Good Clean Reads

Lubrication is one of the simplest and most effective ways to make intimacy more enjoyable. And even though our bodies naturally produce lubrication, it isn’t always enough. Hormonal changes, stress, medication, or simply wanting a little more glide are all good reasons to reach for lube!

Listen to Gina Ogden explore the Heart and Soul of Sex with Wendy this week. Her research on the immediate connection between love and intimacy is thought provoking and reassuring. In addition to great ideas for creating powerful rituals to revitalize the passionate side of life, this conversation explores the healing and vitality that comes from loving sex.

“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” ~Plato

The best part of my day is when I exercise, and the truest thing you can say about the mystery we call a body is that it is designed to work at its optimal level in motion. Even when I am painfully facing my physical limits in my early morning Pilates...

“To change skins, evolve into new cycles, I feel one has to learn to discard. If one changes internally, one should not continue to live with the same objects. They reflect one’s mind and the psyche of yesterday. I throw away what has no dynamic, living use.” ~Anais Nin

It has never been easy for me to discard things. I am not quite a packrat with piles everywhere, but if in doubt of the future...

“The finest thing in the world is knowing how to belong to oneself.” ~Michel de Montaigne

Most of us are plagued with some degree of unworthiness. Even after close to 250 days of active work at creating a positive life, I still find the tendrils of connection to a belief that seems to be part of my genetic code. It equates my pain in life to something wrong with me. I know I am not alone in this...

“Every gain made by individuals or society is almost instantly taken for granted.” -Aldous Huxley

Cleaning out my office to make room for the new CEO was a great visual journey of progress. In one way or another, every action and decision we made in the past has brought us to this moment in time. Handling and letting go of the myriad old versions of the business plan and my old notes that held...

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence” Aristotle

The recent opening of time in my life has shined a light on this ancient and wise perception of life’s meaning. Relaxing the tempo opened up a golden moment of togetherness today at the lake with my four children and one of their oldest friends. We sat on a giant floatie in the middle of a...

“I am convinced, both by faith and experience, that to maintain one’s self on the earth is not a hardship but a pastime- if we live simply and wisely.” -Henry David Thoreau

We are living in anxious times. Improvements in our economy are inconsistent and our sense of security in the systems that we have long looked to for stability feels weak and fragile. There are no quick fixes for the long-term...

“Tension is who you think you should be.  Relaxation is who you are.”  ~Chinese Proverb

I have been a tension chaser for most of my life, measuring my days by how much I got done. My four children and their myriad activities were the stuff of legendary multitasking and time management planning. I never counted my stress when I consented to another activity; I never even considered what it would...

“Deep listening is miraculous for both listener and speaker. When someone receives us with open-hearted, non-judging, intensely interested listening, our spirits expand.” -Sue Patton Thoele

I have never been much of a listener. I have always used my ability to articulate as a way to know myself. I am a fast thinker and am often onto the next idea while half listening to the people I love most. I...