Mastering the Art of Flirtin

While the term “flirting” might conjure up thoughts of grade school playgrounds, the truth is, it’s a behavior that we never grow out of. Playful in nature but earnest in intent, a simple flirt can have positively profound, life-changing results.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Instead, let’s review some essential pointers for pulling of a tease with ease.

Smile.

While the seductively smug, aloof woman might entice the Hollywood hunk to make a move in the movies, the opposite attitude attracts men in real life.

While “smile” seems like campy advice, smiling is synonymous with approachability, gregariousness and fun.

According to psychological studies, smiling opens up social connections, enhances first impressions and increases personal and professional possibilities.

Let your eyes do the talking.

Eyes speak louder than words. We often find ourselves in public settings—on trains and planes; in bank lines and restaurants—unable to stop shooting repeated glances at that attractive stranger.

If these looks are periodically returned, take pride in the fact that you’re on that person’s mind between glimpses, and an approach will be warmly welcomed.

Feel things out.

At the beginning stages of flirting, it’s wise to keep your signal-sending ambiguous and low risk, and there’s no better way to test the waters of mutual interest than by exercising your sense of touch.

Beware not to go overboard, however. A simple, seemingly-casual collar adjustment or lean of your shoulder into his body puts the ball of touch in his court.

If he returns your touch, consider it kinesthetically calculated.

Play good ol’ fashioned hard to get.

Diamonds are valuable because they are rare, difficult to attain and have been given a high value by society. These same rules can of course be applied to meeting new partners.

The simple equation here is less available = more desirable. Even if you’re highly interested in someone, remind yourself to maintain a push-pull, one-step-forward-two-steps back approach to maintain your desirability—especially while flirting via text.

Act like the prize that you are.

If only heeding the clichéd ‘ol “just be confident” were that easy. When it comes to confidence, sociologists, successful athletes, politicians and businesspeople recommend a “fake it till you make it” approach using attitude and body language.

Now, this is not to say that you should pretend to be someone else, this technique is based on the theory that confidence will eventually become a natural habit after continuously exuding the characteristics of it.

Take a look around nature. Every living thing you see—from wild animals to wild people—is a product of the flirting and courtship process.


While fun and playful in nature, flirting is the essential first step toward life’s most fundamental, pleasurable and glorious undertaking, which without, none of us would ever be here (we’re talking about sex!).

www.loveandindulgence.com.au

NEXT ARTICLE: HEALTH BENEFITS OF SEX FOR MEN

Surviving Breast Cancer and Rediscovering Intimacy

The most common form of cancer among women in North America, where roughly 200,000 new cases are diagnosed yearly, breast cancer touches the lives of many. Thankfully however, due to sophisticated treatment and therapy techniques, more women than ever are beating breast cancer.



These survivors number at nearly 2.4 million in the U.S. alone, and according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, a majority of them will then cope with the less-discussed consequences of diagnosis; disrupted sexual functions. The study found that 7 in 10 breast cancer survivors experience sexual issues, compared to 40 to 45 percent of women unaffected by breast cancer reporting the same – quite a wide margin.

This is in no small part due to the same techniques and methods that help survivors beat their diagnosis in the first place; because some breast cancer cells require estrogen to grow, women in treatment are given estrogen inhibitors that greatly impact sexual functions, and sometimes result in early onset menopause. 

Even without the occurrence of menopause, the effects on sexual response, such as vaginal dryness, loss of libido and difficulty achieving orgasm can last for as long as 2 years after treatment is complete.



During this time, satisfying sexual experiences can be hard to attain, but not impossible; the leading online breast cancer resource Breastcancer.org as well as its founder and president Dr. Marisa Weiss suggest that with some extra time, care and some additional bedroom items, those treated for breast cancer can bounce back and recapture their sensual spark.



This is where a personal massager can be of assistance, which women and their partners can use to assist these bodily functions that we can sometimes take for granted. Using a sensual massager will help to prolong foreplay and provide effective stimulation that can assist in the achievement of orgasm, or simply raise arousal to an adequate level for lovemaking to take place.



