What your Libido is telling you about your health
Sexual Health
In our frenetic world of 24/7, cell phones, i-pads, blackberries and other various technological gadgets, it may seem like there is not enough time to breathe, eat or sleep, much less find time to meditate.
Well, you may want to start making a conscious effort to FIND that time to quiet your mind after reading the intriguing new research which shows that practicing Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can literally change your brain… for the better, of course!
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I hope you had an enjoyable holiday season with the ones you love. To start off the new year, I wanted to share something very special with you…
Click the video below for this special treat:
The Great Bell Chant (The End of Suffering) from R Smittenaar on Vimeo.
http://player.vimeo.com/video/6518109?autoplay=
Would you like to know my favorite stress reduction tip? Well, I thought you would.
The holidays are truly upon us and we may all be experiencing huge amounts of stress. This time to be jolly sometimes brings stirs up frustration and a sense of urgency. So, I wanted to share my favorite stress reduction tip with you – that can be done anywhere — at your desk, in your car, while cooking in the kitchen — or any place where stress seems to be overwhelming you.
Here’s how to do it:
Take a deep breath, inhaling over 5 seconds and exhaling over 5 seconds. With each inhale, visualize the sources of your stress. With each exhale, visualize these stresses leaving your body and flowing outside of you. Do this for 5 complete, full breaths. If you have more time, continue for a few more breaths until you really feel your body letting go and lightening up.
I do this breathing exercise a few times a day. Depending on the day, I may do it 5-6 times! And I can assure you that it makes my life, and the lives of those around me, much, much better!
There is a physiological reason for this and Buddhist monks have used conscious deep breathing during meditation for centuries. By concentrating on your lungs and expanding in your chest, you are bringing highly oxygenated blood to your tissues, centering your body and clearing your mind.
Try it… let me know how it works for you!
photo credit: Herval
Has your sex life taken a dive even though you are still interested in your partner? You are not alone. According to the recent 2009 Sex, Romance, and Relationships Survey released by the AARP in May 2010, people’s sex drives have been dropping at an alarming rate(1). The study, which included a random sample of 1,670 American men and women aged 45 and older, reveals some intriguing findings. Between 2004 and 2009, the percentage of people in the 50s who say they have sex once a week dove nearly 10 points for both sexes (women dropped from 43 to 32% and men from 49 to 41%). Other age groups also show similar decreases.
One alarming statistic of this survey shows how sex has definitely “cooled down” for many menopausal women. Approximately 1 in 5 women in their 50s say they’d be quite happy to never have sex again. About 1 in 50 men in their 50s agree.
Every day in my gynecological practice, I see perimenopausal and menopausal women concerned about their lost desire, or the “urge to merge” as I like to call it.
Let me share 5 ways that you can re-ignite those flames of desire:
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To get turned on, you need to turn off your brain. Give it a well-deserved break. Allow it to do just one thing at a time, not 20 things. Focus on the scene and your partner. Mindfulness meditation is a very useful way to train your brain to do this. Using this method, thoughts can enter your mind but go right through without without needing to be fixated on. Have your mind focus on something peaceful or loving while you are caressing your partner. Keep bringing your thoughts back to what is happening to you physically – how you like his touch, his cologne, what is turning you on at that moment. This may take some practice, but is definitely achievable!