Online yOni mapping - isolation creativity generates a powerful new modality

Has someone ever given you a shoulder massage and your whole mood changed because they've relaxed muscles that you didn't even know were tense? It’s certainly happened to me! Most of us hold quite a lot of excess tension in our body. Often we don’t even realise this is happening until it gets so extreme that it causes pain or other imbalances. Which is why regular massages are a great self care strategy.

There’s one super important area of the body that your masseur will not go near. Actually this place very rarely gets physical touch outside of lovemaking. Our genitals! And our genitals also store tension. In fact even more than other areas, as they are such a key core area of our body and can be affected, often without us knowing it, by many aspects of life. 

Genital mapping 

In the past few years yOni massage or yOni mapping has become quite a popular therapy. Genital mapping for all genital areas including the anus, is one part of the skill set of a somatic sex educator. In my practice I offer two sessions that use this modality, Gentle Genital Tension Release and Pleasure Mapping. In both sessions I am supporting my client to explore and to connect really precisely with the range of different sensations present within their unique intimate terrain. The techniques we use are very similar, however the focus of our intent varies.

Enter the lockdown restrictions of our current worldwide pandemic!

And the wonder of the creativity that is fostered by restriction. 

Together with several of my colleagues I have been working on a genital mapping, or genital tension release offering that can be facilitated online. 

Remote yOni mapping is now a thing! And the results are proving to be highly effective!

Clients, are able to create a super safe space for themselves and to proceed at exactly the pace that feels right in that moment. I’m really excited because this is very potent work that can create a lot of change and offering it online makes it available to a many more people. 

What can you expect?

We meet together over Zoom and I will give you exact instructions about how to set up your space. There will be no nudity on camera. During the session I’ll just be seeing your face, or if you prefer you can turn off your video entirely and we will stay connected by voice. 

We may start by talking about anatomy and exploring some different types of touch. We will certainly discuss consent even though it will be your hands touching your body. It is such an important skill to connect in with yourself and feel exactly what feels appropriate for you in every situation. 

I will guide you through some practices to bring you fully present in your body and then we will start the mapping. Together we will create the map of the terrain in your body that you want to explore. I will guide you every step of the way but you will be in absolute control at all times.

The goal is to explore and experience exactly what is happening right now in your body. We use loving touch, breath and presence to discover the full range of sensations that are available to you. What do you feel in each particular spot? Is there tension, pleasure, pain, relaxation, numbness or delight? And how does it change when we give it loving attention and varying types of touch. 

What are the results?

The mapping process may sound deceptively simple but the effects are profound. After sessions clients have reported ‘heightened sensitivity’, feeling ‘really rejuvenated and energised’ and being ’in a very positive space’. I have witnessed someone release sadness from a past relationship that was blocking pleasure in their current one. And letting go of shame that had been buried for decades. As well as releasing physical tension and emotional holding the process also allows us to connect with and release cellular memory. The results include increased genital sensation and deeper connection with our natural sexual essence.

Mapping is a process that can’t be rushed. We need to allow plenty of time to explore each point we are drawn to. So I like to work with people for a minimum of three sessions. This gives allows us to work with anything that arises for you during and after the sessions. I often offer home practice suggestions that will enrich the journey. 

I am delighted to offer this work online, especially in these times of uncertainly and challenge. I feel it is incredibly valuable for us to be able to connect with the amazing power of our sexual energy and remove any obstacles present to relax into our true beauty, our naturalness.

If this work calls to you at all then you are invited to book a 20 minute, no-obligation chat in which we can explore the possibility further. Just send an email to consult@lauradoe.com and I’ll get right back to you. I look forward to hearing from you.

Photo by Rowan Chestnut on Unsplash

The Lost Squat

Over the past weeks I've been really enjoying refining the yOnilates program and preparing the teaching materials for the second cohort of teacher trainers. This sort of research and clarification is one of my favourite activities, and I’d like to share with you one of the gems that can really support pelvic wellness throughout life...
Squatting!
We just don’t do it enough any more.
For many folk, squatting is seen as undignified and uncomfortable. At best, we might undertake it during exercise class or yoga, but usually only a couple of times a week.
I’m going to suggest that you find a way to make squatting a part of daily life.

It’s not that unusual - in fact our bodies are absolutely designed to squat. Watch most toddlers and you’ll quickly see how they squat and stand up again with grace and ease. A huge proportion of the planet’s population squats daily, usually many times and for quite long periods. People squat to rest, to chat, to pray, to cook, to share a meal, to use the toilet and to give birth. It’s not that we can’t sit comfortably in a deep squat, it’s just that we’ve forgotten how.

Our failure to squat has important implications. It is a ‘use it or lose it’ situation. The synovial fluid that bathes all our joints is like the body’s oil that also provides nutrition to the cartilage. Movement and compression are essential for the production of synovial fluid, and, if a joint doesn’t go through its full range, the production reduces and eventually stops.

When we sit all the time rather than squatting, the hips and knees never go past 90 degrees and the degeneration starts.

For those of us interested in the wellbeing of our pelvic floor, the lost squat has further implications. When we squat, we also activate the many muscles connecting in to the pelvis. Strengthening your glutes and hamstrings will provide important support to the pelvic floor. The squat action also stretches and lengthens the pelvic floor itself. Many of the pelvic issues people experience are actually due to the pelvic floor being too tight, rather than too weak.

So squatting is really useful and it is a good idea to do more, but as movement expert, Katy Bowman, says, ‘If you haven’t squatted in the last million years (besides the two times you went camping and peed on your shoe), it’s going to take awhile to prepare your joints.’

Here are three starter exercises based on her excellent suggestions:

The calf stretch

Place the ball of one foot up on a rolled yoga mat or towel, or use a low block or a pilates half pipe. Keep your heel on the ground and feel the stretch in the back of your calf. To increase the stretch step forward with the opposite foot.

