ToyBox Consulting
Katoya Palmer Public relation, marketing, sales, and event management consulting.
A Seattle based boutique firm specializing in sales, marketing, public relations, event management / production, and advertising projects. It's my Business to appropriately facilitate your project of any scale with trust, professionalism, and a positive energy while implementing new tools for professional success. "Think out the box" with TBC creative direction, nurture a trusting bond, and reap long term results.
Offering Consulting and Project Management Services in the following: Sales Marketing Public Relations Image Consultant Social Media Management Professional Blogging Event Planning and Management Fundraising Writer (Press Releases, Reviews, Bios, etc) Business Development Concert and After Party Business Events Celebrity Booking
Specialties: Meetings facilitation, marketing strategy, personal events, public relations, community relations, concerts, celebrity booking, fundraiser, branding, reputation management.
Celebrity Booking projects: Jean Grae, Jagged Edge, Amber Rose, Rick Ross, Wale, Tasha Jones, Black Ice, Jagged Edge, Gyptian.
Direct booking responsibilities for Black Stax (Jace Ecaj, Silas Blak, Felicia Loud) and the Klyntel band.
PREMIERING THIS FALL - “Curvy Girls” showcasing plus models and highlighting their careers and lives
via NUVO TV
Curvy Girls provides an all-access pass inside the glamorous world of professional modeling by shining the spotlight on four plus-size models. Their passion and pride fuel their drive, but secret battles with insecurity, eating disorders and rocky relationships threaten to singe their competitive spirit as they navigate the fast lane of auditions and catty competition.
Meet the Cast
A former contestant on nuvoTV’s Model Latina Las Vegas, Lornalitz knows how to handle fierce competition. The Puerto Rican aspiring model has battled bulimia that sidelined her pursuits in mainstream modeling before she landed in the world of plus-size fashion.
You’ve seen this sexy single mom hyping major campaigns for fashion giants like Forever 21 and Torrid. But that’s only the beginning for Denise, who is set on becoming the plus-size world’s first supermodel.
This twice divorcee leaves Vegas to take a gamble on L.A.’s modeling scene. Rosie strives to stay upbeat as she struggles with insecurity and insincerity while pursuing new romances and a better life for herself and her three kids, including a special needs child.
A professional plus-size model for nearly a decade, Ivory was 14 when she made her first attempt at modeling — only to be told she “needed to lose some weight.” Undeterred, she has since modeled for Lane Bryant, Target, Fruit of the Loom and Playtex. Ivory has also been featured in Glamour and O.
beautylish.com
Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer from Smashbox works well for women of color, as it contains citrus fruit extracts and honey, which help to even the tone of skin and get rid of dark spots–two common complexion issues black women often face. The moisturizer also contains vitamins C and E, which protect the skin from free radicals. Sheer Focus moisturizer also has an SPF of 15, so your skin will be protected if you’re spending time outdoors. The light, medium and dark shades are ideal for several shades of brown skin; there’s even a Luminous variety to provide sheer moisture (it is best worn under makeup). You can find Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer for about $30 at your nearest Sephora, or order from the website.
musingsofamuse.com
Bobbi Brown’s Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer is an ideal pick for women with normal to oily skin. The lightweight formula has a smooth finish that isn’t as greasy as some foundations, and has an SPF of 15. Pronounced brown shades like Rich Tint and Dark Tint are specially formulated for brown skin, and the product is enhanced with vitamin C and vitamin E to protect the skin against aging and free radicals. You can find Bobbi Brown Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer for $42 on the Bobbi Brown website,
musingsofamuse.com
Earlier this year, Nars introduced the Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer line, which includes several shades that are suitable for women of color. Moisturizer shades like Cuba, Annapurna and Polynesia are perfect for medium and medium dark skin; hues like Alaska and St. Moritz work well on black women of a much lighter complexion. Pure Radiant moisturizers are oil and fragrance free–a plus for those with very sensitive skin. The product also promises to reduce hyperpigmentation and dark spots in as little as four weeks. You can purchase Pure Radiant on the Narswebsite for $42, or purchase it at department stores like Bloomingdale’s or Nordstrom.
