OCTOBER
2016
[ Mind Body Spirit ] [ Articles ] [ Events & Workshops ] [ Practitioners ]
AN 8-YEAR-OLD PLAYING ADULT WHAT IS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND HOW CAN IT HELP ME? HOW CRYSTALS WORK WITH OUR ENERGY FIELD 10 BOOKS WORTH READING IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY WHAT CAN QUANTUM PHYSICS TELL YOU ABOUT GOD? 7 NATURAL WAYS FOR BETTER SEX! www.HolisticHouston.com
Letter From the Editor Issue 4 | October 2016
As our magazine continues on its amazing growth, I’ve personally become more aware of just how important these issues are. New subscribers and emails come in daily detailing just how thankful they are to have found a magazine such as this one. It’s not to say that there aren’t many other great publications out there.
It is, however, a validation that people are seeking a more holistic way of life. It is my intention that Holistic Houston will bring forth that awareness, and become a resource for all of us. As I’ve said in previous issues, it’s not just about the magazine growing, it’s about coming together and growing strong as a community - a community of seekers and experts - where we can all learn and support one another. With this new issue, I’ve implemented a new idea into the layout and design. Call it a ‘cheat sheet’ if you will. I’ve began to highlight important phrases, topics or thoughts within each article. So, for those of you who want to skim through and article, you can do so and still grasp some of the important take aways. May you enjoy this month’s issue! Much love to you today and always,
Table of Contents 4
An 8-Year-Old Playing Adult
11
10 Books Worth Reading if You Haven't Already
6
What is Holistic Health and How Can It Help Me?
13
What Can Quantum Physics Tell You About God?
8
How Crystals Work With Our Energy Field
16
7 Natural Ways for Better Sex!
by Angelica Romero by Kristen Peters
by Jennifer Harker
2 | Holistic Houston | October 2016
Holistic Houston Editor
by Lee and Steven Hager by Kate Hanley
Experiencing A Course in Miracles The Foundation Workshop
The purpose of this workshop is to present A Course in Miracles as a path to inner peace, so that one can decide if it is the right path for them. This four week series is ideal for beginners who want to review and understand in depth the basic Course metaphysics, and how it can be applied on an everyday practical level, leading them to a happier and healthier everyday life.
In this 4-Week Foundation Series you will learn: The origins of this Course and how it came to be. The definition of Miracles and how we can have them every single day. Learn where fear arises from and how to overcome it once and for all.
Brought to you by:
Angelica Romero
How to deepen and expand the experience of Inner Peace How to extend it with trust and love to others by learning how to build and maintain more loving relationships. How to use the life enhancing principles of A Course in Miracles to help eradicate buried layers of fear, guilt and anger while helping return greater feelings of peacefulness and connection. Dates: Tuesdays, Nov 1, 8, 15 & 22 6:30 - 8 pm | Westheimer & Dairy Ashford |
Cost $115
Two Ways to Register Online at:
happierhealthierwomen.10to8.com
or email me at angie@happierhealthierwomen.com Holistic Houston | October 2016 | 3
An 8-Year-Old Playing Adult
By ANGELICA ROMERO
Months become years and years become decades. And, supposedly, with the passing of time we grow up. Or, do we?
Let me ask you the something: Would you let an 8-year-old decide on very important topics of your life, manage your finances and tell you who you can or cannot date? The logical answer is no. However, our brains aren’t as ‘logical’ as we believe they are. Allow me to explain. Commonly referred to in psychology as the “inner child”, its that part of our brain that has a mix of childhood memories (both good and bad), and has it’s own perception of seeing the world. Of course, an 8-year-old’s view of the world will be different that of a 16-year-old, whose in turn would be different to that of a 35-year-old, etc. Our brain, if we look at it like a computer, is always recording all the input that we bring it. It records our experiences, our thoughts and our emotions. It also creates small programs, we like to call habits and beliefs, based out of all this information. 4 | Holistic Houston | October 2016
With time we keep layering more experiences, more files and creating more programs based off the ones already ‘previously installed’. And, who is to say that those earlier versions were still beneficial to us today? Exploring the Inner Child The inner child can be happy or sad. It can be that burst of child-like laughter you feel when it total joy, or that unexplainable fear that overcomes you at times for (what others would consider) silly little things.
