"The Big Fat Lie" June 2010 Community Focus: Surrender to June's Sensual Embrace

June is a romantic month. This is the most popular time for weddings and there is a little history behind this. The month of June was named after one of the most powerful Goddesses in the Roman pantheon, Juno, the Goddess of love and marriage. For this reason, the month of June has traditionally been viewed as a blessed time to wed.

This month also features summer solstice on June 21st. The longest day of the year is a time when lovers tryst. We celebrate the beginning of summer by letting down our hair and releasing our inhibitions. With the sun finally peeking through the storm clouds of the last of the spring showers, a new kind of energy fills the air. This is when summer romances begin. Balmy evenings create the perfect conditions for a moonlit stroll. Pleasure and festivity is at hand as we enter the flow of the summer season. A passionate warmth tinges the advent of summer that brings out a bit of the hedonist in all of us.

In harmony with the spirit of this month, our June 2010 Focus will center on reconnecting with our sensuality. Slip into something more comfortable and delight in the slinky vibe of the season.

Mind:

• Get in the mood with some reading to tickle your senses. Dust off that old copy of the Kama Sutra and explore its offerings. Lose yourself in the pages of, "Delta of Venus" By, Anais Nin. If you're a true romantic, pick up your favorite Jane Austen novel. Or drink in some poetry that plucks your heart strings. Whether you revel in erotica, are a Twi-hard, or can't seem to part with your Harlequin romance novels, make some time this month to turn up the heat by sinking into a book that gets you a little hot under the collar.

Body:

• Prepare an aphrodisiac feast. Many of the fruits and veggies on offer this summer season are considered aphrodisiacs. Coincidence? You be the judge. The word aphrodisiac comes from Aphrodite, the Goddess of sensuality and love. It is believed foods that possess aphrodisiac qualities have the ability to rev libido and stoke the fires of passion. Set the tone for a steamy picnic. Bring along chocolate covered strawberries, pesto pasta salad, arugula dressed with truffle oil, and a bottle of mead to work its magic. Or design a menu of your own using the below list of aphrodisiac foods.

Foods That Get It On and Poppin'...

• Almond
• Arugula
• Asafetida
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Basil
• Broccoli Rabe
• Carrots
• Chocolate
• Coffee
• Coriander
• Fennel
• Figs
• Garlic (I know! Goes against every bit of dating advice you've ever received.)
• Ginger
• Honey
• Licorice
• Mustard
• Mustard greens
• Nutmeg
• Oysters
• Pineapple
• Pine nuts
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Truffles
• Vanilla
• Wine

• Infuse your sweat sessions with sensuality. Explore forms of movement that put you in touch with your sensuous side. Dance is a great way to get fit and creatively express your soulful sexuality. Belly dance not only awakens the goddess within, it is also tonifying for the entire female reproductive system. Latin dance sizzles with lots of spicy accents, perfect for introducing you to your muy caliente side. If you really want to let loose you may want to take a burlesque class and learn the art of tease. These are the obvious options, but let's break down the word sensual. The dictionary defines sensual as, "Relating to or affecting any of the senses or a sense organ; sensory." This expands the possibilities. Explore the sweet surrender of your body releasing through the sinuous flow of vinyasa yoga. Embrace the sensory delight of weightlessness as you swim to temper the heat of the day. Just about any form of movement can be sensual if you are fully present in your body and allow yourself to be in the experience.
• Coax your sensual nature out of hiding. Pamper yourself with luxurious treats. Create your own signature scent using a sensuous blend of aromatherapy oils. Jasmine, ylang-ylang, myrrh, patchouli, and the grand diva, the rose, are intoxicating aphrodisiac scents. You can also use these oils in a diffuser to give your boudoir an alluring vibe. Wear clothing made of fabrics that surround you in rapturous bliss. Think billowy skirts, flowy garments, outfits that have a wink of flirtatiousness made of fabrics that feel good to the touch like satin, silk, or bamboo. Get in the mood by infusing your space with candlelight, intoxicating music that lifts your senses to another level, a gorgeous bouquet of roses on your bedside table. Reconnect with your romantic nature. Even if you are single and loving it, you can invite sensuality into your life. Hit all your senses... sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and let the enchantment commence!