karinasdailythoughts.blogspot.com
Tinted moisturizer from e.l.f. is definitely a beauty bargain at just $3! The moisturizer has an SPF of 20, and is fortified with cucumber and aloe vera–natural ingredients that get rid of puffy eyes or patches of dry skin. It’s thick enough to cover a few problem areas, but not as cake-y as foundation. And it’s definitely worth a try at under $5! You can find e.l.f. cosmetics at many Target stores; it’s also sold at Walmart. Or, you can order directly from thewebsite.
covergirl.com
If you have light or medium brown skin, Aqua Smoothers from CoverGirl is an affordable tinted moisturizer choice. The product is less than $10 at Walmart, but you can also pick up a tube of this beauty staple at cosmetic superstores like Ulta. The moisturizer goes on sheer, has an SPF of 15, and can be worn by itself or under makeup. However, a number of CoverGirl customers have asked that the company create more shades for women of color, so hopefully we’ll see deeper shades of brown in this budget-friendly moisturizer soon. You can check out the current shades on the Cover Girl website.
His timing was all wrong. I was on the subway platform, tired and hungry after a long day’s work, when I saw him out the corner of my eye. His look lingered longer than it should have and I just knew he was going to say something. I braced for impact, jamming my earbuds further into my ear to signify that I was busy grooving. I even averted my eyes, so he wouldn’t take any accidental eye contact as an incentive to proceed.
But it didn’t stop him. He tapped me on my shoulder anyway.
I sighed before removing the right earbud, deciding not to be rude that day.
“I like your shirt.”
I was wearing a black and white screen printed Tupac shirt. Though I still wasn’t trying to have a full on conversation, his compliment and my assumption that he was a Pac fan, took a bit of the edge off. I smiled politely and said thank you, slowly raising the hand containing my dangling earbud back to my ear.
Before I could get there he had something else to say, more small talk. He told me his name was Soils, pronounced just like it’s spelled. I had him repeat it for me a couple of times to make sure I heard it correctly. Soils… Soil…Dirt…Earth…Growth. I kind of dug that. (Ha, ha! Get it?) Seriously, there was strength behind it. And my guard came down just a little bit more. I asked him where he was from. (Senegal.) He asked me where I was from (Indianapolis.) Before I knew it, my train…our train was pulling up and we hopped on together, holding tightly to the bar in the middle of the car as we talked about my career as a writer, his career as a musician, the state of Missouri and my love for Aretha Franklin—who I was trying to listen to when he tapped me. Before I knew it, I found myself smiling…chuckling even. I’m not the jokey joke type when it comes to randoms and here I was skinning my teeth with a complete stranger. Slowly, I started to notice his facial features. He actually was the color of dark, rich soil, had almost-shoulder length locs , genuine eyes and a decent smile. I remember thinking,This is weird. We are really gelling right now. This is weird. Maybe my thought prevented me from noticing that he’d pulled out his cell phone (an old flip phone, I noted) and was asking me for my number.
Prickles of panic danced across my skin as I thought about this proposition.
It was one thing to be having a nice, pleasant conversation but I was… involved with “someone else” at the time and I just didn’t know how me giving my number out to a stranger on the subway would make him feel… or make me feel, honestly. But we had such a nice little chat, so I gave him my number. After all, I rationalized, I couldn’t even define what me and “someone else” had. He admitted that he missed his subway stop and then jetted off, across the platform.
That night, in a moment of purging, I confessed to “someone else” about my encounter. Explaining how even though he and I were miles apart and had agreed to be cool if one of us found us somebody, I still felt guilty for giving him my number. “Someone else” assured me that I shouldn’t feel guilty and reiterated the suckiness of our, long distance, non-committal situation. I hung up the phone, feeling closer to “someone else,” resigning to ignore Soils if he ever reached out.
The next day, he reached out.
He texted me telling me good morning and later invited me to one of his shows.
The prickles came back again. Luckily, I had a prior engagement.
Then a couple of hours later, he informed me of a free Aretha Franklin concert.He remembered. That’s sweet. But I legit couldn’t make that either.
Then a few days later, on a rainy week day, he told me to stay dry and joked about someone taking off their shoes exposing their soggy, stinky feet. I chuckled but decided not to respond. I was too confused about my attraction, what it would do to “someone else” and getting Soils mixed up in it. But instead of communicating all of that I just ignored his little anecdote. And that was the last time I heard from him.