There are many ways for you to connect to this part of you such as therapy, meditation, hypnosis, etc. if you are interested in exploring more about what memories, beliefs, experiences your inner child has. My Exploration Recently, I realized that my 8-yearold was running my adult life in certain aspects. Unconsciously, she had been holding me back from truly going after what I desired and was working so hard towards.
In other words, although I looked like an adult, my beliefs, actions and perception of that one particular area of my life was that of my 8-year-old. It wasn’t until I did some inner work (a guided meditation and some energy healing) that I helped that part of me heal. I don’t want to say that I parented her. Instead, it was more of an acknowledgment of her fears as she shared with me the memory that she was holding on to. A memory where she felt frightened, hurt, disempowered, betrayed and angry all at once. The memory of the actual event resurfaced to my awareness, and you can say that the adult me watched the entire scene as if watching a movie. I not only witnessed that situation, but for the first time realized that this particular moment in time is where my 8-year-old-self created a very strong resentment towards that topic.
A resentment, or program should I say, that hasn’t been very beneficial to me during my adult life. This inner work allowed me realize why I was stuck, and why I felt betrayed and angry with situations relating to this. I’ve been able to lovingly forgive the adult people that had made me feel that way back then. And, I’ve been able to help that inner-child-me-program be uninstalled and replaced with a happier, more loving and safer relationship program with the people involved. Specially, with myself. How’s your inner child doing? When was the last time you really looked at your childhood memories, and saw them for what they were? Do you find yourself stuck or paralyzed in a particular area of your life regardless how hard you try to move forward? Is your inner child happy or angry?
Even better . . . is your inner child managing your adult life? When we are willing to face and embrace all the parts of us — meaning all those memories / programs that are locked away in our brain — and lovingly go above and beyond to heal them, our life can finally come to full alignment. Being an adult doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. So why not discover those programs that are making it so, heal them and have the life of fulfillment you’ve always wished of having.
Angelica Romero is
a Holistic Practitioner, Life and Wellness Coach for Women and a Marketing & Business Coach for Healers. She is also the Editor & Publisher of Happier Healthier Women and Holistic Houston Magazines. Recipient of VIP Woman of the Year by The National Association of Women for 2013 for her service to women worldwide to live Happier and Healthier in all areas of their life. You can follow her through her facebook pages Happier Healthier Women, Life and Wellness Coaching and Holistic Houston. Holistic Houston | October 2016 | 5
What is Holistic Health ... . . . and How Can it Help Me? The word “holistic” seems all the rage these days. I hear of holistic dentists, holistic practitioners, holistic study courses, holistic nurses, moms, and remedies. Just type in the word “holistic” and you will find over 80 million results. But what does the word holistic mean? How can I apply it to my life? The American Holistic Health Association (AHHA) defines the word “holistic” as, “to promote optimal health and as a by-product, to prevent and treat disease.” I love this definition, as it is right on the money. How does one promote optimal health? Certified Holistic Health Practitioners, C.H.H.P., like myself, assist others in promoting optimal health by providing them with knowledge, a functional and definitive plan to follow & motivational support, with lifestyle modifications. Some modifications most often consist of changing their diet, helping them to establish good sleep, lessen stressors, increasing their activity, and learning to love themselves unconditionally as well as address harmful relationships. 6 | Holistic Houston | October 2016
As you can see, holistic health or “whol”istic health involves looking at the entire person: body, mind, and spirit and helping them to alleviate their symptoms by finding the root cause of their problem. The primary method of care when choosing a C.H.H.P. is to empower patients to heal themselves by addressing the causes of their disease and facilitating lifestyle changes through health promotion. The difference in this type of care and allopathic or western medicine as it is so often called, is that allopathic doctors regular M.Ds, address the physical symptoms only and do not address the root cause.
