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Lifestyle

Health 2005 Top 10

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Every year we seek counsel from the most prescient and powerful healers around. Here are some of the choicest things we heard in 2005.

DON’T COME TILL I CALL YOU

“A man has to learn to identify his rising arousal, watch how it works and notice when the shifts happen from low to medium to high.Once he knows how this pattern works, he can learn how to put on the brakes. If sexual energy stays in the pelvis, it has nowhere to go and it discharges. By breathing it up, we give it someplace to go. Visualize it moving up to your heart.”

Lucy Becker , tantra teacher, Toronto

IT’S NOT YOU– IT’S THE JASMINE

“You want to choose an odour that has as universal an appeal as possible, something that’s non-threatening. If you’re a woman and you walk into a room wearing jasmine, that’s like saying, “I am the queen!” Jasmine contains powerful animal odours that are extremely sexual. It’s a very yang fragrance, so that would not be a good choice. Food smells like cinnamon or nutmeg will create a harmonious environment.”

Suzanne Catty , aromatherapist, Toronto

CHASING POWER ANIMALS SOUNDS KIND OF TIRING

“When we’re tired all the time or lack a sense of purpose, it’s a classic sign of power loss. The way to remedy it is to work with a shamanistic practitioner and make a journey to find a power animal and return the power. We have to learn to protect and reserve our power, not give it away or let others take it.”

Martha Lucier , shaman, graduate, Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Algonquin Park

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT

“The facial feedback theory of emotions posits that actually expressing emotions is critically related to experiencing them. We don’t smile because we’re happy we’re happy because we smile. In studies where people held pens between their teeth, activating their smiling muscles made them feel better. Smiling makes people find jokes a lot funnier.”

Adam K. Anderson , Canada Research Chair in cognitive neuroscience, U of T

SECRETS OF THE YA YA FISTERHOOD

“For people who are coming to this from a loving, caring place, fisting is the ultimate intimacy. You are more deeply submerged in each other than in any other kind of sex act. The more deeply immersed you are in each other, the more oneness you feel. Most of it is actually done with an open hand, and a hand is far more able to create a reaction than a penis. A penis is basically a dumb instrument.”

Bert Herrman , author, Trust: A Hand Book, A Guide To The Spiritual And Sensual Art Of Handballing

AND YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD JUST CUT DOWN ON COOKIES

“The world has an eating disorder – a mental illness that exists until everybody is fed. The ego gets involved in weight issues when it’s brittle. A brittle ego breaks very easily or is so hard it turns to stone, leading to insecurity and eventually to misery or disease. The first thing to do is remove insecurity, give it much less energy.”

Yogi Akal , Centre for Yogic Arts and Sciences, Toronto

YOU SHOULD PROBABLY STOP DOING CRACK BEFORE YOU DRINK YOUR OWN PEE

“Urine is the water of Shiva and is antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral. You can put it on wounds for healing. It’s already structured to your DNA. You have to have a healthy diet. If you have alcohol, tobacco or meat, then all your systems will be toxic. Don’t start urine therapy until you’ve looked at everything going into your body. You are making your best preventative medicine. It’s like a gift to yourself.”

Teig O’Malley , yoga instructor

DAMN THOSE PATRIARCHAL UPBRINGINGS

“Bad periods are the denial of one’s feminine side. Often, women have menstrual problems because of guilt and fear of sexuality. For cramps, I prefer a crystal called garnet. I hold one in each hand and put them right over the ovaries. If they are small enough, I tape them four finger-widths down from the belly button. You can put garnets in your pocket. This is very grounding, helps regulate blood flow, calms disruptive energies and opens the root chakra.”

Karen Ryan , crystal energy therapist, Toronto

BUT I DON’T HAVE ANY RED UNDERPANTS

“To get motivated in the morning, choose reds, oranges and yellows. Orange is emotionally stimulating, yellow is mentally stimulating and red physically stimulating. I kick-start my day by taking a red colour bath. I envision the red coming up into my root chakra area, stimulating the accomplishment of my goals. I have a red towel to dry myself with red energy. Then I drink a glass of red juice like cranberry, tomato or V8.I have a lot of red underwear, socks, tops and outfits. I drink water out of a beautiful red glass.”

Susanne Murphy , colour therapist, Vancouver

YOU MEAN WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE SEX?

“For fertility, we would work with the ovulation cycle and the lunar cycle. The waxing moon is the time at which you do magic for increase. It is usually an all-women’s ritual to remove any obstacle, emotional or physical, that is obstructing the ability to conceive, using air, fire, water and salt. We consecrate a talisman that she can wear. Fertility gems include amber, chrysoprase, moonstone and moss agate. Rituals are not a substitute for doing whatever else is necessary.”

Tamarra James , high priestess of the Wiccan Church of Canada, Toronto

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