No-bow, bottom drop

From a hands and knees position (with lower legs and feet parallel & tracking straight back), drop the hips back as far as you can, without allowing the feet to move closer to each other, or allowing the tailbone to tuck under. Don’t sit back any farther if your tailbone tucks. Make sure you keep a lightly arched back. If your tailbone tucks, making your back bow backwards, come forward, re-lift your bum, and hang out in the position where you can still keep your back slightly arched.

Supported squat
Use the handles of an open door to lower yourself down into a squat whilst staying supported. Position yourself so your arms stretch out fully, and make sure your knees head down in line with your big toes.

Head over to Katy’s excellent blog for pictures of these exercises and additional tips. She will give you a better idea about your squat-ability, and get you on a safe and healthy path to full squatting.

If squats are already a doddle, then just make sure that your knees are heading out in line with your big toe, and resolve to find extra opportunities to incorporate squatting into your day.

Squat during ad breaks on the TV, when picking up stuff from the floor, or talking to small people. Squat occasionally rather than sitting to do a simple task, and, if you are up for it, you could even consider getting a little stool to put in front of your toilet to help you squat, rather than sit on ‘the throne'.

Happy squatting - and do let me know if you have any more ingenious ideas about when and where to incorporate more squatting into your life.

On wombs, grief and talking to children about sexuality

Last night I sat in a room filled with parents, mainly mothers, who had come to hear me discuss how best to talk to their children about sexuality. Studies show that children who report having easy, open conversations about sex with mum and/or dad are more likely to do what most parents want for them; delay sexual activity, have fewer partners, and use contraceptives when they do have sex. However, when parents feel discomfort, shame or embarrassment on the topic, young people are left to learn about sexuality from friends, television, music, advertisements and the internet. These are sources which can present a skewed and at times even dangerous perspective. 

So how do we create the environment for these conversations, especially when most of us had very little effective modelling to draw upon? For many of us this calls us to attend to whatever remains of our discomfort around our own sexuality. More on this later.

This morning I've been reading an excellent book called Wild Feminine by Tami Lynn Kent. I'm at the chapter on mothering and the womb and, as with much of what Tami writes, her words resonate beautifully with my own understandings and experience. 

She speaks of the capacity of the womb to hold (create) and release energy and also of the depth of grief that she has encountered while working with women in their pelvic bowl. I'm well aware of the capacity of the sensitive tissues of the pelvis to hold and store unprocessed memory and emotions and the possibility of release with tender, loving touch, focused attention and breath.

The light that went on for me was when she spoke about the lack of grieving rituals in our culture. Not only do we not have a time or place set aside to grieve the small and the large losses of our lives, most 'modern' women do their best to ignore, cover up or minimise their body's monthly release of her womb's lining. And in doing so we miss this natural opportunity for grieving and letting go of whatever has passed in the previous month. Little wonder that so many of our bodies respond with pelvic and uterine issues, both those that involve heaviness, holding and unwanted growths and those that result in weakness and excessive release.

How would things change, I pondered, if we devoted just one hour of each menstrual flow to allowing ourselves to grieve for the losses and deaths of the previous month, both our own and those of our family, our nearest and dearest? For women after menopause and for people without wombs the natural timing for this would be the dark moon. The human body responds to the moon's cycles even without a womb lining that waxes and wanes.

Which brings me back to the parents meeting. I find that a good part of what colours our views on sexuality and thus what we present to our children is determined by our own experiences. Often the bad ones. The process of cleaning the slate so we can be clear about what we want to pass on can be well served by reviewing and taking time to grieve and let go of losses and disappointments in our own sexual history.

Although, for some this can be a more lengthy journey, a simple ritual with a clear intention can be very helpful. Here's a suggestion, that could be used, both for this process or as regular monthly ritual.

Take some time to reflect on and write down those events from your sexual experiences (or those of the past month) that are unresolved within you. Allow yourself to feel the feelings that arise. Give your self permission to grieve these losses. Self soothe with gentle touch and let the tears flow if they are there. When you feel complete then simply take the pieces of paper and throw them into a river or stream of moving water or burn them in a fire and watch them being released or carried away. 

And if you are considering how best to talk to your children about sex then I recommend that you give yourself a couple of days and then ask yourself the question 'What does my child need to know to have a happy and fulfilling sexual life?'. Guided by this reflection, your conversations will be more likely to contain what kids say they want from their parents - honest guidance about values and feelings. 

I'd love to know if this is useful - do let me know how you go.

Looking at libido myths

I saw a discussion on Facebook today in which vulva cancer survivor and unstoppable gynae awareness advocate, Kath Mazalla, posted about a radio show she had listened to.  In this program, men, she reported, were saying that they had more urges than women, and women are becoming more accepting of husbands/partners having affairs in order to keep their man happy. Kath questioned whether most women would accept this.

What I question is the first suggestion that men have 'more urges than women'.
To start with it simply doesn't make sense to me, on an evolutionary level, that the gender responsible for growing the next generation in their bellies would be distinctly 'ho hum' about the act that starts the whole process. Did nature decide to rely on 'male urges' in combination with the masculine's generally superior strength to propagate our species?
I don't think so!

I believe that during centuries of male dominated society, we in the minority ('western') world, have been sold this myth. And many of us have come to believe it.

Prior to the 18th century it was thought that both the man and the woman needed to achieve orgasm for conception to take place. Once scientists discovered this was not the case interest in accurate education about feminine sexual pleasure dwindled dramatically. It has been suggested that information about women's arousal anatomy has been systematically removed from medical textbooks after this time. Women's natural urges have certainly been socially, morally and spiritually condemned, with those who enjoy sex becoming branded as whores and the only really acceptable archetype's available being the chaste maiden or devoted (and asexual) mother

However there are numerous countries in Africa and many Muslim communities who consider a woman’s sex drive to be extremely powerful. So powerful in fact that young girls genitals are quite literally cut out to preserve their moral values. Female Genital Mutilation affects an estimated 140 million women worldwide. It describes a range of practices in which all or part of a girls vulva is cut, sewn or removed. Fran Hosken's ground breaking report on FGM was published in 1979 and was influential in persuading the World Health Organization, to make efforts to end the practice. She reports that FGM is said to 'protect a women against her over sexed nature, saving her from temptation, suspicion and disgrace while preserving her chastity'. For these people a woman's 'urges' are considered to be so intense, both for her and for her community, that they must be extremely controlled.