The last time you went to visit your primary healthcare physician and complained of something, do you recall them trying to figure out why or taking out their notepad and prescribing the first medication that comes to mind? Usually it’s the latter. We are beginning to see more M.Ds or their nurses ask more questions about lifestyle but we must remember that the typical four-year medical school requires only three credits of nutrition class. That’s ONE nutrition class. C.H.H.P. takes approximately two years of nutrition classes. There is one big weakness of holistic health therapy: it takes time. It’s not, in anyway a quick fix. Allopathic medicine does have the one up on us in that if you are hurting from painful migraines you can go to the doctor and get some meds and the migraines will go away. With holistic health, we would look at your past medical history as well as your current life and find out why you are suffering these painful migraines. Holistic health treatments take time however the rewards are substantial. Wouldn’t you like to stop being a chemical-laden medicine slave and eliminate those painful migraines for the last time? Holistic therapy requires the 100% complete participation of the seeker. It will simply not be effective if the client does not have their heart and soul into treatment. That’s why I have my clients sign a contract with them and me. That they will participate fully in the treatments recommended. That they will promise to give it their all. That they will be patient and trust in themselves, in me and in the therapy. The strengths of holistic health therapy cannot be overstated. Where allopathic medicine
focuses on the elimination of the symptoms and is costing our country billions a year, holistic health focuses on teaching patients to take responsibility for their own health, and in so doing is cost-effective in treating both acute and chronic illness; therapeutic in preventing and treating chronic disease; and essential in creating optimal health. Holistic health is the future and will save our country billions of dollars in healthcare costs. Another way to put this way of treatment is preventative maintenance (PM).
Why would you perform PM on your vehicle and not your body? Our bodies have taken a beating for far too long. It’s time to revisit and rethink how we treat them. Enough with the convenience of fast food meals and conventional medicine. What are we in such a hurry these days for? What else are we doing? Yes, we work and have children to care for and pets, a house, maybe some hobbies. I really think we are rushing and in a hurry, so we can make sure we don’t miss prime time. Turn that tele off and get in your kitchen. That’s where good health begins; it’s surely not in front of the boob tube. Think more deeply about holistic health.
Kristen Peters
is an Aromatherapist and Holistic Health
Coach residing in Raleigh with her husband, three children, and two Chihuahuas. She has dedicated her life to assisting others to Be the Change. Visit her website http://www.kristenpeters.net to download her free eBook entitled: “How 5 Small Changes Can Have a Big Impact on Digestive Health”. Holistic Houston | October 2016 | 7
How Crystals Work with Our Energ y
The energy relationship between stones and living beings is very real.
Most people take little notice of rocks, though, unless it is twinkling on a finger or earlobe. Even the energy of a diamond earring will affect your energy and physical bodies in a positive or negative manner without you ever realizing! Do you own diamonds or semi-precious stone jewelry? Perhaps a jade or soapstone carving sits on your mantel or shelf. What about those cool stone coasters you received as a wedding gift? All of these stone or crystal items carry healing energy unique to each variety of crystal and mineral. These energies have been influencing your life in varied subtle ways. 8 | Holistic Houston | October 2016
But before you can understand how crystals and minerals affect and work with our energy, you need to understand how healing crystal and mineral energy is created. Universal energy (scientifically known as 'quantum energy') flows in, around, and through everything, including you and me. You can't feel it or see it, but it is happening every second. Let us say you pick a piece of common white quartz off the ground. You know, the white rocks used in garden beds. You have probably seen it before. Its official name is 'Milk Quartz'. (By the way, quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust. Feldspar is first).
When we are aligned with our truth, everything grows and flourishes . . . and we invite you to grow with us!
Our readership is growing ... daily!
Isn’t it time the people of Houston know you and you’re business are there to serve them? Contact us today to learn more of our exciting Advertising Opportunities! Call (305) 467-1573 | SalesTeam@HolisticHouston.com | FB: Holistic Houston
Holistic Houston | October 2016 | 9
Universal energy is flowing into, around, and through the quartz, which is composed of silicon dioxide. The energy blends with the minerals of the stone, which causes the energy to change into a weak electrical energy resonance unique to that variety of quartz. The quartz's man made and natural history also affects the universal energy that enters the stone.
History is energy in action.
