Very rarely do we take time out of our busy schedule to sit back and indulge ourselves for a few minutes. Usually, a soothing cucumber mask or an oatmeal, almond and avocado body scrub are fleeting fantasies during the day.
As soon as the stoplight turns green or a telephone shrills ten we must snap out of the calming thoughts of spa indulgences and return to our daily grind or screaming, whiny kids and demanding bosses sending emails on your blackberry after 6 pm every five minutes asking about the status of an overdue project…….
A day at a spa can easily be $300 and that is assuming you are just getting one treatment and not staying overnight or not having a fancy dinner. Add in an overnight weekend and suddenly your wallet is $1000 lighter.
This is for the couple who can’t get away to a spa but can luxuriate at with a romantic night at home spa experience with recipes for lotions, oils, rubs, scrubs, wraps and cuisine.
Things you’ll need:
Sunflower or vitamin E oil
Sugar or salt
Fluffy Towels
Bubble bath or bath salts
Wine or tea
Glasses or cups
Oatmeal, brown sugar and olive oil.
Fruit, Almonds or chocolate
Scented candles
Robe
Massage Oil ( Olive Oil will also work)
Shaving cream, razor, lotion
First turn off the phones ( yes that includes your smartphones), and send the kids to Grandma and Grandpa’s for the night.
Shower and Steam together. Crank up the hot water in the shower before you get in to fill the room with steam, then get in and scrub down. Use sunflower oil or vitamin E oil mixed with sugar or salt and rub your partner’s back in even circles to stimulate the skin.
Take a warm bubble bath together. Use scented bubbles or bath salts and sip a glass of wine or cup of hot tea while you enjoy the bath. A hot bath can reduce tension and anxiety and prepare your body for nurturing. Make your own body scrub using oatmeal, brown sugar and olive oil. If you’re feeling really decadent, nibble some fruit or chocolate while you soak.
Light a few scented candles and place them around the room. Turn off the lights and set the mood with some soft music. Have your partner lie on her stomach and get ready for a massage with lotion. Spend at least 15 minutes on the massage, paying special attention to the upper back, shoulders and neck, the spots where people tend to hold in the most anxiety and tension. Be focused on your intention to give love and healing. Check in with your receiver to see if the pressure is ok. If you feel knots, try to rub out the tight spots with your thumb. Have a fluffy robe ready for your partner.
Have you ever shaved your man? It is quite an exercise in trust to have a blade so close to another person’s face. Sit him up in a comfortable chair that provides support for his neck and apply hot towels to his face. For a close shave with less risk of nicks, use a razor with four blades. Start with a shaving cream or oil and massage it into his face and neck. Slowly shave his face in the direction of the hair’s growth. Finish with some shaving lotion. Give her a thorough, relaxing foot massage. Apply massage oil for about 15 seconds in the microwave in a heat-safe bowl. Have your partner sit in a chair and massage her feet while sitting on the floor. Use your thumbs to rub the soles and balls of her feet in a circular motion.
Have you ever had a romantic night at home spa experience? What did you guys do? How did it go?
Poses Romantic Couples are ways that couples can connect through couples yoga and couples meditation. The aspirations of many who practice yoga is to unite your finite self or limited-self within the bounds of your conscious mind with the Infinite Self where you feel at one with the ether of the universe. There’s no better way to enhance that journey than to practice yoga with your beloved or yoga for couples. It can be quite a deep emotional and very vulnerable experience so I don’t recommend doing this with someone you are just casually dating or planning to break up with.
ABC News, recently covered how yoga enhances Intimacy and your sex life on ABC Nightline and their Health blog. Watch this video below from ABC Nightline (30 second commercials plays first)
Sexuality and spirituality are not mutually exclusive. The ancient yogis understood that a worshipful attitude towards your partner created a chemical change in your brain that allowed for the experience of bliss in meditation or yoga. ABC News mentioned two yoga products “The science of yoga” by William Broad and a three part DVD set “Better sex through Yoga” by Jacquie Noelle.
Most yoga classes are very internally focused and you come, lay down your mat and almost avoid eye contact with the people around you and even the teacher. Most students never get to know the people next to them and are content to be completely immersed in their inner world during a yoga class.