And now lets look back at European history.
During the systematic persecution and execution of 'witches' in the Middle Ages chief inquisitor Heinrich Kramer wrote his notorious Malleus Maleficarum which became a handbook for secular courts throughout Renaissance Europe. In Section 1 he says "all witchcraft comes from carnal lust which is in women insatiable".
Insatiable, huh!
So why is it that we believe that men 'have more urges than women'? In part, possibly, because so many of our ancestors who dared to delight in their natural expressions of pleasure were burnt at the stake.

And now the pharmaceutical companies have jumped in on the act, where the church left off. They have created a medical 'disorder' called Female Sexual Dysfunction in order to attempt to repeat the unprecedented financial success of Viagra.
Viagra, the first oral treatment for erectile dysfunction was developed accidentally by scientists at Pfizer Laboratories and was greenlighted for use by the FDA on March 27, 1998. It was a huge success and has made billions of dollars for the company.
In that very same year, sex experts came together at the pharmaceutical industry-funded International Consensus Development Conference of Female Sexual Dysfunction to craft a new classification system. Because, guess what, unless you have a dysfunction, you can sell a cure.

In my practice I find that many women's issues around lack of desire and enjoyment of sex simply arise from lack of understanding of our arousal needs and how they differ from men's. This simple lack of knowledge in both partners has resulted in uncomfortable intercourse, before a woman is fully ready, which, over time, becomes extremely disheartening and quite literally numbs a woman's capacity for sensation. And with nowhere to go for information (other than internet porn which portrays a limited and unrealistic view of female sexuality) many women just give up and resign themselves to believing the myth.

What I believe we need is to lift the taboos, so that sex can be discussed, to educate openly and accurately and to support women to rediscover our natural, delightful, healing & empowering capacity for pleasure.
This is my mission and my passion. If it interests you please check out my new DVD -The Art & Science of Female Arousal or visit my teaching website or FB page to find out more.

Homeopathy under attack

from http://www.davidicke.com/

Over the past few years homeopathy has been under attack by groups with a vested interest in discrediting it. More than likely the same groups as those promoting the CODEX legislation (see Codex alimentarius - Still hunting witches?), who caused the PAN Pharmaceuticals fiasco here in Aus and who have been making it harder and harder for herbalists to sell valuable natural medicines.

Homeopathy is a 200-year-old system of medicine used successfully by tens of millions worldwide.  It is part of the public health care systems of nations in Europe, South America and Asia.  It has a laudable two-century clinical record.  There are hundreds of high-quality basic science, pre-clinical and clinical studies showing it works. It is vastly safer than conventional medicine.

No form of health care can claim such accomplishments without being effective.

But there are very wealthy and powerful vested interests whose profits and power would be compromised if homeopathy were to become fully known and accepted for what it is by the public. They want to make sure that doesn’t happen, and they’re willing to spread lies to do it.

Learn more at Extraordinary Medicine

Reclaiming the Magic of the Vulva

Give me a topic and I’ll find a way to fit in a yoni! Actually it isn’t a hard ask to find the connection between Magic and the Vulva so when She de Montford asked me to write an article for her magazine Spellcraft I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised to discover that what I produced could pretty much serve as a ‘manifesto’ for my work with yOni.com. This article was first published in the summer edition of the ‘definitive guide to Magick in the Southern Hemisphere’....

I am a collector (and a purveyor) of Vulvic Art. My home is adorned with sumptuous silk and velvet vulva pillows, fluffy vulva purses, vulva pens, vulva jewellery and more. Some people are shocked when they see my collection, some are delighted but most ask “Why?”. I tell them that I believe the vulva is a wonderous and magical place, worthy of the utmost respect and the most beautiful artistic representations.

Anyone who has witnessed the natural entry of a child into this world would find it hard to deny the incredible qualities of the vulva. From a purely physical perspective her ability to stretch to accommodate the head of the newborn is nothing short of awe inspiring. Alas few of us have had the privilege to attend such a moving and fundamental event.

This was not always the case. Respect for the Vulva as the portal between the worlds was widespread in ancient times. And so was Vulvic Art.

Sheila na Gigs (or Sheelah-na-Gigs) are figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva. They are found on churches, castles and other buildings, particularly in Ireland and Britain.

In the prestigious "Encyclopedia of Religion," (Eliade, Mircea. (Editor),1987) there are references to Sheila na Gigs

"The obvious life-giving and growth-promoting powers of the vulva and its secretions have given rise to a widespread use of representations of the female genitalia as apotropaic (intended to "ward off evil") devices. …. An apotropaic function seems to have prompted the placing of squatting female figures prominently exposing their open vulvas on the key of arches at church entrances in Ireland, Great Britain, and German Switzerland…. Most such figures were removed from churches in the nineteenth century.”

And a little farther down in the same article:

"A remarkable parallel to the Celtic Sheelagh-na-gig is found in the Palauan archipelago. The wooden figure of a nude woman, prominently exposing her vulva by sitting with legs wide apart and extended to either side of the body, is placed on the eastern gable of each village's chiefly meeting house. Such figures are called dilugai…These female figures protect the villagers' health and ward off all evil spirits as well. They are constructed by ritual specialists according to strict rules, which if broken would result in the specialist's as well as the chiefs death. It is not coincidental that each example of signs representing the female genitalia used as apotropaic devices are found on gates. The vulva is the primordial gate, the mysterious divide between nonlife and life" (Encyclopedia of Religion, article YONI, Vol.15, p.534).

I believe that much healing can be achieved through reclaiming the magic of the Vulva in our modern world. However, to do so we need first to inspect our current cultural attitudes to this most glorious and sacred part of the body.

Not only do we have no respectful representations of the Vulva, many of us are uncomfortable even talking about her. Last year the Weekend Australian ran an article about three US students who were suspended from high school for disobeying teachers and uttering the word “vagina” during a reading from the Eve Ensler’s ‘Vagina Monologues’.