Rocks, trees, houses, everything absorbs the energy produced by historical events and retains it. Energy produced by the man made and natural history that has happened around and to your piece of white quartz has been absorbed by the stone, which has altered the energy emitted by that particular piece of quartz. Speaking of the influence of natural history, the quartz's location also influences the energy the stone emits. A chunk of white quartz in a desert garden in the Southwest of the United States may emit a similar energy to another piece of white quartz in England, but the two energies will vary in slightly different ways, and affect people differently, because of the natural mineral, plant, and animal energies each stone has absorbed. As another example, the energy of a Brazilian clear quartz crystal is bright and uplifting, like Carnival in Rio, while the energy of Tibetan clear quartz is more intense, deep and reflective. Each type of quartz can be used for the same intention, but each crystal's absorbed man made and natural history and location where it was mined will affect the intended result in different ways. How do I know this? How do you know I am not uttering rubbish? I am sensitive to crystal and mineral energy. You may not feel anything from 10 | Holistic Houston | October 2016
a crystal or mineral, but trust me when I say the energy is there. It first enters the energy field around my body and then my physical body. I can then track the crystal's energy and how it affects me mentally, physically, and spiritually. This feels similar to (and I do not mean to offend) how most women feel at the onset of their monthly period. We can sense and track the emotional and physical changes in our bodies right to the moment when the "flood gates" open.
Think about this:
The radio may never have been invented if someone hadn't discovered how to use the weak electrical current produced by quartz. That might have led to no computers. No PDAs. No cell phones. Well, I could live without cell phones.
The healing energy of crystals and minerals is real and it can help improve your life in countless ways. But take the time to learn all you can about a specific type of crystal or mineral so you can reap the most benefit from it.
Jennifer Harker is a freelance writer experienced with
writing nonfiction, creative nonfiction, and fiction. To view her other articles please visit www.jaspergreen.livejournal.com
10 Books
Worth Reading If You Haven't Already Books can take us to far away places, allow us to share in heroic adventures and even allow us to connect with people far from the past. More importantly, books offer us an incredible opportunity to learn, grow and expand our own minds. In no particular order, the following are 10 books we believe are truly transformative, inspiring, mind opening and simply beautiful. The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts
By: Gary Chapman
Falling in love is easy. Staying in love—that’s the challenge! How can you keep your relationship fresh and growing amid the demands, conflicts, and just plain boredom of everyday life? Whether your relationship is flourishing or failing, Dr. Gary Chapman’s proven approach to showing and receiving love will help you experience deeper and richer levels of intimacy with your partner—starting today. The 5 Love Languages is as practical as it is insightful.
The Alchemist
By: Paulo Coelho
Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, The Alchemist is a masterpiece that tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are By: Brené Brown Each day we face a barrage of images and messages from society and the media telling us who, what, and how we should be. In her ten guideposts, Brown engages our minds, hearts, and spirits as she explores how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, "No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough," and to go to bed at night thinking, "Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave.
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom By: Don Miguel Ruiz In The Four Agreements, bestselling author Don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself By: Michael A. Singer Whether this is your first exploration of inner space, or you’ve devoted your life to the inward journey, this book will transform your relationship with yourself and the world around you. You’ll discover what you can do to put an end to the habitual thoughts and emotions that limit your consciousness. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, author and spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization.
Holistic Houston | October 2016 | 11
Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System
The Power of Intention By: Anodea Judith
As portals between the physical and spiritual planes, the chakras offer unparalleled opportunities for growth, healing, and transformation. Wheels of Life takes you on a powerful journey through progressively transcendent levels of consciousness. View this ancient metaphysical system through the light of new metaphors, ranging from quantum physics to child development. Learn how to explore and balance your own chakras using poetic meditations and simple yoga movements along with gaining spiritual wisdom, you’ll experience better health, more energy, enhanced creativity, and the ability to manifest your dreams.
A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles" By: Marianne Williamson With this book, the author shares her reflections on A Course in Miracles and her insights on the application of love in the search for inner peace. Williamson reveals how we each can become a miracle worker by accepting God and by the expression of love in our daily lives. Whether psychic pain is in the area of relationships, career, or health, she shows us how love is a potent force, the key to inner peace, and how by practicing love we can make our own lives more fulfilling while creating a more peaceful and loving world for our children. Editors Note: This is the one book that finally helped me understand The Course in Miracles!