Now, a year later, “someone else” is out of the picture.
I didn’t know Soils well enough to miss him or even regret my decision not to engage. But sometimes when I’m on the subway platform after work, I wonder if I’ll run into him again.
Lady Peep Geek Embroidered Pump
Embroidered with microchip-inspired patterning, numbers, and sequins, a satin upper boasts eye-catching shine balanced with texture.
Even as this year’s Fortune 500 listincluded a record number of female CEOs, and urban, single women in their 20s are out-earning their male peers, women still face distinct gender barriers in the workplace. The wage gap persists in much of the country, and that record-breaking number of female CEOs was only 3.6 percent. Now a new study shows that employed men’s marriages may be partly to blame for stalling the march toward gender equality at work.
The research, led by Sreedhari D. Desai, an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at UNC-Chapel Hill, consisted of four smaller studies conducted by researchers from Harvard, NYU, UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Utah. They explored the relationship between the type of marriages that employed men have and their attitudes toward working women, the Harvard Business Review reported. The researchers found that employed men who are in more traditionally-structured marriages (i.e. their wives stay at home or work part-time outside the home) tend to:
1. Feel less positive about the presence of women in the workplace.
2. Believe that female-dominated organizations operate “less smoothly.”
3. See organizations where women are in leadership roles as “unattractive.”
4. Promote qualified female employees less.
This may explain why so many women find themselves trapped in what’s been called“the marzipan layer” in the corporate hierarchy — the group of jobs just below senior management. The new study also found that these men who have negative views of working women tend to be the same men who held influential positions of power, which doesn’t bode so well for women trying to advance in male-dominated industries or companies. It stands to reason that these men are also probably less likely to offer sponsorship or mentorship to female employees, which has been shown to be an extremely important factor in career advancement. The researchers concluded that marriage structure has an impact “beyond the four walls of the house” and that attitudes toward women are determined by the social role that a guy plays in his own life. If a man is the primary breadwinner, he may — even subconsciously — believe that that’s how it “should be” in all marriages.
Identifying the source of these attitudes doesn’t mean that they’ll be easy to alter, Desai and her colleagues concluded. Men who believe unfavorable things about working women are unlikely to change their mind unless their marital structures change, the researchers wrote, which would be “an exceedingly improbable event on a large scale.” This means that women will have to work around these attitudes — at least for the time being.
What do you think? How do we shift attitudes about women in the workplace and encourage equal opportunity?
Check out this promo vid for Fever shoes by Natischa Harvey as seen of SEVERAL of our favorite TV Shows! Even OPRAH has endorsed the brand.
Published Placements
- Fashion Cult
- TinyCottle.com
- FreddyO
- Blush & Bashful
- Talking With Tami
- Blog Jon
- Chicago Fab
- Shoebizness
- Paperdolls Radio
- Posh Beauty
- princessdominique.com
4c Hair Type
VERY Oddly Comedic… and ironically answers EVERY SINGLE QUESTION I GET ABOUT MY DANG HAIR!!!
Answers the question, “Do you like Short hair…”
Hits it on the Nail.. Facts wise!
Paper.li did a GREAT job editing my tags…
IDK about his hair product… at all!
I didn’t make this or write this…. and rarely use profanity online. SUE ME for having a sense of humor just this one time :)
(via missbreyonna)
if you’ve ever seen a porn you know what a female orgasm looks like… but have you ever experienced one first hand? no? well, you should get off your computer and hop to it, because it’s majestic. there are actually multiple types of female orgasms and 6 of them will be discussed here-
1. CLITORAL- the clitoris is the most sensitive and one of the most nerve rich areas in the human body. every woman is different, some prefer a gentler touch… while others like it rough, so test the waters a little bit. but for god’s sake- DON’T BITE IT. (unless you know for a fact that she’s into that ridiculously painful shit)
Clitoral orgasms can be very intense and are very pleasurable, they’re relatively easy to achieve through oral stimulation and/or with a toy
2. VAGINAL- now you may be thinking… but the whole thing is the vagina, right? wrong. wrong. wrong. wrong! take a moment to study this diagram. are we clear now? good. carrying on.
This kind of orgasm takes longer time to achieve and rhythmic thrusting is often the best way to it.