In one research study, only 7% of respondents considered the vagina a body part that is freely mentionable (Allan & Burridge, 1991). Another survey found that 53% of women "felt some discomfort using the word vagina" (Bulletin, 1994, p. 10). And both women and gynecologists have been shown to rarely mention the word vagina (or even a synonym) during gynecological consultations (Weijts, Houtcoop, & Mullen, 1993).

And there are certainly plenty of synonyms to choose from! In my workshops I ask women to remember the name that they were given for their vulva as a child. I always hear something new. Rarely do I hear either vulva or vagina (which is technically the canal between the external genitalia, the vulva, and the womb). More distressing to me is that about one quarter of the woman were given no name at all to use. The area was just not mentioned. At all!

Why is this important? I believe that if women are uncomfortable with speaking about a part of their body which determines their femininity, which is a source of incredible creativity, pleasure and delight (the clitoris being the only body organ with the sole purpose of providing pleasure) and which is the gateway through which every one of us, in the normal run of things, enters this world, if we can’t name this part of us with ease and consider it with comfort then there is a dangerous void in our sense of ourselves as women.

And if we can’t talk about it then we cannot be given important information regarding our genital health. Woman of all ages can benefit from exercising the pelvic floor. In fact one source suggests that pelvic floor squeezes (or kegels) are the single most important exercise for a woman’s long term emotional and physical health. But most of us do not even hear about the possibility until we are pregnant (if then.) Kegels can be done anywhere, any time. Apart from being pleasurable for many woman (especially the more you practice!) kegeling increases blood flow and muscle tone, enhances sexual pleasure and reduces the likelihood of incontinence after childbirth.

I suggest that it is of the utmost importance to investigate and work towards healing any disempowering attitudes we have had foisted onto us about our most glorious and sacred feminine parts. By doing so women will feel better about themselves, boost their self-esteem, reduce depression and increase respect for the feminine in our society.

There are three simple steps we can take to start to reclaim the magic of the vulva:

Luscious yOni pendant available from yOni.com

1. We can use vulvic imagery as a powerful talisman. This need not be overt. The mandorla and even the V, or the cleft V are time honoured symbols for the vulva and can easily be incorporated into jewellery, art or even scribbles on a post-it note!

2. We can practice using her name. It may take time to become comfortable but it is unlikely to happen unless we start.

3. And thirdly, if we were lucky enough to be born in a woman’s body, we can kegel. Anywhere, any time! And while that enigmatic Mona Lisa smile creeps over our faces we can affirm the wonder and the power of feminine nature.


Visit www.yoni.com to see some of Laura-Doe's vulvic art collection and www.dothekegel.com for her squeeze along song to get you kegeling and for more information about pelvic floor exercise. Laura-Doe also runs workshops for women through the yOniversity® and provides comic info/entertainment on all things vulvic using her comic cabaret characters from Vaudeville of the Vulva. Please use the comments area to get in touch if you'd like to host a workshop or talk further about a performance.

Ayurvedic oil drizzling

I’m on to my third day of oil drizzling. The treatment rooms are in a separate building near the cottages. You can see it to the right in this picture from my veranda.

My treatment usually happens in the late afternoon. First Dr Asha gives me an oil massage using warm oil infused with particular herbs to support my out of balance doshas. For the first seven days the massage was followed by a body dhara with warm medicated water. For the body dhara the doctor uses a vessel like a bulbous vase with a hole in the bottom to pour the water in a specific pattern over the body. They tell me it is designed to open up blockages in the channels that eliminate toxins from the body. It feels very yummy and relaxing although it took a while to get the temperature just right for me. The first one was a bit too hot and left me rather drained and dehydrated. Once the treatment is over the lovely washer lady (mine is called Vigaylakshmi) comes in and washes off all the oil with a special body scrub. It’s like being a baby again being washed and dried and once you get over the strangeness it is also extremely relaxing!

After the series of body dharas were competed I had one day of basti. The oil massage came first as per usual and then I was put in the steam box – like a little sauna with a hole for your head to poke out of – for a few minutes and then back into the treatment room for the basti. The basti is effectively an enema with medicated liquid but there are a variety of different types of basti and their intent and effect are quite different from traditional enemas. This one was apparently designed to give me specific herbs to be absorbed by the colon.

And now I’m on the oil drizzling (or body dhara with oil) which is very similar to the other dhara but with warm oil. As the oil is much more viscous than the water the warmth spreads deliciously and lingers on the body. It is very relaxing and very very oily!

When I’m not in treatment the big decision is whether to do nothing or very little! After my morning routine of herbs, nasya (warm medicated oil in the nostrils to eliminate kapha – mucous – from the head) and yoga – either in my room or with the teacher, the day is punctuated by the delivery of meals, drinks and a visit from the coconut man. He is in the picture above too and he brings around young coconuts and cuts them open to give us the juice and the delicious soft young coconut flesh. Mmmm!

Here is one of the breakfasts – I call it wiggly iddlies but that’s probably not the name!

I have a variety of ‘doing very little’ options. I’ve got some great books - both fiction that I brought with me and some on Ayurveda and tantra from the library here. I’m really enjoying colouring in the mandalas in the book that I got for Christmas and I’ve been getting creative with papier maché, inspired by the desire not to waste the Indian papers that get delivered each morning.


There is a TV in my room and I occasionally watch a movie. One day when I didn’t have treatment (there’s no treatment on Sundays) I went for a short walk in the evening. But I got back so hot and bothered and dehydrated I decided not to do that again!

The other guests here are lovely and every now and then someone pops by for a chat. I quite often go up to the canteen for a more social dinner with a couple of the women who are staying upstairs in the hospital. One is also English but living in Oz and the other is Russian and living in UAE. We have quite a giggle together.

On Saturday there was a big event. Puja was held in the temple for the healing of the patients. It was very spectacular and included some special mantras designed to remove any negative effects of the planets on our healing. This picture shows the Brahmin priest (who is also a doctor at the asram) in front of the image they created representing all the planets.