You Can Heal Your Life
By: Louise Hay
Her key message is: "If we are willing to do the mental work, almost anything can be healed." The author has a great deal of experience and firsthand information to share about healing, including how she cured herself after being diagnosed with cancer. An excerpt from You Can Heal Your Life: Life Is Really Very Simple. What We Give Out, We Get Back What we think about ourselves becomes the truth for us. I believe that everyone, myself included, is responsible for everything in our lives, the best and the worst. Every thought we think is creating our future. Each one of us creates our experiences by our thoughts and our feelings. The thoughts we think and the words we speak create our experiences.
By: Wayne Dyer
This book explores intention—not as something you do—but as an energy you’re a part of. We’re all intended here through the invisible power of intention. This is the first book to look at intention as a field of energy that you can access to begin cocreating your life with the power of intention. Dr. Dyer identifies the attributes of the all-creating universal mind of intention as creative, kind, loving, beautiful, expanding, endlessly abundant, and receptive, explaining the importance of emulating this source of creativity.
The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham
By: Esther & Jerry Hicks
Within these pages, you’ll learn how all things, wanted and unwanted, are brought to you by this most powerful law of the universe, the Law of Attraction. (that which is like unto itself is drawn). Learn about the omnipresent Laws that govern this Universe and how to make them work to your advantage. This book will help you to joyously be, do, or have anything that you desire!
PSYCHIC MEDIUM
VICTORIA ALVARADO
Channeling messages from Spirit to help you find peace, closure and the answers you need to move forward in life. To Book Your Healing Session Contact her at
(832) 525-3486 w w w.V i c t o r i a A l v a r a d o.c o m
12 | Holistic Houston | October 2016
What Can Quantum Physics Tell You About God?
Who or What is God? Is Ultimate Reality an impersonal ground, or matrix, that functions as a mechanistic energy source that sustains life? Or is God pure personality, a very human character who's fully involved in every aspect of life?
What can quantum physics tell us about God? The quantum universe is very different from the world of form. We think of our material world as real, but physicists have discovered it's a virtual reality. As surprising as it seems, reality actually exists at the quantum level of the universe. What's does the quantum level look like, and what can we learn from it? In quantum reality, everything is one thing. Everything in existence is part of one indivisible, interdependent whole. At the most elemental level of the universe only an ocean of energy exists. But that ocean includes matter. How can that be? From a quantum perspective, matter and energy
are the same thing. The quantum ocean of energy contains all potential. We can think of energy as potential because it can become any type of matter. Energy can remain in a state of potential, appear as form, or go back to energy. Nothing is lost; it is only seen in a different way. What causes the transformation? Physicists tell us that quantum energy exists as potential until a conscious choice is made. At that point, conscious choice collapses all other options and energy appears as matter. Holistic Houston | October 2016 | 13
Is fear paralyzing you from living the life you want? Many of us go through obstacles in life .... the question is will you allow yourself to use the tools necessary to heal, find peace and move forward?
Find the tools necessary at Facebook.com/valenvtinacastroAT
Intuitive Art Healing with Valentina Castro But where is consciousness? Consciousness permeates everything in existence, including energy and matter. Scientists known as material realists say that consciousness evolved from matter, but they have never been able find any support for their belief. On the other hand, quantum research demonstrates that even the tiniest photon (subatomic light particle) is conscious. Why is consciousness part of everything that exists? We can find an answer in the Big Bang. A hyper-explosive growth spurt at the very beginning of the Big Bang spread three things throughout the universe. The first two are energy as potential and energy as matter.
As little as 1/3 of the universe is matter. The theory of inflation explains that all the matter in the universe could have come from a portion of "source energy" as small as a billionth of a subatomic proton! 14 | Holistic Houston | October 2016
The energy and matter that expanded in the Big Bang was permeated by consciousness. Scientists used to think the other 2/3 of the universe was made up of "empty space," but they were wrong. Scientists now call this "empty space" the zeropoint field. This field is not only a storehouse of quantum energy it's also a repository of consciousness and memory. We've learned a lot about the quantum universe,
but what does it tell us about God?
