I knew it!!  Finally, a few studies that support (no pun intended) what I’ve been feeling for years!  Underwire bras  can be deadly.  I find comfort in wireless/softcups, they are less constricting and allow your lymph fluid to flow uninhibitedly beneath the breasts and up through the armpit area.  Enough from me- please read the KILLER BRA STORY

When we hear the word, “Tantra” we knee jerk into ideas of guru operated, free-love parties,  and orgasms being promised and lobbed from every direction. In some circles, what I’ve just described is a reality.  But did you know that Tantra is actually a type of meditation?  The Vigyan Bhairav Tantra is a 5000year old East Indian text which contains  112 meditations- only 6 of which are sexual.  The goal of most meditation practices is to take you out of body and Tantra focuses on  keeping you IN your body and present in every area of life.  What does it mean to be present?  It means feeling and truly experiencing all of life’s little gifts with each of our senses.  There is always an opportunity to be Tantric.  Let’s say you’re laying on your bed reading this post on your laptop.  Take a moment and really feel the softness or crunchiness of your bedding against your skin, how your head feels as it’s melting into your pillow, the smell of your fabric softener, the sounds of the birds conversing outside your window, even the sound of the Harley Davidson popping and caughing down your street- be with that too.  See?  Who thought feeling the wind on your skin, tasting every nuance of your food, truly experiencing the scent of a flower, friend or lover could be Tantric?  IT IS!!!

You’ve heard the old saying, “The eyes are the windows to the soul”?  Here’s something you can try with a lover, or a friend: Sit across from each other and gently look into their eyes without looking away for 3-5minutes (blinking is ok-this isn’t A Clockwork Orange!).  That’s it!  Everyone’s  experience with this exercise is unique.  The first time I did this at a Women’s Tantra weekend put on by one of my teachers, Dawn Cartwright, I cried my non-toxic Aveda eyeliner off!  I had a cornucopia of emotions, and taking the time to sit with each of those emotions, discomforts, and revelations was a very rich and juicy experience.  I felt:

-Vulnerable because I couldn’t hide my soul behind my eyelids.

-Open and exposed because I was not accustom to sharing my eyes so purely with anyone, not even a lover.  God knows what secrets my eyes would reveal!!

-Recognized, witnessed and acknowledged because I was being seen.

-Honored to have had the opportunity to witness other Women and to share the beauty of the exercise with them.

-Happy for having received a simple lesson on being present.

Dylan and I

When I did this exercise with my sweet Dylan, I felt a level of vulnerability, but with that came the realization that I could trust him.  A beautiful revelation for a new relationship, I’d say.

I became aware of how often we go through our days without fully engaging with our fellow Humans.   We miss valuable opportunities to connect.  Everyone wants to be acknowledged, understood, and validated.  We can give our brothers and sisters these gifts by simply making a little more eye contact as we go through our day to day.  We can gift ourselves by activating our senses and being absolutely present- that’s living.  Thank you for letting me share a little Tantra with you.

This little piece of wood can raise the vibration of an army.

I burn Palo Santo wood (aka: Holy Wood) whenever I’m about to do energy work or meditate.  The wood is native to Central America, including Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, as well as Colombia, Ecuador, the Galapagos, and Peru.  The wood is considered sacred in these areas so harvesting can only be done by permit and under strict government supervision.  The oil from the trees are only collected once the tree dies.  The wood matures the longer it is dead, which yields a more potent essential oil.

Palo Santo trees Photograph by Peter v. Sengbusch

Creating a new scent for my Hamam Body bath salts requires some tools!  My most important tool is the plant Sage (in case you were wondering what that dried bundle of “huh” was on the right side of the photo).  I always cleanse my work area (aka: the dining room) by burning Sage, which is a native California shrub.  It’s considered sacred to Native Americans, and Shamans.  I use it to energetically purify the area and it helps getting me into my Om Zone.  I believe that what I put into the salts will be felt by the people who use them on some level.

Fresh white sage...note how fuzzy it is, it feels soft like a caterpillar.

So, I make sure that I’m feeling well, happy, and in a meditative state while I am creating- so good vibes are surrounding my work.  Even down to the music I listen to while working…I play classical or meditation music in the background.  I won’t touch the salts, oils, or containers if I’m having an off moment…Only the best for my friends, family and customers.

Imagine this joint filled with Men or Women who converge to socialize and to get away from it all.

A Hamam is a Turkish public bath house.  It is a place where people get together for social interaction, hold special rites of passage events, gossip, wash their bodies etc.

Step 1- People start by warming up in a warm steam room before moving to the hot room. After a session in the hot room, the bather dunks into a chilly plunge and then exfoliates with a rough mitt. People may get a massage, or rub themselves down with oils, shave, and perform other beauty tasks in the hamam.  Bath attendants are usually available to provide towels and other tools, along with massages.

Step 2-After the cold plunge and massage, bathers move into a cooling room to normalize their body temperatures before leaving the bath house. At all stages of the process, people interact with another and offer help with bathing tasks.  While in the hamam, many people wear traditional wooden sandals to keep their feet off the floor, and in some hamams people also wear wraps over their bodies.

Aren't these beans beautiful?

Whether you’re Male, Female, young, old (or anywhere in between), we all have a desire for soft, healthy skin.  Some of us are blessed to have baby-bottom soft skin in our adulthood.  Others, like myself, are alligators in Human clothing and it truly takes work to attain that Cleopatra type softness!  Everything we put in our bodies will have an affect on our skin which is our largest organ.  So we need to be mindful of how foods, herbs, soaps, medications and especially lotions will affect our skin.  Cold pressed Castor Oil, made from gorgeous Castor Beans, is a fantastic and inexpensive solution for dry skin.  One application can last a couple days if you have normal skin and you don’t take ridiculously hot showers.  Alligator people can slather it on damp skin daily.

6006 Vantage Ave North Hollywood, CA 91606

Not only are reflexology and massage decadent ways to escape and rejuvenate- but they are also essential for cleansing and detoxing the lymphatic, and excretory systems. And for $25 for an entire hour you have every reason to let this candy cotton pink storefront entice you into the sweetness of true relaxation. You will be surrounded by peaceful music, the beauty of orchids, top notch uber cozy reclining chairs. No need to remove your clothes, just roll up those pant legs and start by soaking your achy hooves in a warm bath of detoxifying green tea…Trust me, the lack of nudity didn’t take away from the quality of the massage. I was snoring in 5minutes flat!!