Yoga does hold a myriad of benefits in terms of improved stamina, vigor, flexibility, relief from aches and pain, fatigue that can get in the way of intimacy. When your body is free from pain, stiffness, tension, tightness and your are more freed up energetically, then there is more space in your head, heart and body for intimacy.
In poses romantic couples classes and meditations, there is an emphasis on being present to your partner’s presence, breath, intention, movement and to be accepting of any limitations and levels of flexibility. Some poses that you can do are sitting back to back and just becoming present to the rise and fall of your breath and your partner’s breath. Then you try to synchronize your breathing pattern with your partner’s breathing pattern.
Another exercise to try is to monitor your own heart beat and then start to notice your partner’s heartbeat. See if you can synchronize your heartbeat with the heartbeat of your partner. Exercises like these encourage partners to be sensitive and in tune with their significant other’s rhythms and they start to function and exist as one entity instead of two separate entities.
Men are often astounded how doing simple exercises like this can lead to profound insights they can have about themselves, their partner and their relationships. In doing this type of work, it is critical to set up an environment where people feel safe and protected since men are not as accustomed to being vulnerable, especially in a public setting. Having soft music, low lighting, making sure there are no disruptions such as people coming into the room or cell phones going off is paramount.
This feeling of oneness is what leads to bonding and intimacy which makes the physical act of love a natural extension from this kinesthetic bonding that occurs in poses romantic couples classes and meditation exercises. You start to drop into almost a trance and you get so attuned to your partner that you almost feel at one with the ether of the universe at this point. Being in these kinds of alterered or alpha states can bring people into deep levels of consciousness and people start to go on a deep inner journey getting them in contact with their deep inner wisdom.
What Couples Yoga Looks like with Synergy by Jasmine (below)
Here is my list….my completely subjective list of the top 100 Mind-Body-Spirit Sites. How did I come up with this list? Many of the teachers, products or retreat centers I have personal experience with. They have shaped my yoga journey and other parts of my non-yoga life. I have taken many of their classes or workshops or bought their DVDs and have practiced to it dozens of times. A few are sites that I regularly read their posts. Some are because the website or author has written an influential book in this realm. Admittedly, some of the sites might be weak on content, functionality or navigation but the site is just an intro to a great holistic resource. A few are places that I write guest blogs for.
Some of them happened to be special because of the key role they played in certain parts of my life. I met my husband at Omega, our romance blossomed at Kripalu and we had our wedding ceremony in a Mexican Cenote (limestone water cavern) with a Mayan Shaman.
I can’t imagine not having music during my yoga practice so there are a few yoga music sites on here as well and I bought many of the musician’s CDs or have been to their concerts. Authenticity and having personal experience with the practitioner, product or institution was part of the criteria for making this list. In a way, it is an “Appreciation” list
I wanted to include a few government sites since those often have all kinds of great research and clinical trials on there. My vision is for this list to be a great gateway into the holistic world, with a strong emphasis on yoga since I’m a yoga teacher. Yogis need special clothes, props, mats, spaces, music and equipment so I wanted to include some of my favorite places to buy all things yogic. If you have been involved with the holistic community for a while you will recognize some of the sites on here and likely find dozens of great resources here
I welcome suggestions for other sites that can be included in next year’s list. While we all value directness and constructive criticism, please be professional and refrain from disparaging comments… no trashing anyone on this list or that will disqualify you from being considered for next year. Ideally, you would nominate another company but I do accept self-nominations. I reached out to the webmasters of most of the sites and if something is in quotes, then it is in their words and not mine.
If you live in Philly or San Diego, then invite me over for a class or workshop so I can maybe include you in next year’s list or blog about it in an upcoming blog. If you have products that you want me to review let me know and I will send you a mailing address in a separate email (press at synergybyjasmine.com) with “Product Review Request” in the subject.
Visit Top 100 Mind-Body-Spirit Websites for the list
The ancient yogis understood that a worshipful attitude towards your partner created a chemical change in your brain that allowed for the experience of bliss in meditatio