LD turns 50!

I wake up to the buzz and flash of my mobile phone with that feeling of excitement that often comes for me when waking before dawn. Six am is medicine time and the recommended rising time for patients at the Poonthottam Ayurvedic Asram. I am about 5 days into a special treatment called a Panchakama that I have treated myself to as my 50th birthday present.

I light a couple of candles which I had been burning the night before and then add a few more for good birthday measure. The lights work fine but it feels nice to forgo the harshness of the electric light for the warm glow of the candles. By the time I have finished my yoga the sun will have risen in any case.

I drink my medicine (not pleasant but not disgusting) and roll out my yoga mat. I have already established a gentle morning routine of a few sun salutations and a series of asana that the book my neighbour lent me suggested were particularly supportive to the Panchakama process. I finish with some pranayama and a short meditation and wander onto my veranda to absorb the morning.

The view from my cottage is delicious - a huge variety of greens in a base of creamy brown ochre. The six cottages are on a terrace overlooking a little valley with several separate areas of plantings. Some of the hospital’s vege and herb gardens are to the right, a ploughed area that probably grows rice in the wet season straight ahead and bananas to the left. Across the valley are more bananas, coconuts and other trees rising up to the skyline. The first morning as I sat and marveled at the peace and beauty of it, the landscape that had seemed to me quite unpopulated, suddenly started to come alive. First two ochre dogs exactly the same colour as the soil materialized out of it and started bounding around the paddy field. Then a man with a water buffalo emerged out of the trees and then I realized there were several more people in the forest cutting down coconuts.

And then there are the birds – brilliant blue and vivid yellow, tiny dainty little birds that dart and flutter in the bushes, huge eagles soaring high in the blue sky and glorious peacocks strutting and pecking in the gardens. Between them they make a positive symphony of sound – especially at dawn!

After a suitable time congratulating myself on arranging such a great environment for my birthday morning, I put a light jacket over my singlet - sleeveless and therefore somewhat immodest by Keralan standards - in order to wander up the hill and seek out the yoga teacher that I had been told offered classes to those that wished. Dr Ravi had pronounced my desire to do yoga during my treatment a ‘very wise move’ but so far the yoga teacher had not made it down to my cottage to talk to me about classes. I thought I’d take matters into my own hands.

There is a steep staircase leading up from the cottage area to the main hospital and a longer route that winds through the trees. Mindful of the frequent instructions to avoid exertion and ‘take rest’ whenever possible I meander up the longer route admiring more of the unfamiliar vegetation. There are quite a number of trees along the path that have been scored in a spiral and have coconut shell cups attached at the base of the trunk to collect the sap. I have a tentative sniff at the white gooey stuff collected but it had no smell that I could identify. I decided not to risk tasting it! I must ask someone what it is.

The yoga hall cum temple cum theatre cum library is a large building with and impressive entrance – a wide staircase leading up to huge carved wooden doors. I leave my sandals at the bottom of the stairs where a small collection of other footwear suggested that that was the thing to do and made my way up. Peeking inside the doors I see a yoga class in progress so I wait and watch to see what was happening. Before long the teacher sees me and beckons me inside and invites me to join. It seems churlish to say “I’ve already done mine” so I find a mat and join in with the rest of the class. His yoga involves a great deal more exertion than mine had done but I have since checked with the doctors and yoga exertion is considered perfectly kosha during treatment – or would it be halal!?

After (second) yoga I cruise back down the hill to the canteen that sits on another terrace above the cottages. The canteen is a buzz of breakfast time activity with head cook presiding over the making of today’s dosas. Breakfast varies each day and dosas are my favourite. These yummy crispy pancakes are made from a mix of rice and black dahl, ground to a paste and fermented overnight. For breakfast they are served with a liquid coconut paste. Actually dosas are the bigger flat type and today we had a smaller concave kind which may be called something quite different. Just as yummy though!

After breakfast I have a quick check of my emails to see if there are any birthday wishes waiting. Phew – there are! And alas some work related things that need sorting. They don’t take long though and my good mood it too good to be dented by working on my birthday.

Back at my cabin I have a shower - Indian style which means filling a big bucket with warm water and pouring jugs full over myself with gay abandon. Then I dress myself to greet the day and my second half-century on this glorious planet.

You've got the iPhone - now here's the iToothbrush!!

This is such a cool innovation in tooth brushing.

Although I totally love the 'dentist' clean feeling that this clever toothbrush gives me, I am most excited about the effect it has had on my 11 year old son's tooth brushing habits. He is so tickled by the fact that he doesn't need toothpaste that he is brushing his teeth with glee rather than the extreme reluctance he used to display. I also find it very useful to be able to carry my ion toothbrush around and to brush my teeth anywhere I can drink a mouthful of water and spit without offending anyone!

But before I get too excited let me tell you what I'm talking about

An Ion iToothbrush is a toothbrush that cleans your teeth and gums without the need for toothpaste. Rather than relying on pressure and abrasions to clean, the Ion iToothbrush releases a flow of ions - a very gentle electric current - in your mouth. These ions sterilize mouth bacteria, strengthen the gums, and stop plaque sticking to your teeth.

The result is an incredible squeaky clean feeling , and for me a noticable whitening of my teeth. When I brush with the iToothbrush it feels like I've just stepped out of the dentists chair after a clean and polish. And a 20 second brush is apparently more effective than 2 minutes of ordinary brushing.

It's such a buzz - and a real bonus for mums trying to get their kids into good tooth brushing habits.

Read more here and click here to purchase your very own iToothbrush!

Women and Depression Conference 2007

I am flying up to Sydney next week to give a presentation at the Women and Depression Conference (23-25 May at the Carlton Crest Hotel). I was expecting to offer a two hour workshop 'Returning to Reverence of the Sacred Source' in which women are invited to use art, voice dialogue, the wondrous vulva puppets and other processes to become aware of and to begin to heal any dis-empowering attitudes to our most glorious and sacred feminine parts.