Many women describe this kind of orgasm as “less intense” then clitoral but more deeply felt. They feel it as a pressure that slowly grows and explodes deep inside of a woman’s vagina. But remember everyone is different…3. G-SPOT- During sexual arousal, the tissue surrounding the urethra becomes engorged with blood and the Paraurethral/Skenes glands produce and fill with prostatic fluid. This area on the front wall of the vagina becomes that same mysterious and sensitive spot… the G-SPOT…
In fact, this process is very similar to the process of male arousal. As a result, the urethral sponge becomes “erected” and if you touch, it feels firm. This is a kind of female hard-on. The only difference is that it all happens on the inside of a woman’s vagina.
There are different ways of stimulating the G spot. Rhythmic pushing or circular friction movements are the best for achieving this kind of orgasm. I use a lot special Tantric sensual massage techniques for stimulating this area of a woman’s body.
This orgasm may also lead to female ejaculation
*some women do not actually have a g-spot (unfortunately)
4. SQUIRTING- an instructional video on how to squirt
5. A-SPOT- This kind of female orgasm is achieved by stimulation of an area deep in the vagina (about 7-10 cm (3-4”) deep) on the front wall of it. It is the same wall as where the G spot is situated.
Many women find the feeling incredibly pleasurable while some may not like it at all. Keep it in mind when experimenting.
After an orgasm the A-spot does not become too sensitive because of different kind of nerve wiring in this particular area and you can easily continue stimulation bringing your partner to new heights of pleasure.
6. THE DEEP SPOT ORGASM (THE POSTERIOR FORNIX ORGASM)
Direct stimulation of the deep spot can cause very intense orgasms. Some women may feel as if they are having anal sex. This kind of female orgasm get responses like’ “I never felt like this before” or “What are you doing? It’s amazing!” This particular area is not widely recognized so very few women have ever experienced those sensations.
This kind of female orgasm can be given with a hand using “Come Here” motions. Use both long and short strokes and you can even use two fingers if you like.
You’re Still Trying to Fight Folks
Who doesn’t go somewhere from time to time, have a run in with an immature chick and want to backhand them for talking and looking at you crazy? Been there, but I haven’t done that. Just because someone tests your nerves or is feeling froggy doesn’t mean you have to always be ready to jump. And don’t try and bring your girls into the messy mix when things go bad, because your drama, especially the kind that involves reckless violence, should involve and be handled by you and no one else. However, if someone makes the dumb decision to put their hands on you for no reason…well, a “lady” has to do what she’s got to do. But otherwise, be the bigger person and walk away from foolishness and a black eye that can be avoided.
You Keep Going for the SAME Kind of No-Good Dude
It’s crazy how folks don’t want to listen to the people who have their best interests at heart when it comes to no-good men, but they want you to listen to them when they come around crying all the damn time about him. And while you might think it’s cute to go on your Facebook rants about how “You ‘aint worried about him,” and that “I”M DOING ME!” you find yourself back with that fool, or a guy that’s his prototype: he doesn’t treat you right, he’s low-key cheating–he’s pretty much the guy from our NOT a “grown a** man” list. If you keep falling for the same kind of guy or the same kind of foolishness, then you’re no longer falling, but you’re voluntarily walking into a disaster. Do better.
Your Temper is on Level 100
So somebody stepped on your foot on accident, or took the seat you wanted on the train. Sucks right? You can be a bit pissy about it, but if you go on psycho mode immediately and have a response that’s filled with rage and foolishness, it’s clear you’re a big ‘ol crybaby having a temper tantrum. Like the woman with a stroller who had a seat taken from her that she wanted and decided to curse and pepper spray said seat-taker (then fought while the stroller rolled OUT of the train) this type of lady gets bent out of shape over the most inconsequential stuff and can end up messing up everybody’s day. Get a grip, some anger management and grow up already. Life’s going to get hard, but there’s no need to have a Mo’Nique inPrecious type of response to everything.
You Spend Money On Things You Don’t Need and Wonder Why You’re Broke
I know this chick can’t wait to get her income tax return. She’s going to lose her ever-loving mind. The reckless spender buys a new pair of shoes or a bag just because, but puts it on the credit card that’s almost at it’s max while making minimum payments every month. We all want to ball until we fall, but not everyone has it like that. Start jazzing up what’s in your closet and doing your own personal maintenance and stop looking for an excuse to buy a new dress, the most expensive hair, to get your nails done every other week and to cop knockoff designer bags from the dude ripping you off on Canal Street. Treat yourself occasionally dear, not daily.
