Whole Life Magazine

January/February 2015

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Charu Morgan photo: by Shani Barel Charu Morgan photo: by Shani Barel Take heart, discouraged seeker, hope is on the hori- zon. e self-love and sexual energy you crave can be found and sustained. is journey begins with making time for you. Being kind to yourself will bring you to a relaxed state that is receptive to healing. From here you are better able to love yourself and others. A three-pronged approach can help, but always be sure to consult your own health care provider before embarking on any new program. LOVE YOUR LIBIDO F irst order of business: your physical body. Las Vegas-based sexologist Dr. Shelley, PhD's approach is to focus on what might be diminishing your libido and sexual desire. She recom- mends starting with a hormone imbalance check. "Sometimes balancing your hormones with bio-identical hor- mone therapy is su cient to bring back the urge," she said. If a man has low testosterone levels that get addressed and his libido comes back, the woman may want to have her hormones tested as well. Also included on her short list of remedies is cutting back on carbs to increase energy and lower weight, which contributes to eventually bringing back sexual urges and self con dence. A long-term vegetarian diet that's improperly balanced can also lower libido and stamina in men, and sexu- al desire in women, she noted. Prescription pharmaceuticals can have that same e ect, so if there are physical issues that can be addressed equally well with diet and exercise, that could be a double win. So how do you start to reawaken yourself ? "Self-pleasuring is always a good start," Dr. Shelley said, "It's important to discover what brings you pleasure rst." And then there's cuddling, which leads to an increase in oxytocin; known as the feel-good hormone, it helps balance the emotions. Don't forget to engage your playful childhood self. Explore fantasy, or experiment with stimulating herbs. Livestrong.com recommends muira puama, a tree bark from the Amazon River basin. Or sip some damiana leaf tea. Massage with jasmine oil to rst relax the body, then follow up with stimulating oils such as ylang ylang and sandalwood. Reawakening SELF LOVE Lost that lovin' feeling? Follow this map to bring it back Lost that lovin' feeling? Follow this map to bring it back BY LORI DENMAN-UNDERHILL Reawakening TAKE A MOMENT TO FOCUS FULLY ON YOUR WHOLE BEING, ON HOW IT FEELS WHEN YOU ARE OPEN, VIBRANT AND ALIVE. IF THAT'S YOUR PRESENT REALITY AND YOU LOVE YOURSELF, CONGRATULATIONS! UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF US HAVE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELING. STAG- NATION MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN THE WAKE OF A PHYSICAL INJURY, TRAUMA, EMOTIONAL BLOCKAGE OR SIMPLY YEARS OF POOR NUTRITION AND HEALTH. OUR BODIES AND MINDS GET DEPLETED, EXHAUSTED AND NEED REPLENISHMENT, INCLUDING REST, REHYDRATION, HEALTHY DIET AND INVIGORATING EXERCISE TO REGAIN THAT SELF-LOVE, EXPLAINED FAMILY PRACTITIONER KATRINA MILLER, MD, OF ADVENTIST HEALTH IN ECHO PARK. 24 wholelifetimes.com

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