Spirit:

• Being open to new things is sexy. This month, expand your view by bringing some attention to your second chakra. Eastern thought speaks of an energetic body compromised, among other elements, of chakra energy centers. It is believed there are seven main chakra energy centers that run from the base of the spine all the way up to the crown of the head. Each chakra has dominion over a particular life energy. In alignment with our sensual focus, we will be concentrating on the second chakra which is the energy center that houses our sexual and creative energy. The bodily location of this chakra is 1-2 inches below your navel. This chakra vibrates to the color orange. It's element is water and it's related to the sense of taste. It is said that we experience stagnation, illness, or obstacles in our lives when our energy centers are blocked. By nourishing the chakras with healing intention, we can keep them clear and open, thereby inviting more free-flowing energy and balance into our lives. Working with your chakras does not require you to subscribe to any particular spiritual belief. Think of this more as holistic healing which can bring you into contact with the mystery of your soul. The second chakra is about connection. Connection with our creativity, sexuality, intuition, emotions, needs, and sense of self-worth. Dysfunction in the second chakra shows up physically as, lack of energy, fatigue, IBS, low back pain, sciatica, urinary tract infections, reproductive and libido issues. Emotional manifestations of excessive second chakra energy include, aggression, Type A behavior, overindulgence, obsession, power trips, manipulation, and an intense need to control. Excessive energy can also show up as blurry boundaries. Deficient second chakra energy is characterized by, lack of trust, resentment, frigidity or impotence, guilt, blame, co-dependence, insecurity, avoidance of emotions, denial, and feeling paralyzed by fear, unable to move forward in life. You know your second chakra energy is low when you have trouble feeling what you feel. That sense that you can't quite put your finger on what is bothering you. These imbalances show up in our lives as blocked creativity, or creative burnout, addiction, intimacy issues, and money problems. The beauty is, these imbalances can be addressed. Work with some of the suggestions below to get your second chakra humming.

Simple Ways to Balance the Second Chakra...

• Get your body moving. Exercise is a great way to balance the energy of the second chakra. Hip-opening yoga asanas, belly dance, hula-hooping, and even simple hip circles and pelvic thrusts have a stabilizing effect on this chakra.
• Belly rubs using one of the afformentioned sensual aromatherapy oils dispersed in a carrier oil like almond oil balance this energy center. Better yet, see if your lover can show your tummy some appreciation by giving you the massage so you can relax and receive.
• Surround yourself with more orange if you feel your second chakra energy is deficient. Highlight this color in your wardrobe and surroundings. Wear jewelery that features stones such as carnelian or tiger's eye that have an orange hue.
• Water has a tonifying effect. Make sure you are well-hydrated by keeping a water bottle on your person. Take soothing mineral baths. Cool off on a hot day by taking a dip in the pool. Visit the ocean or other bodies of water to calm and center.
• Create affirmations. Write them on post-its and put them in prominent places, like the dashboard of your car, where you will see them often. A nice one to work with that resonates with the energy of the second chakra is, "I openly express my sensuality. I honor my sacred sexuality."
• Remember that you don't need to drive yourself so hard. Take breaks within the day for rest and play.
• Engage in a practice of self-care. Eat foods that make you hum. Move your body in pleasurable ways. Create space to decompress. Play more and stress less. Get quality sleep. Indulge in a little daily pampering. Nourish the relationships and passions that are important to you. Keep your home tidy so you can let go and relax at the end of the day.
• Engage in meditation. Close your eyes and breathe into your belly. Let your belly relax fully, rising and falling with each breath. Focus your attention on the area 1-2 inches below your navel. Imagine an orange orb spinning there. This is your second chakra. How does your chakra look? Is it a bright orange, or does it appear murky? Does it spin freely, or is it stuck, slow, or sluggish? Imagine bringing this energy center into a place of healthy balance. Get creative. There is no wrong way to go about this. Let the child inside out to play. This is very much in harmony with working with second chakra energy. If you see your second chakra as dark and cloudy in your mind's eye, you can imagine a hose appearing, cleansing the chakra with purifying water. Envision the water washing away all the gunk until your chakra glows bright orange. You can even visualize your breath going into the chakra, blowing out the cobwebs, helping it spin more freely. Just play with it and feel it out. Open your mind and let your creativity lead. Spend as much time with this as you like and trust that when you are able to see your chakra balanced in your mind's eye that the healing has taken effect. Pay attention over the next few days after working with this meditation and note any changes you experience or feelings that come up. You may even want to jot down synchronicities in your journal.

Feel Your Connection to Nature:

• Grab a blanket and head out the evening of June 26th for a little stargazing. You'll be in store for a celestial treat. This night will not only feature a full moon, but a partial lunar eclipse that will be visible throughout the western Americas, Australia, and most of eastern Asia. Nothing feels quite as magical as taking in the beauty of a clear summer night's sky. Enjoy!