The Big Bang suggests that Ultimate Reality created the universe out of Self. This should not be a strange concept to us, since all living things on earth also reproduce out of self. But there is a unique difference. When living things on earth reproduce they are separate from their offspring. But energy and consciousness are not only the tools of creation; they are also part of creation. Since this is true, we must conclude that Ultimate Reality and the universe are synonymous.
What else can we conclude? Ultimate Reality is a ground, or matrix that gives and sustains all life and a Conscious Being with an intellect, personality and a desire to interact. But there are two more important conclusions we can come to.
1. Virtual reality suggests that what we see is very different from what is. We can't judge Ultimate Reality by what's happening on earth. The separation and duality we see cannot exist in the reality of quantum oneness. Our virtual reality is like a movie that's projected from consciousness at the quantum level. If we're here, we're projecting what we're seeing, not God. Everything we see is our choice, but we're always free to make different choices.
2. At the quantum level, the universe remains one indivisible, interdependent whole. Every spiritual sage who has ever had a direct, personal experience of the Divine knows that this is true.
"If you wish to understand the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration." ~ Nikola Telsa
Universal oneness is not just a pleasant catch phase, it's an inescapable fact. Ultimate Reality is everything in existence, and you are that.
Lee and Steven Hager
Copyright © 2011 : Find out how why science and spirituality have the power to transform your life. Download free sample chapters from The Beginning of Fearlessness: Quantum Prodigal Son at: www.thebeginningoffearlessness.com
Holistic Houston | October 2016 | 15
Have Better Sex!
Seven natural ways to boost libido, heighten enjoyment, and improve the overall health of your sex life.
You know sex is a vital part of life. It can relax you, release a flood of feelgood hormones, and make you feel connected to another person like few other pursuits can. Studies have found that sex produces less stress and better moods, and can even help prolong your life. A study that followed North Carolinians for 25 years found that women who reported enjoying their sexual encounters lived longer than women who didn’t. 16 | Holistic Houston | October 2016
And yet, multiple worldwide surveys show that 30 percent of women, from teens to seniors, report having little interest in sex. The results of a survey published in 2010 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found the three most common culprits of women’s reduced interest in sex:
1. Stress and Fatigue (cited by 60 percent of respondents) 2. Dissatisfaction with personal appearance (41 percent)
3. Sexual Difficulties, such as pain during intercourse or elusive orgasms (34 percent).
To help you get more of the health benefits—and plain old pleasure—that sex can provide, here are seven ways to address these most common roadblocks and give your sex life a kick in the (under) pants. 1. Lift Your Libido With Cordyceps According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, libido is a reflection of overall qi (energy) in the body—both yin (passive, relaxing) and yang (active and energizing). “One of the best tonics to boost a woman’s libido is cordyceps, a Chinese herb that builds both yin and yang energies,” says Laurie Steelesmith, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and author of Natural Choices for Women’s Health. She advises taking 500 mg two to three times per day on a long-term basis to rebuild your internal source of sexual energy. 2. Stop Giving All Your Energy to Stress Although there are those who swear by the power of a quickie to nip stress in the bud, for most women, stress kills sex drive. “Think of it from an evolutionary perspective— sex for Stone Age women meant babies, and stress meant imminent physical danger. Mother Nature didn’t want women to be reproducing during stressful times,”
says Rick Hanson, Ph.D., a “It can be anything you want, from neuroscientist and author of making out to a massage. Anything to get you out of your head and in Buddha’s Brain. to your body,” she says. According to Hanson, stress throws reproductive hormones When you stop focusing on the out of whack and reduces the end result, your sensations and release of oxytocin, known enjoyment will increase naturally. as the “love hormone” that One exercise she recommends is promotes bonding and helps body-to-body breathwork— lying women want to get physically in a spooning position, shift your attention to your breath, then take close to someone. turns matching your inhales and To relieve some of the physical exhales with your partner’s. The impact of stress, Steelsmith physical contact will promote recommends supplementing the release of oxytocin, and with Chinese Ginseng, the breathwork creates more which supports the adrenal consciousness about the physical glands and helps the body bonds you share with your handle stress more effectively. partner, which can then manifest “Chinese Ginseng increases sexually. Other ideas include your tolerance for stress, which giving each other a foot massage, means you’ll have more energy taking a partner yoga class, or for love making,” she says. As slow dancing. an added bonus, it can also increase vaginal moisture. 