The V-Word

A healthy vagina has a pH level between 3.8 and 4.5, which falls on the acidic side of the pH scale. This acidic vaginal environment is protective, and helps prevent unhealthy bacteria and yeast from multiplying too quickly, which can lead to infection. A higher vaginal pH level (above 4.5) provides the perfect environment for unhealthy bacteria to grow, which puts you at risk for infections and inflammation.

A long holiday weekend is a great time to consider staying in to create your own fireworks. As much as sexuality floods the media, many couples are hard pressed to find the time and attention that a healthy and vital intimate life demands. 

We are proud to be partnering with Equality Federation this month. Read about their work connecting LGTBQ activists across the country and how you can support gay rights in your community. 

It seems like every time I turn around this week, I have been hearing the word “easy”... from my phone which continues to light up with texts from old friends I haven’t heard from in years... “LOL, saw you on Easy...”, to the shipping guy at UPS, who suddenly recognizes our name on the boxes (“No way, I just saw this good clean lube ... on Easy, right?”) 

Most of what matters and gets better in life happens through education. Yet remarkably, when it comes to sex, many people were not only deprived sexual education in their youth but have carried the “ignorance is bliss” approach way too long into adulthood. In fact, when it comes to cultivating and sustaining an erotic life, persisting in not knowing may well be the kiss of death. 

Growing up, my family - like many families - always used bar soap in the shower or bath. I always wondered why the soap hurt “down there” and why taking bubble baths tended to give some of my friends yeast infections. Now I know that this was because bar soaps have harsh ingredients that not only kill bad bacteria, but also kill the good bacteria that women need to keep their vaginas healthy! Also, most bubble baths have ingredients that kill the good bacteria. 

1. The truth is that intimacy begets intimacy. Studies support the strong correlation between healthy relationships and the frequency of sex. Sexual intimacy acts as the glue in long-term relationships, like pouring cement into a foundation inspiring a deep union that paves the way for more emotional closeness and richer communication. 2. Communication issues are often at the heart of a relationship impasse. This is because we all mistakenly believe that we can tell someone how things are. Truly successful communication actually takes place in listening, which is a cornerstone of healthy communication in relationships. Listening is such a powerful form of communication that most people cannot tell it apart from feeling loved. 3.

Expanding the language of your nose and thinking through your sense of smell is mind expanding, first and foremost because concentrating on the scents around you brings you fully into the moment you are in. Because smell, more than any of our other senses, is processed alongside our emotional center with our arousal mechanism a close cousin.

Evolve your thinking. Your thoughts are the blueprint for your life and control your relationship in many ways you may not recognize. Be confident that your partner knows what you are thinking, even when you don’t say it. We often take ourselves and our relationships for granted, or conversely, take it all too seriously. Our negative thoughts unwittingly hold our relationships hostage, giving a lot of power to our unspoken doubts.