However I recently discovered that all presenters are now allocated a 30 minute slot only! It's going to be fun condensing all that into a 30 minute presentation. Any suggestions?

Returning to Reverence of the Sacred Source - Workshop abstract

The prevalence of terms for women's genitalia that can be classified as derogatory or dismissive, or terms which are nonspecific and vague reflects and perpetuates a cultural context in which women's genitalia are either conceptually absent or perceived negatively (Braun & Wilkinson, 2001). Participants in Lee and Sasser-Coen's (1996) qualitative study spoke of menarche as an experience that "contaminated" their bodies, and their genitals in particular. Is it no wonder that the self-esteem of young women plummets in their early teens?

While we as women experience any difficulty thinking about, talking about, ‘owning’ or experiencing the miracle of our genitals and reproductive cycles, what effects must that have on our health and happiness and our overall attitudes to being a woman?

'Returning to Reverence of the Sacred Source' is a powerful experiential workshop in which women have the opportunity to explore and renew their relationship with their vulva and vagina. We use art, voice dialogue, vulva puppets and group process to become aware of and to begin to heal any dis-empowering attitudes to our most glorious and sacred feminine parts. (NB No nudity is involved in this process).

Dangerous GE food on our plates

'Hey Mr Monsanto, don't want you interfering with our food!'

The opening line of a song I wrote over 10 years ago is just as relevant today - if not more so. For a while Australia (my home) has benefited by being a little behind the times as well as by being separated by sea from other land masses. Alas we are not protected from the dubious motives of our politicians with the result that genetically engineered (GE) crops and GE foods are gaining approval and threatening our ecosystem, our health and that of our children.

When rats were fed the GE corn variety, MON863, they showed signs of kidney and liver toxicity. But the same corn was given a big tick by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), declaring it safe for human consumption. Does this make any sense? A new study of the toxic effects of MON863 on rats concludes that the corn cannot be considered a "safe product". Yet FSANZ had access to the same test results back in 2004 and still gave it the thumbs up.

The good news is that there is no need to spend millions of dollars of taxpayers money trying to create genetically engineered drought resistant crops as Australian scientists have already produced them using conventional breeding techniques. A non-GE drought resistant canola variety developed in Victoria will be available to farmers this year. Despite the industry spin GE technology is being rapidly replaced by other technologies that don’t pose the same environmental and human health risks.

For more info and to take express your concern to our politicians visit the Greenpeace website and take cyberaction.

Court finds Pan Pharmaceuticals innocent

Australians and those who follow the fate of natural medicine in the hands of drug company bank-rolled givernment departments, may remember the massive recall imposed upon Pan Pharmaceuticals in 2003 that sent Australia's largest natural health manufacturing base bankrupt and threw another nail in the coffin of the reputation of alternative health care in this country.

Below is the recent press release from the Australian Democrats regarding the Pan Pharmaceuticals case in the NSW Supreme Court. The Supreme Court verdict speaks for itself ... in case you still had any doubts, the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration - Australia's regulatory agency for medical drugs and devices) works for the health of the drug company’s bank accounts and not the personal health of Australian citizens.

18 APRIL 2007
SENATOR LYN ALLISON
AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRATS LEADER

DEMOCRATS DEMAND HOWARD APOLOGISE FOR PAN PHARMACEUTICALS WITCHUNT


The Howard Government must now apologise following the acquittal of Pan Pharmaceuticals boss Jim Selim in the New South Wales Supreme Court. The pharmaceuticals giant was forced into administration in May 2003 following the largest pharmaceutical recall in Australia’s history.

“It was a pointless exercise targeting complementary medicines and it sent hundreds of small businesses broke”, Democrats leader and Health spokesperson Senator Allison said today. “The Howard Government turned its back on the mess and just walked away.”

1500 products were recalled, not because they caused adverse reactions, but because of speculation about ‘inconsistent quality’. Senator Allison raised concerns in the Senate at that time about what was playing out as a destructive over-reaction.

Mr.Selim was accused of a litany of charges, including breaching his manufacturing licence. In the end only two counts made it to court which were thrown out today.

“The unprecedented recall had a devastating effect on small businesses and shook public confidence in complementary health”, Senator Allison said. ”The very least those who have suffered deserve is an apology.”

Sourced from Alliance for Health Freedom Australia

For those of you in the USA the agency involved is the FDA. This body is seeking to reclassify virtually all vitamins, supplements, herbs and even vegetable juices as FDA-regulated drugs. Even massage oils and massage rocks will be classified as "medical devices" and require FDA approval. The document is called Docket No. 2006D-0480 and can be read here and the FDA is accepting public comments on the docket until April 30th. They tried to sneak this under the radar, but word got out and now the natural health community is up in arms over this rule. If you wish to protect your access to nutritional supplements, herbs, essential oils, homeopathic medicine or any other "complementary" or "alternative" modality, it is crucial that you take action to post your comments with the FDA right now and write your representatives in Washington to put a stop to another outrageous effort to destroy natural medicine.

For more information see Mike Adams' article in Newstarget

Light a candle for AIDS - or pharmaceutical profits?

'Thank you for lighting a candle to support the fight against HIV/AIDS' Bristol-Myers Squibb tell us on their Light to Unite (TM) campaign page designed, they say, 'to help raise awareness of the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S'.

Cute candle ... I lit one ... felt good ... and then regretted it when I checked out what independent writers in the New Internationalist have to say about Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Looks like B-M don't have such a feel-good-thing going in AIDS stricken poor world countries.

NI article 'Patient versus Patent' describes the company's attempts to patent HIV drugs in Thailand - thus making them unaffordable to most of the million or so Thai's who have or have died from HIV.

Another independent article on AIDS explains how lucrative it is for pharmacuetical companies to maintain their monopoly on the
market through patents which prevent the production of cheaper generic medicines for at least 20 years.

It also reports that Bristol-Myers has paid its CEO at least $146 million in one year.