You Drop Your Kids Off With Other People Regularly
I think I’ve noted this in a story or two before, but it never hurts to break it down further. While there are a great deal of women out there who skip the clubs and all the big fun to stay in and be with their kiddies, there are too many people who don’t. Just because you had a child doesn’t automatically make you grown, especially when your mother, your sister, your aunt and everyone but you is seeing them, feeding them and more. And please don’t be one of those women that passes your child to other people on the regular so you can go everywhere but to work, but because you’re not getting along with the child’s father, he’s the one person not allowed to see the kid. That’s not cool and that’s not grown up behavior
You’re Still Getting Caught Up in the Group or Mob Mentality
If you’re out of college by now and still can’t seem to think for yourself, you’re not a grown a** woman. You can’t be. Not with that crew of obnoxiously loud chicks on the train cackling about the guy you dissed yesterday in surround sound. This also goes for the gal that gets with her friends and talks dirty about people she doesn’t know because that’s what her girlfriends are doing: “Girl, look at her hair!” If you were still in high school trying to get to third period before the bell sounded it might be understandable, but you’re too grown to be disrupting peace and quiet and then saying, “Girl, I don’t care!” Mature. Real mature.
You Deal With Things in a Passive Aggressive Manner
It’s okay to be mad about something and to let your feelings be known in a calm manner. By all means girl, go ahead. But the problem is when you express your feelings about something that happened so long ago, you can barely remember the details–and neither can the person you’re peeved at. You got beef? It’s always the best idea to let someone know immediately that they hurt your feelings or did you wrong. Wait too long to open your mouth about it and you come off petty, and sadly, you probably won’t get any sympathy for that ish that happened like five years ago.
Your Focus When It Comes to Dating Is Based Around What Someone Else Has
If someone asks this chick what she’s looking for in a man, money seems to be the root of all her answers. He needs to have this, she needs to be well taken care of of, blah, blah, blah. Money is great, but if you’re quick to diss or won’t date a guy who can’t take baths in money because he had to pay bills and is trying to make it just like you, then that’s a mess. You should want a man who is financially stable or at least on his way to being that way, but does he really have to be rolling in cash for you to give a guy the time of day? We are all entitled to our preferences, but if a man’s shoes send the “broke” signal to your brain and you diss him immediately–that’s not fair. Get your own money, honey!
January 27th, 2012 - By IndigoBlack
He’s Spending the Little Money He Has on Junk
After a certain age, we should all be making more strides to save and only splurge every once and a while. But when your new man can’t afford to do things with you or to even cover all his bills for that matter because he likes to invest in game systems, $100 plus dollar Jordans and gadgets that make no sense…you’re in trouble, girl. Popping bottles in the club but can’t help put groceries on the table…mess. Don’t let him come around you asking for gas money when he spent his last dime on that new “Gears of War” game. Be sure to ask him if those folks are paying him for his dedication. And don’t you dare stand in a Black Friday-esque line with him thirsty for a new flat screen TV when he barely has furniture in his place. C’mon son!
He Likes to Be Nasty for No Reason
And we’re not talking about the good kind of nasty. I’m talking…(takes deep breath): hawking loogies while you all are walking around together (DUMP HIM if he spits indoors); not cleaning out the sink well when he’s left all toothpaste around the basin; NOT pulling the seat up to urinate and then leaving urine on your seat, lid or floor; doing number two and not flushing enough to get his stains from around the bowl; digging in his ear and coming out with treasure right in front of you–and the list goes on an on. Trust, we all do nasty mess, some of it is natural, other things can be hidden. However, control and concealment is key. If you all aren’t married then a man should not be sooooo comfortable around you like that.
He Doesn’t Have Any Real Goals for the Future
So you asked him what he wants to do with his life and he said the three letter word that hurts the heart of everyone who hears it: rap. NOOOOOOO! Let’s be clear, that should be a side hustle or hobby, but what is it he really wants to accomplish in the future? Women don’t like to run around with unstable men who don’t seem to be committed to one thing or don’t seem to know where they’re headed, but they want you to go too–maybe. If you ask him the question again and he says he’s still not sure or hasn’t really thought about it, just be sure to take yourself out of those “to come” future plans.