4. Try a Toy Steelsmith suggests taking 200 mg three times a day. If you’ve fallen in to a sexual rut, “using a sex toy is great way to 3. Give Up Your Goals open up new vistas and infuse new energy into a sexual relationship,” The desire to have good sex says Anne Semans, author of The can backfire. “Many of my Good Vibrations Guide to Sex. clients have big expectations “You never know what you’ll learn for having more sex and better about your own sexuality. Maybe orgasms,” says Dr. Kat Van you’ll find your g-spot, or an Kirk, a clinical sexologist and erogenous zone you didn’t know host of the Sex Chat with Dr. you had.”’ Kat podcast. Experimenting with a new vibrator The problem is that arousal can also lend a sense of humor requires relaxation—a goal- and adventure to your exploits. A oriented approach is only good starting point, Semans says, going to kink up the works. is the Rabbit Habit—the vibrator popularized by “Sex and the City” To take the pressure off, Van that is now available in elastomer, Kirk suggests what she calls a version of rubber made flexible “non-orgasm-focused sex play.” without the use of phthalates (a Holistic Houston | October 2016 | 17
compound often used to make plastic pliable that has been linked to hormonal disruptions). “It stimulates the clitoris and the g-spot, and it’s cute and non-threatening,” Semans says. If you still need convincing, researchers at Indiana University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion found that women who reported using vibrators regularly also reported fewer sexual problems (such as low desire and lack of lubrication) and more orgasms, and were more proactive about their health (they were more likely to have had gynecological exams and to have performed genital self-exams). Men who reported vibrator use were also more likely to be proactive about their sexual health. 5. Focus on the Positive If worries and other negative thinking are derailing your enjoyment, Hanson suggests rewiring your brain to associate lovemaking with positive emotions. “Unfortunately, the brain is like Velcro for negative experience but Teflon for positive ones. If you had even one experience where a lover made a negative observation about your body, or you were consumed with worries about your appearance, your brain can associate sex with those negative feelings.” To replace those unpleasant associations, Hanson suggests recalling a time when sex felt great, either during the lovemaking itself or in the afterglow. “Allow yourself to relive those pleasant feelings, and feel them sinking into you like water going into a sponge.” The more you do this, the more you’ll create connections in your brain that will help you focus on what’s good about sex. “If you do this routinely, you’ll build new neural pathways that connect lovemaking and feeling great.”
of lubrication is impeding your pleasure, Steelsmith suggests using Vitamin E oil topically. “Open up a 400 IU capsule of Vitamin E oil and apply most of it to the labia and a bit inside the vagina itself,” she counsels. 7. Ditch the Viagra If you or your partner is dealing with erectile dysfunction, Viagra isn’t your only option. On a more natural front, Steelsmith says that the amino acid L-arginine, taken with pycnogenol (an extract taken from the bark of French maritime pine), improves blood vessels’ ability to dilate—which paves the way for an erection. “A study reported in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy found that L-arginine, when combined with pycnogenol, improved the ability to have and maintain erections in 92.5 percent of the men who used it.” She recommends a daily dose of 1.7 grams of L-arginine and 80 milligrams of pycnogenol. And if you’d rather foreswear pills altogether, Van Kirk suggests getting more mindful in the sack. “When you use meditation techniques— such as focusing on your breath, eye gazing, or repeating mantras, it helps you become more present minded and sensation driven.” The end result is increased enjoyment; many of her male clients who have tried, also report that they last longer and even have multiple orgasms. And if that doesn’t inspire you to gaze deep in to your lover’s eyes, nothing will!
6. Love Your Lube Sometimes the obstacle to good sex is purely physical: a lack of vaginal moisture can make sex uncomfortable, or even painful. If a lack Source: AlternativeMedicine.com - Author Kate Hanley 18 | Holistic Houston | October 2016
Bringing Our Holistic Community Together Our magazine is experiencing incredible growth, and it’s thanks to you our readers! We are out on a mission .... to bring our holistic community together.... and we are well on our way. Subscribe today at www.HolisticHouston.com to meet our practitioners, and learn of events and workshops happening in our city.
Holistic Houston | October 2016 | 19