As they've capped their donation to AIDS research at $100 thousand I'm afraid it looks to me like those cute Christmas candles are merely a smidge of the CEO's pocket money being spent on an image makeover.

They might even be providing a useful return in skewed research findings!

Sorry to be a candle snuffer!

"Obese" mum commits suicide

Grief stricken family sue Science Museum.



No - not really!
But these were some of the possible headlines that floated through my brain after a recent experience at the Brisbane Science Museum.


I have shied away from weighing machines for over a decade, having spent much of my teenage years and early adulthood obsessed with the figures on those unforgiving dials. Recently however I have made some pleasing progress with my battle with the bulges and I now fit comfortably into a size 14 and even occasionally a 12.


So when confronted with an interactive Body Mass Indicator exhibit at the Brisbane Science Museum on a recent trip with my son I decided I might finally be willing to break my taboo and face those scales.


The height measuring part was fairly painless (although the measure jerked rather uncomfortably down on my head) and only slightly surprising (when I realised that the last time I had measured my height it had been in feet and inches).


But the scales were another story. They must have seen me coming! Maybe they have a special sensor detecting scales aversion because when I first stepped on the readout confidently read 72 kilos and then quick as a flash it changed its mind and jumped to 80 kg. Yikes - that can't be right I screamed internally in a panic. 80 kilos - why thats only a mere kilo or two less than I weighed after my son was born - a comfortable motherly size 18. What's going on? Heavy bones? Muscles? I have been doing a lot of bike riding but really ....


I jumped off and tried to start over but the machine was having none of it. It appeared that once you'd started you had to finish or remain forever ignorant of your BMI score.


I probably should have chosen the latter option but I remembered those pleasingly loose size 14 jeans and I plucked up my courage and pressed the button for the final section of the exhibit. The red LED display teased me for a moment as it computed my fate. It whirred and pondered and then spat out my BMI readout - 30.1! I turned nervously to the scale printed on the wall and ran my finger up the scale: past average .... they tell me 14-16 is the average for Australian women ... but no ... up into overweight .. oh well I guess I could still loose a bit without fading away ... but no ... horror of horrors .. I passed overweight at 30 and ... discovered my distressing diagnosis...


... OBESE!


I decided on something sweet to cope with the trauma.
Well - I'm an obese size 14 - what difference was it going to make?

Continence Awareness Week

I love the way songs teach me about things. I'm talking, not just about songs that I hear, but particularly about songs that I have written myself.


It happens like this: I write the song and I think I know what it's about - well I wrote it didn't I? And then, over time, I find the the song teaches me more than I had ever realised was contained in it. It makes me question the whole idea of "I write" and to accept more and more that I am much more of a vehicle for the song to come through than the creatrix.


I wonder if other song writers, or poets and artists have had similar experiences. I'd love to hear about it if you do.


Mostly the revelations I get from my songs are on an emotional level - how I feel about things and how to deal with situations in my life. Recently though 'Do the Kegel' has been revealing stuff big time - in a very practical way. Before started on compiling the support information for the website (www.dothekegel.com) I didn't really have an idea of how widespread incontinence problems are. Nor what a huge industry disposable continence products is becoming. I certainly never knew that there was such a thing as 'Continence Awareness Week' here in Australia and also in the UK. Maybe it also exists in the US also but I haven't tapped into it there yet.


And I certainly wouldn't have had the remotest notion that I would be flying up to Melbourne with my CD in my hand to attend the Continence Awareness Week breakfast next week! Nor quite how passionate I would become about supporting awareness about this oh so common but hidden, embarrassing and, for some, incredibly debilitating problem.


Continence Awareness Week 2006 in Australia is 6th - 12th August.
The Continence Awareness foundation's slogan is Pelvic floor- use it or lose it!



Lets get kegeling!


PS The feedback I'm getting for 'Do the Kegel' has been great so far. Women are finding that the song really motives them to do their pelvic floor exercises and they have fun while they are doing them. There's still an opportunity to get a free download by heading to the forum and posting your kegel related tip or question - but be quick!


See also my earlier posts Do the Kegel and Coughing and Kegeling

Conspiracy against Natural Health - Say No to Codex

Back on the anti Codex bandwagon I pass this on verbatim from health professional, medical reform advocate and writer Eve Hillary. It is particularly relevant to Australian readers. Please take action.

Have you ever considered the luxury of our well-stocked health shops?
You can choose from many brands and sizes, containing varying strengths and ingredient combinations.
Want Vitamin C? Powder or tablet? 250mg, 500mg, 1000mg? Take your pick.
Or would you rather choose another vitamin or herb?

This freedom of choice could soon be a thing of the past.

WHY?
Because if the government (and pharmaceutical companies) get their way, the Codex Legislation being implemented in Europe will be passed and you may need to visit your doctor for a prescription to get any of the natural health supplements that are now available from your health store, naturopath or distributor. These prescribed supplements will not only contain minimum levels of the current supplements, but many will be synthetic (molecules changed for patent purposes). These European laws could be transposed upon Australia via Free Trade Agreements and WTO obligations.

What this means is: supplements will have no therapeutic effects and in due course, you will need to go to pharmaceutical drugs in order to look after your own health.

Ultimately: you won’t be able to choose your own supplements any more! Doctors will have to do it for you. So then the scenario may be, no naturopaths, no health stores, no herbalists, and no natural health professionals.

Australia is a democratic country and yet something as important as this has not been made widely public.

Our right to choose is being removed without public consultation.

What is the Codex Legislation?
In a nutshell, it is a result of a complex relationship between the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and the World Health Organisation, which seeks to standardise, worldwide, the quality and dosage of natural medicines (vitamins, herbs, homoeopathic, etc.) Once Australia and NZ agree to this legislation they will lose control over this choice. Supplement production and usage will become part of an international policy, which Australia and all countries must adhere to or they will be heavily fined.