He Loves to Blame Other People for Everything
So your man sounds like Shaggy because all he ever says is: “It wasn’t me.” It wasn’t his fault, everybody else is crazy, it’s his baby mother who got him in the situation he’s in now, blah blah blah. Part of being an adult is knowing when to take responsibility for the part you play in things, as opposed to keeping your finger well groomed and moisturized so you can point it in the direction of someone else. If everyone else seems to be the problem–the dude he fought at the club, his co-worker, his ex, his mother–then it might just be that he’s in denial of the fact that he could be the real problem
He’s Not As Involved With His Kids As He Should Be
Nothing hurts my soul more than a man who knows he isn’t doing enough for his children but seems to be okay with that. Using angry exes as excuses as to why he doesn’t go around to see his son or claiming you can’t afford to put out that child support because you just don’t have it (but there go those Xbox games!) is played out. A man who knows he’s not doing right by his kids and lets it be is probably someone you don’t want to start having kids with yourself, let alone deal with for a long time. If he can’t stand by his own offspring, can you really count on him to ride for you like that? Do you even want him to?
He’s Always Asking for Something or Using Your Stuff
This guy is on that Baby Boy type of thing. He’s trying to borrow your car, your money, your phone and eat all your damn food, but of course, he doesn’t have very much to bring to the table like he should. Say something about it and you’re given the “She’s so selfish and always nagging” face. No woman minds sharing something with a man she cares about, but when he’s low-key trying to act like he owns something without contributing anything, then it’s clear he’s got the game all messed up. At least wash a dish…and not just the one plate and fork you used!
He Constantly Talks About or Does Inappropriate Mess in Public
Anything that’s focused on moving bowel moments, your sexual encounter last night, degrading someone or anything that you wouldn’t want moms to know about or hear? That’s what I’m talking about. Using expletives incessantly, especially when you’re not talking about something that evokes anger is also not the biggest sign of maturity. I mean, what the ****, do better! (*wink*) And please don’t grab a handful, pass gas and not say anything (so someone can walk past and inhale your silent bomb) or burp out loud obnoxiously like the home training bus passed you by.
He Spends Too Much Time Doing Random Things
Back to the video games…If you know he’s not working at the moment, but spends more time sitting on the couch playing video games as opposed to looking for new employment, he might need to hit the road. And if he’s always coming in the house high as a kite because that seems to be his only hobby with his boys, it’s safe to say that ‘ol boy is NOT grown. A smoke here and there can be tolerated, but if he’s play auditioning for a role in How High 2, that just won’t fly…
26th, 2012 - By IndigoBlack
1. Tantra Yoga Promotes Sexual Vitality
Tantra is a branch of yoga that seeks inner peace and transcendence through everyday acts of daily life like breathing, eating and the sacred union of the male and female. Ancient tantric teachings have been used for millennia to heal sexual dysfunction, strengthen the sexual system and raise sexual energy.
Tantric yoga poses such as mula bandha, or “root lock,” train and strengthen abdominal, pelvic and genital muscles. Similar to Kegel exercises, mula bandha improves arousal, prostate health and blood flow through the reproductive organs.
2. Yoga Treats Premature Ejaculation
One study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, suggests that yoga can treat premature ejaculation and promote sexual satisfaction. Premature ejaculation (also known as rapid ejaculation) is the most common male sexual problem, affecting 25 to 40 percent of men. SSRI antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac) are often prescribed to help delay ejaculation.
Researchers at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India, administered daily either yoga or 20-60 mg fluoxetine (Prozac) to 68 men with premature ejaculation for three months. The yoga program included common yoga poses such as Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend), Sarvangasana (shoulderstand), Halasana (plough), Matsyasana (fish), and Dhanurasana (bow).
The researchers found that yoga treated premature ejaculation more effectively than fluoxetine (Prozac). Findings showed that 100 percent of the yoga group had improvement in premature ejaculation and sexual satisfaction, compared to 82 percent of the drug group.
