Personal lubricants come in a variety of options, from silicone-based and oil-based, to water-based, and hybrids of any and all of these. But depending on their chemical makeup, lubricants can also have varying levels of what scientists call osmolality.

It is not an exaggeration to say that 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. We’re experiencing the global pandemic in ways that are unique to each of us, and it can feel exhausting to live and just be among all the uncertainty. As a result, it is common to feel unmotivated, tapped out, or not in control of your life. For those of us experiencing this struggle, I have some good news: you can see real and significant change with even the smallest steps, as long as they’re done consistently. 

Someone asked me not long ago when I first remembered experiencing vaginal discomfort. After some reflection, I was flooded with memories of recurrent vaginal yeast infections and general feelings of ongoing discomfort in my early adolescence. I was probably only 16 years old when I was first diagnosed with what was then known as gardnerella vaginitis, and is now referred to as bacterial vaginosis (BV). 

The height of summertime heat is plum season for me. Almost 20 years ago, we planted a plum tree inside a newly built garden deer fence, a gift for my 40th birthday. The plum tree now has come to define not only that space, but also the sweet golden plum meaning of summer. It is now close to a decade that the over-abundance of plums have become my annual ritual of decocting homemade plum brandy. 

The novel coronavirus, aka COVID-19, has been going strong since the beginning of 2020. It’s required a lot of people to sacrifice going out and about, particularly if they are immuno-compromised or are otherwise sensitive to getting the virus. In some parts of the United States, restrictions have been lifted in regards to resuming normal life, but many states are seeing a rise in cases. This means your traditional date night options may be limited.

There is no time like long summer nights to cultivate the uniquely, profoundly human capacity for pleasure, especially sexual pleasure. Our pleasure response transforms our relationship to each other and even to life itself.  Focusing on pleasure not only changes how we see our opportunities for intimate connection but also invites us into a deeper relationship with our erotic soul.

Most people accept breathing as an autonomic process that doesn’t require much thought. It turns out that, although our breath will rise and fall without our direction, adding a little agency and consciousness to our breathing goes a very long way in improving our health.