Rediscovering Intimacy: it’s not only possible for all survivors of breast cancer, but important to them and all women for taking advantage of the benefits – both healthy and pleasurable – that an active sensuality provides.

For those ladies that would like to connect with a professional 'mastectomy bra fitter' please check out Theresa Thorp from Secrets4Women https://www.facebook.com/Secrets4Women

I found her article in Y Magazine and felt I had to share her expertise.

www.loveandindulgence.com.au

NEXT ARTICLE: MASTERING THE ART OF FLIRTING

Master Your Cycle

When it comes to menstruation, a woman’s hormones are in a constant state of flux to result in new changes every day of your cycle – and a number of them have a serious effect on your sex life, too.

By knowing what you and your body are going through, you can be better prepared to deal with what’s to come, and also to reap the sexual benefits the whole way through. What follows is a chronological breakdown of the 3 week cycle that will help you master your menses!

Week 1

Make Time for Make-up Sex

Your peaking fertility in the first week of your menstrual cycle will make him more possessive and you more assertive, according to evolutionary psychology. This is the perfect mix when it comes to tiff-causing tensions in the relationship, but not to worry, because this is the same week you’re easier to become sexually aroused, making some mind-blowing make-up sex more than likely.

Sexy Sounds

In the first days of your cycle you may experience a hoarser than usual voice, meaning you can really commit to some Kathleen Turner levels of dirty talk during sex!

While menstruation’s effect on voice has been studied quite a bit, there is no clear reasoning for this – it just happens. Fun fact; many professional singers have ‘grace days’ included in their performance contracts for just this very reason.

Week 2

Burnin’ Up

The increase in your levels of estrogen can cause you to burn off more fat than usual during your trips to the gym, according to a review in Current Opinion in Pharmacology. The effect is strongest two days before you start ovulating, so make the most of this time by cranking up your cardio and presenting yourself in your favorite lingerie.

Craving the Strong, Secure Type

Your unconscious emphasis on reproduction will have you liking a certain kind of man this week, namely muscle-y manly men, and the healthier their stock portfolio, the better. 

Again this comes down to Evo Psych, as a masculine fella with a strong jawline has some choice genetic material to pass on, and if he’s got the bank to boot, he can provide for your shared offspring – both of which you might find yourself responding to.

Your Gaydar Pings Perfectly

According to a study in Psychological Science, your peak time for procreation coincides with your precise ability to figure out if he’s straight or not. The reasoning here again comes down to evolutionary psychology, which posits that you’re more open than ever to cues and clues as to whether or not a man is into you.

Let Your Hormones Do the Shopping

When you’re ovulating, you’ll find that you’re extra-competitive, increasingly extroverted and likely to wear revealing clothes that stands out from other women. Not only this, but you may find yourself opening your purse to buy things you would have walked right passed the week before. These findings are actually from the Journal of Consumer Research, which is equal parts fascinating and terrifying, if you ask us.

DAY 14: THE BEST SEX OF YOUR CYCLE

This is enough to add to your calendar every month for years to come; according to Italian researchers and published in a recent edition of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, on or around the 14^th day of your cycle is when your clitoris grows about twenty percent bigger than its normal size. Not only is your sweet spot even easier to reach, it will become engorged much more easily than usual, which drastically up your chances of becoming fully aroused.

Week 3

Tossin’ & Turnin’

As your heightened estrogen levels from the previous two weeks are being replaced with progesterone (which your body produces to facilitate the pregnancy it is absolutely certain will happen this time, as it is every month), you might be experiencing lighter or harder-to-come-by sleeping patterns, according to the International Journal of Endocrinology. While you could use this extra awake time counting sheep, wouldn’t a full-body massage from your partner be an even better idea?

Things get decidedly less sexy from here, but hey, take heart in the fact that the cycle begins anew for the next month – so make the most of it!

www.loveandindulgence.com.au

NEXT ARTICLE : SURVIVING BREAST CANCER AND REDISCOVERING INTIMACY