“Yoga appears to be a feasible, safe, effective and acceptable nonpharmacological option for PE [premature ejaculation],” the study authors conclude.
3. Yoga Enhances Women’s Libido
Another study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, reports that yoga meditation can enhance women’s libido (sex drive) and treat sexual dysfunction. Female sexual dysfunction is a persistent decrease in sexual desire and sexual arousal, and difficulty in achieving an orgasm.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia reviewed studies of yoga, mindfulness and acupuncture in treating women’s sexual problems. Yoga meditation cultivates mindfulness — an awareness of the present moment.
The researchers found that mindfulness practice significantly improved women’s sexual arousal and response. Furthermore, mindfulness reduced pain and improved sexual health in women with vestibulodynia (chronic pain of the vulva). Findings also revealed that acupuncture significantly improved libido in women with sexual dysfunction.
Happy Valentine’s Day! We would love to hear from you. Please share your insights in the comments section below.
For more by Elaine Gavalas, click here.
To learn more about mula bandha and yoga poses, download a free sample chapter from Elaine Gavalas’ book, ”The Yoga Minibook for Weight Loss”.
You can buy “The Yoga Minibook for Weight Loss” here. Elaine Gavalas is an exercise physiologist, yoga therapist, weight management specialist, nutritionist and healthy recipe developer.
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First of it’s kind… Female Orgasm Video: This Is Your Brain On The Big ‘O’
by Emma Gray
You may know what it feels like to have an orgasm — but do you know what it looks like? Now, thanks to a team of researchers at Rutgers University, you can see the big “O” in all its colorful glory.
Nan Wise, a 54-year-old PhD student, sex therapist and associate on the research project, agreed to be the guinea pig. She was hooked up to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner and stimulated herself while the machine took “snapshots” of her brain every two seconds, across 80 different regions, The Guardian reported. Professor Barry Komisaruk and his team then spliced these snapshots together into an animated film. The movie is the first of its kind.
And Wise isn’t the only one to have participated in this project. Another female subject, Kayt Sukel, who also happens to be a science and travel writer, blogged about the experience, discussing the difficulty inherent in having an orgasm while “bolted” to a scanner:
It’s not the most romantic spot one might engage in self-loving. In fact, if you’ve ever spent time in an MRI scanner, it may seem nearly impossible.
Turns out — for both Wise and Sukel — the task at hand wasn’t impossible at all, and they got to have some fun, all in the name of science.
Watching the video, it’s hard not to be visually stimulated by the colors alone. (It’s really only a matter of time before someone on YouTube decides to post it with Katy Perry’s “Firework” playing in the background.) The color scale, which ranges from dark red to light yellow, represents the amount of oxygen that is being utilized in that section of the brain. As the orgasm reaches its climax, the image lights up.
Komisaruk recently presented his research at the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, DC, although it hasn’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal. He hopes that his work will not only allow scientists to understand why some men and women have trouble achieving orgasm, but also understand our body’s reaction to pleasure as a whole.
“We’re using orgasm as a way of producing pleasure. If we can learn how to activate the pleasure regions of the brain then that could have wider applications,” he told The Guardian.
Understanding and encouraging pleasure while making really interesting, surprisingly beautiful videos? Amen to that.
Brazil looking out for the “Thick” women with the reinvention of it’s “Itty Bitty Bikini.” Not too sure if ill be hopping on the band wagon.. but interesting to say the least!
Brazil’s Bikini Revolution
RIO DE JANEIRO — Tall and tan and young and … chunky?
The Girl From Ipanema has put on a few pounds, and for many sunbathers on Brazil’s beaches the country’s iconic itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bikini just doesn’t suffice anymore.
A growing number of bikini manufacturers have woken up to Brazil’s thickening waistline and are reaching out to the ever-expanding ranks of heavy women with new plus-size lines.
That’s nothing short of a revolution in this most body-conscious of nations, where overweight ladies long had little choice but to hit the beach in comely ensembles of oversized T-shirts and biker shorts.
“It used to be bikinis were only in tiny sizes that only skinny girls could fit into. But not everyone is built like a model,” said Elisangela Inez Soares as she sunbathed on Copacabana beach, her oiled-up curves packed into a black size 12 bikini.
“Finally, it seems like people are beginning to realize that we’re not all Gisele,” said the 38-year-old mother of four, referring to willowy Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen.
