February 7, 2013
February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I have a sudden surprise trip out of town so for the first time this year I am not going to be home painting for the next few days!
In the next few weeks I will be painting and posting for the days I missed!
The adventure of this being a year project begins…I’ll be back!
Have a deliciously pleasurable few days! xxx
February 6, 2013
February 6, 2013 by 2 Comments
There is interesting evidence that how women feel about their body has little to do with how their body looks and far more to do with what they tell themselves repeatedly. If you pay attention to how you talk to yourself, you may be shocked. Will you begin paying attention to what you say to yourself and take notice? Do you say something like “you are disgusting, fat, ugly, your thighs are hideous etc.” each day to yourself? Most women do, many times a day.
When we become aware of what we say to ourselves we may realize that we would never let a friend or lover speak to us with such little love, respect or honor. We can be buoyed by the evidence that we can change these thoughts, slowly but surely, if we decide we want to. And that this change can makes a real difference in our lived experience of our body and how we interact with others. We can essentially choose to notice these negative thoughts and re-train the brain to take a different route.
Current neuroscience research is showing that the brain makes circuits that it gets used to running and that these neural pathways get strengthened as the thoughts become habitual. So if you have made cruel body-hating thoughts a habit for yourself, you will probably continue to unless you choose to interrupt those thoughts and re-direct them. If you choose to re-direct your thoughts, slowly but surely, the brain circuits can begin to adjust.
What we think about ourselves matter, it effects how we treat ourselves, what we deem ourselves worthy of, what we go for in life or don’t. How women feel about their body determines a lot of other intersecting factors in life. It is important that we begin to choose to adjust our thoughts to be more kind to ourselves, thought by thought, day by day. Because how we choose to speak to ourselves and our body matters, because we matter.
February 5, 2013
February 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment
“It has become the habit of our times to mistake glamour for beauty. This concern is expressed trenchantly by Robert C.Morgan: “Beauty is not glamour. Most of what the media…the fashion world…Hollywood…the art world has to offer is glamour. Glamour, like the art world itself, is a highly fickle and commercially driven enterprise that contributes to..the “humdrum.” It appears and disappears…No one ever catches up to glamour.” …Glamour too has but a single flicker. In contrast, the Beautiful offers us an invitation to order, coherence and unity. When these needs are met, the soul feels at home in the world.” – John O’Donohue, P. 5, Beauty, The Invisible Embrace.
“ The human soul is hungry for beauty; we seek it everywhere – in landscape, music, art, clothes, furniture, gardening, companionship, love, religion and in ourselves. No one would desire not to be beautiful. When we experience the Beautiful, there is a sense of homecoming. Some of our most wonderful memories are of beautiful places where we felt immediately at home. We feel most alive in the presence of the Beautiful for it meets the needs of our soul. “ – John O’Donohue, P. 2, Beauty, The Invisible Embrace.
“Beauty is the illumination of your soul.” -John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
John O’Donohue talks a lot about how beauty brightens what is around us, connects us to all and wakes up the soul to make us feel at home in the world. What an elevating perspective on beauty, and a profound case for why it matters.
February 4, 2013
February 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I am so in love with this music video of Ciara singing her song Ride. I will admit to having watched it many times.
I absolutely worship the way this woman inhabits her body. Her embodiment is so incredibly strong, sexy and empowered.
There is vast strength in her body and how she moves. Her thighs must be made of steel to hold those moves for so long, and add in all that hip thrusting!
I find her movements to be so feminine while also exuding pure strength and power.
I also appreciate the words and sentiment of a woman unapologetically owning her own sexual desirability and skill.
It is unusual to talk about safe sex in a song, but admirably she talks about safe sex at 1.40, how she “handles her business, like a big girl should”.
She has four different looks and ways of inhabiting her body in this video, all with slightly different personas. I like to be reminded that we can all inhabit different aspects of ourselves physically if we give ourselves permission.
Ciara seems to me like she is owning her body fully. To witness her dancing is an absolute inspiration and a total joy.
February 3, 2013
February 3, 2013 by 1 Comment
Stretching or yoga is valuable for our sexual health and to feel more sexual pleasure.
The penis, vulva and vagina are surrounded by muscles.
When the muscles are tight in the hips, blood can not get through the muscles as effectively.
Erection is essentially blood flowing into the penis, clitoris or vulva.
Thus the more we can melt tension from within the muscles in our pelvis, the more effectively blood can get to our parts.
Better blood flow to the pelvis can heighten the sensations of arousal.
So stretch your hips, honey, its gonna make everything feel better!
Obviously yoga classes can be great if you choose to prioritize that, but stretching in front of the television for 5 or 10 minutes is also useful.
Taking some time to release some of the long held tension in our hips is a great way to take care of our sexual selves outside of the bedroom, knowing it is beneficial for us in the bedroom later.
February 2, 2013
February 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
70-80% of women do not experience orgasm through vaginal intercourse.
Most women experience orgasm through clitoral stimulation.
Which is why it makes sense for women to experiment with having at least one orgasm before vaginal intercourse begins, so that the body is warmed up and can more fully enjoy penetration.
Depending on the woman’s body, it is possible that intercourse itself will feel much better this way.
Is this something you regularly do, or is it something to request or experiment with and see how it feels?
February 1, 2013
February 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Dr. Christiane Northrup has been a leading voice in the world of mind-body wellness for women in the last few decades. As an MD, ex-surgeon and Ob Gyn she wrote a classic book on women’s health: Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom. She has written much about health and pleasure, about mother-daughter relationships, menopause and most recently a delightful children’s book for little girls. Each of her books have been essential reads and ground-breaking work in the field of women’s health and wellness. I am particularly grateful to Dr. Northrup for explaining physically how pleasure is healthy and valuable for women to experience.
This painting is made in thanks to her for all of her work to the field of women’s health, sexuality and pleasure. The painting is an ode to her, by honoring her love of tango. I hear from her writing that it has become a great joy of hers in the last few years as she continues to deepen in the pleasure of being in her body.
Inspired by Dr. Northrup’s work,
May we all continue to know our bodies factually and practically and may that inform how we treat our bodies.
May we heal our lineages of mother daughter relationships.
May we open to the pleasure of being in our blessed female bodies.
May we teach young girls to be awake to the magic and mystery of their bodies as they grow.
I thank you Dr. Northrup for your work in this field, for what you have opened up for women in terms of knowing our bodies more intimately and with more reverence and delight.
Thank you.
January 31, 2013
January 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment
“You don’t have to be born beautiful to be wildly attractive”
-Diana Vreeland, fashion icon.
Soak that in fully.
January 30, 2013
January 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
There are disproportionately fewer images out there of larger women being unabashedly sexy. This tongue in cheek video has some fun, fabulous moments of bigger women enjoying their bodies.
I particularly enjoy the video at .36 where they do a slow pan over her whole lingerie clad body while she seems to enjoy being viewed, and 1.35 where we are treated to close ups of her jiggling thighs on top of the washing machine in a fabulously sexy way and 2.15 and 3.00 where the woman in the black corset and suspenders is definitely enjoying being in her own body.
It is always a joy to watch a woman have fun and feel free in her body, no matter what her size. I hope seeing images of larger women feeling sexy and free gives all of us permission to let our own sexy self come out to play, whatever size or state our body is in!