Codex also:
· Permits non-labelling of genetically modified foods
· Allows high levels of chemicals in foods
· Encourages antibiotics in animal feed
· Restricts organic food (an area in which Australia and NZ are well regarded)
· Permits irradiation of food and herbs
.
What you can do
Write to your local state and federal politicians. (Click for your local politician's contact details). A letter is already written for you on the Eve Hillary site.
· Help us spread this information – all help will be welcome.
· Join our committee (there is one in each state of Australia). .
· Check out http://www.evehillary.org and click onto Taking Action or go to the AHFA (Alliance for Health Freedom Australia website)


Say NO to Codex or you will be shepherded towards prescription drugs

Different views on menopause

I adore this article - Black Women's Views on Menopause Different
by Daniel J. DeNoon.

In a study of 43 black women in two cities experiencing menopause symptoms most of them said their best sources of information about menopause didn't come from doctors or nurses.
They put great stock in how their mothers or other older women in their communities had managed menopause symptoms.
It's not that the women didn't trust doctors. The doctors, it seems, simply weren't on the same page.

Is it a page or a paradigm baby?
What a blessing that these women have still got (some) women's culture.

The researchers go on to talk about a symptom of menopause that the women in the study described as a 'rage'
"The women said they had taken enough and had earned the right to be respected and treated well and not have to take 'crap' from others anymore," Alexander and Ruff note. "But frequently rude or irreverent treatment by others was experienced, and this produced a 'rage' in the women."

Go Grumpy Old Women!

The black women in the study were very reluctant to treat their menopause symptoms with hormone therapy. Instead, the women seemed to prefer nondrug menopause treatments such as changes in clothing, diet, and exercise; alternative/complementary therapies; and prayer and spirituality.

Why now sista's - them's some darn sensible ideas!

Herbal commentary from wise woman Susan Weed

In view of the threat posed by Codex Alimentarius on our access to natural healing resources I believe it is wise to inform ourselves as much as possible about herbal lore and wisdom. Susun Weed is an excellent authority in this area. Here are some tips from her newsletter. If you live nearby you could even drop in.

"With summer solstice in the past, the days grow shorter, though the heat increases. I enjoyed some purslane -- one of my favorite wild greens -- this morning with my eggs. Which made me remember my daughter's delight in
growing and eating purslane when she was young. Lots of you eat your purslane, but have you ever used it to soothe bee stings, bug bites, and sunburned skin. It works great.

The cronewort (Artemisia vulgaris) is getting out of hand in my garden, just like she does every year, that wild old woman. Join me on Saturday July 23 for Amazing Artemisias, a class devoted to her and her amazing sisters: wormwood, tarragon, sagebrush, sweet annie, and southernwood. I'll even send you home with your choice of some dried cronewort (to use as smudge or in a dreampillow), or a cronewort root to take home and plant in your garden.

Our moonlodge this month is on July 22, the day after the full moon. How special that will be. Come sing and dance and share women's power with me and the apprentices. We'll be the ones on our knees harvesting purslane and smiling."


Check out more in the July edition of Susan's ezine Weed Wanderings

Contents include
Healing Wise: Plantain: First Aid in Your Backyard by Corinna Wood
Mother & Child: Shamanic Midwifery part 2 by Jeannine Parvati Baker
Your Intuitive Dreams: The Color Orange by sHEALy
Empower Yourself: Traditional Diets part 2 by Sally Fallon
Wise Woman Wisdom: An Herbalist’s Notebook part 1 by Robin Rose Bennett
Anti-Cancer Lifestyle: Splenda (Sucralose) by Dr. Carolyn Dean
Goddess Speaks: What is Sacred by Waynonaha

Turn your brain off to orgasm

Women may be able to fool their partners by faking an orgasm but a brain scanner will catch them out every time, according to a report presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. Researchers analyzed the different parts of the male and female brain that are activated and deactivated during sexual stimulation.

When women genuinely achieved an orgasm, areas of the brain involved in fear and emotion were deactivated. Those areas stayed alert however when women were faking it. The researchers also found that the cortex, which is linked with consciousness, is active during a fake orgasm but not during the real thing.
"The deactivation of these very important parts of the brain might be the most important thing necessary to have an orgasm," said Holstege. "It means that if you are fearful or at a very high level of anxiety, then it is very difficult to have sex because you really have to let yourself go," he added.

The researchers found less deactivation in the males in the areas of the brain linked to emotion and fear when they were sexually stimulated.

Complete article by Patricia Reaney

Coughing and Kegeling

I'm finally out of quarantine - yeah - but still coughing - boo!


Apparently even after the main bug (Bordella Pertussis) has died the little neuron-toxins that it has released stay hooked in your trachea and continue to irritate for some weeks. I'm taking demulcent herbs and all things smooth and slippery to help unhook the little nasties.


Meanwhile the coughing has given me a great opportunity to check how effective my Kegeling efforts have been since last winter.


I am one of the 1 in 3 women who experience urinary stress incontinence post child birth.
Urinary what?

Urinary stress incontinence
incontinence = not being able to contain or hold on to
urinary = pee
stress = well you know what stress is .. not the psychological kind but the physical kind e.g. pressure

Coughing does a great job of putting stress on the bladder.
And for us one in three that results, as often as not, in an annoying and potentially embarrassing 'loss'.


Which is where the Kegels come into it.
In the 1940's, gynecologist Arnold Kegel discovered that stronger pelvic floor muscles (PC or Pubococcygeus muscle) meant better bladder control for women.


He recommended exercising these muscles, hence contractions of the PC muscle are often called Kegels. One of the great side effects that women who did these exercises regularly discovered was an increase in pleasure during intercourse and for some their first orgasm.



Bonus!



I've been kegeling on and off for eight years since my son was born and it certainly takes more stress than it used to for me to lose control of my bladder. This latest bout of coughing has been fairly pee-free although I have had to resort to wearing my lovely planet friendly cloth pads on a few occasions.


Mmm. I can also report that my sexual pleasure has been steadily on the up although I haven't particularly thought until now to attribute that to my Kegeling efforts.


Recently I discovered a whole new take on Kegels ... but I'm afraid that is going to have to wait until another blog/day.


For more info see (among other places) http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/treatmentsuiwomen/

Also my new song Do The Kegel