Clothing designer Clarice Rebelatto said her own swimwear-hunting travails prompted her to found Lehona, an exclusively plus-size beachwear line.
“Honestly, the problem went way beyond just bikinis. In Brazil, it used to be that if you were even a little chunky, finding any kind of clothes in the right size was a real problem,” said Rebelatto, herself a size 10. “And I thought, `I’m actually not even that big compared to a lot of women out there, so if I have problems, what are they doing?’”
Since its launch in 2010, the line has become a hit.
In brash leopard spots and flower prints not meant for wallflowers, the label’s 14 bikini styles aren’t what you’d normally associate with plus-size swimsuits. The necklines plunge dramatically. Straps are mere strings. And while the bottoms provide too much coverage to qualify for the famed “fio dental” or “dental floss” category of Brazilian string bikinis, they’re significantly more audacious than the standard U.S. cut.
“We’re working from the principle that bigger women are just like everyone else: They don’t want to look like old ladies, wearing these very modest, very covering swimsuits in just black,” said Luiz Rebelatto, Clarice’s son and director of Lehona.
He said that recent publicity of the brand and several other new swimwear lines catering to plus sizes has triggered an overwhelming number of calls and e-mails from would-be customers.
“They’re all excited and they say, `I’ve been looking everywhere for a bikini like that. Where can I get one?’” said Rebelatto.
Lehona is currently sold exclusively at big and tall specialty stores throughout Brazil. Its bikinis retail for about 130 reais or $75 – a relatively high price-point here, but Rebelatto said sales have grown at a galloping pace, though he did not provide any figures.
It’s the same story at Acqua Rosa, a conventional swimwear label that added a plus-size line in 2008. Now, plus-size purchases account for more than 70 percent of the brand’s total sales, said director Joao Macedo.
It makes sense.
For centuries, large swaths of Brazil were beset by malnutrition, and in 1970, nearly 10 percent of the population in the country’s poor, rural northeast region was considered underweight, according to Brazil’s national statistics institute.
But the phenomenal economic boom that has lifted tens of millions out of poverty and into the burgeoning middle class over the past decade has also changed the nation’s once-svelte physique: A 2010 study by the statistics institute showed that 48 percent of adult women and 50 percent of men are now overweight. In 1985 those figures were 29 percent for women and 18 percent for men.
(Still, there’s been no rash of plus-size male swimwear lines, as men here wear Speedo-style suits that don’t impinge on big guts.)
Analysts attribute Brazil’s rapidly widening girth to changes in nutrition, with chips, processed meats and sugary soft drinks replacing staples like rice, beans and vegetables.
And while the country’s elite are widely known to be fitness freaks – and also among the world’s top consumers of cosmetic surgery – those recently lifted out of poverty and manual labor are becoming increasingly sedentary. A 2008 study showed that barely 10 percent of Brazilian teens and adults exercise regularly.
Still, despite their growing numbers, not everyone is eager to embrace “gordinhas” – or “little fatties,” as chunky women are affectionately known here.
Many high-end bikini-makers have turned a seemingly deliberately blind eye to the burgeoning plus-size market. Rio-based upmarket brand Salinas, for example, offers five sizes, from extra-small through extra-large. But their sizing runs notoriously small and it’s hard to imagine anyone over a size 6 actually managing to fit into any of the brand’s minuscule two-pieces.
Luis Rebelatto of Lehona chalked it partially up to snobbery.
“Some brands, they don’t want their image to be associated with chunky women,” he said. “Only the thin, the rich and the chic.”
While Brazilians’ increasing heft is a public policy preoccupation for the government, growth in the ranks of the overweight population has given them increased visibility in Brazilian society. Extra-wide bucket seats for the obese have been installed in Sao Paulo’s metro system, and on Sunday the city will host Brazil’s first ever Miss Plus Size beauty contest.
“It used to be that people would stare at me,” said Soares, the voluptuous sun-worshiper on Copacabana beach. “Now when I come to the beach I see women who are much bigger than me – and lots of them are wearing bikinis – so I’m not self conscious any more.
“God makes some people thin but he made me like this,” she said, rubbing down the well-oiled bulge of her stomach and thighs. “So who am I to think that he was wrong?”
