contributor and researcher) Tantra is over 1500 years old, and like yoga it originated in India. It is a set of teachings and practices that are specifically designed to help us feel more, to increase our awareness of our own energy and the energy around us. The path that Tantra uses to these ends is the exploration of sexual energy. The goal of Tantric sex is to allow us to experience more depth and breadth in our sexuality. The goal is not necessarily orgasm, but rather enriching the whole sexual experience. According to the magazine article, many 21st century couples say practicing tantra is like taking the scenic route to new and exciting places in their relationships, including deeper intimacy, multiple climaxes and passionate exchanges that can last for hours on end.

Okay, it’s Valentine’s Day weekend and you want some tips on making the most out of your romantic day so let’s cut to the chase and bring on Shantam Nityama’s (Tantric Mongoose)

10 Tantric Tips to Take Home.

1. Know Your Role
Women, let your man lead. To experience tantra, he must first evoke her body to sensuality from the top down, focusing on frequency rather than friction.

2. Get Beyond Your Mental Block
Conflict is like clutter. Clear it up before engaging to make room for intimacy.

3. Activate Intimacy
It is important to create ambiance. Try turning up the room temperature to warm the bodies. Fill the air with the scent of patchouli or neroli and keep the color red around to ignite sensuality. Use candlelight to create an intimate mood.

4. Engage Without an Agenda
Take your time. Transform a physical interaction into a sensual journey by approaching lovemaking as a playful exploration rather than as a means to an end.

5. It’s all in the Kiss
Consider the kiss an “energetic interview.” Use the rhythm, pace and intensity of your kiss to express the kind of lover you are and the qualities you want when you make love.

6. Breathe Each Other’s Breath
Synchronized breathing is one step to tantric arousal. Make the heat rise even higher by inhaling and exhaling just inches apart. Eye contact is encouraged to increase intensity.

7. Express Yourself
When a woman remains silent in bed, it is as if she is hiding in a dark room while the man is fumbling around trying to find her. She can guide him using her voice to match what she is feeling.

8. Learn the Power of Touch
Use your fingertips to sensitize your partner’s body. The more subtle you are, the more powerful the effect.

9. Gentlemen: Hold Your Fire
To increase endurance while making love, try maintaining a slow, regulated breathing pattern and bring direct contact to a standstill for a few seconds at a time when necessary in order to return to a slow build. The goal is to maintain the same level of excitement from beginning to the end of lovemaking.

10. Ladies: Lay Off the Pocket Rocket
Take a break from your “little friend” if you want to find the flow with your man. The truth is, he will never be able to match its frequency. Becoming too familiar with a toy can result in sexual frustration and can also lead to numbness.

**These tips can be found in the February issue of Ebony magazine.
Want to know more about Tantric sex, click here for a booklist.


Whether you're celebrating Valentine's Day or not, I hope that you have a wonderful, love-filled weekend. =)

{{Hugs}},


**Above pic is from the film "Tall Enough" by Barry Jenkins.**

A TREAT FOR YOUR "SWEET"

Hi Sweeties!

So to keep with the Valentine’s Day theme, I wanted to give you a couple of healthier suggestions for V-day treats to prepare for you and your sweetie. Whether your "sweet" is your hubby, wifey, life partner, partner, boo or yourself they (and you) are bound to love one of these healthy treats.

You know how strawberries with chocolate are common fair for this day (or any other romantic time)? Well, you can opt for a healthier version by using organic strawberries (and/or bananas) and raw chocolate sauce.

Making raw chocolate sauce is pretty easy. Use 1 T. of raw cacao to 2 T. of agave nectar. Put it in a blender and blend til smooth. It’s soooooo good. And the fact that it’s healthier for you than processed chocolate makes it even “gooder”. ;)



The pic above is not the pic that I wanted to post. My camera's acting funky (and I don't mean in a good way either) so what you see here is to give you an idea of the type of plates that you can present your dish on. I took pics of some heart-shaped plates that I purchased years ago. A small white one, that I purchased from Target. And a smaller deep-dish red one that you can put a sauce, mousse or cake in. Now that I think about it, it's actually a small ramekin. Uh, don’t quite remember where I got it from but if I take a guess at it my hunch would be Crate and Barrel. I’m sure you could find something like them in Walmart, Target or maybe even the dollar store. I posted the pic of them because they’re great for presentation. Just to give you some ideas.


Now onto the other recipe:
I found the other V-day recipe while on twitter thru a VegaTeam tweet. If they sounds familiar to you, it is probably because you've seen their products in Whole Foods, health food stores and/or in the natural section of some grocers. Sequel Naturals is the company who makes the wonderful Vega products. They also make MacaSure and ChlorEssence products. Anyhoo, you can click here to see this wonderful recipe and get another idea for your V-day celebratory tastings.

P.S. You don’t have to mention that they’re raw or living foods. Matter of fact, don’t even say it’s a healthy alternative. Just serve up with a smile and happy heart.

If you have any Valentine's Day inspired healthy recipes, please share. I'll be juice fasting that day, but I'm sure there are others who would love to get some recipe ideas.

Hearts,

FOR YOU, BEAUTIFUL.

Happy Monday, Gorgeous!!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! I know that we are in the dead heat of the holiday season so I wanted to share these tidbits with you. As I was surfing the web for "good news" I came across this blog which lead to this site, both of which are about just that--good, positive news.

Although, the economy has left many of us in a position where we're not able to stress about what to get for whom because we just can't. I do realize that, regardless of economic status, some of us are still going to get caught up in the commercial mania. Stay away from the light, Carol Ann! Getting caught up in the mass retailers snare can only lead to stress on your mind, body and sometimes loved ones.

Here are some great tips to take note of and put into practice...

1. Avoid over-scheduling yourself. Use an agenda to keep track of your holiday commitments so that you can physically see what you are committing yourself to. Along with your commitments to others make sure to include some downtime for yourself - even if it is half an hour here and there. Knowing that you have some personal time will help you to stay positive.

2. Lower your expectations don’t strive for perfection, good enough is okay. Don’t expect your family to be perfect during the holidays. Be realistic about who they are and what your relationship is like with them all year around. That is especially true of step-families.

3. Make a budget and stick to it. The price of the gift is not equal to how much you love them. Focus on the people that you care about instead of the stuff that really doesn’t matter. Beware of the joy-to-stuff ratio: more stuff does not equal more joy.

4. Spread your socializing in the months after the holidays. Don’t try to pack a year’s worth of socializing into a few weeks. Start a new tradition with friends and make a date with friends for mid January or early February.

5. Get as much sleep as you can. Schedule one or two pyjama days for yourself or for the whole family - stay in your pj's and stay home and give yourself permission to rest and enjoy some time together without rushing about. I so love this suggestion.

**Above tips are from Lucy MacDonald, Canadian Certified Counsellor and author. conferences across the country on practice building.**

Peace,
CO