Read Online Goddesses Never Age: The Secret Prescription for Radiance, Vitality, and Well-Being by Dr. Christiane Northrup - Free Book Online
Authors: Dr. Christiane Northrup
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reduced inflammation, lower blood pressure, greater immunity, improved memory and circulation, and better blood oxygenation. Laughter also reduces pain by increasing your beta-endorphins, which are feel-good neurotransmitters.
My motto is that anything worth taking seriously is worth making fun of. One evening many years back, when I was studying the harp, I was helping a fellow harpist in our harp ensemble at the Cleveland Institute of Music move her instrument out of a retirement home where our ensemble had played for the residents. As we carried the ungainly harp down a hallway, I overheard an older woman say to another, “It was a good day. Nobody fell.” I burst into laughter and had to put my end of the harp on the ground. I managed to catch my breath long enough to say to my friend, “When my definition of a good day is when nobody falls, it’s probably a good time for you to help me check out.” My friend was horrified by my dark humor, but I really believe that when you lose your sense of humor, you lose your vitality. At that point, you’re just waiting for the end to come.
Deep laughter from the belly floods you with nitric oxide. Buddhism has the laughing Buddha to remind us of the healing, life-affirming nature of laughter. I wish more spiritual traditions would help us lighten up. Just because something is meaningful doesn’t mean it can’t be screamingly funny.
Laugh and have fun. When you open up to receiving pleasure, it comes to you. Don’t be afraid to lighten your To Do list and put “pleasure” at the top of it.
MEN’S ROLE IN WOMEN’S PLEASURE
Many men are having a hard time of it these days. Historically, men have always had a higher suicide rate than women, in no small part because women are far more likely to consult a therapist. In the U.S., the suicide rate of men in midlife is at an all-time high because men are feeling cut off from the life force.
Keep this in mind: Too many little boys have heard “Be a man” or “Don’t be a sissy” over and over again since they were very young. They have to shut down their feelings of sadness or fear at an early age to survive in our culture. The result is that far too many have repressed anger and sadness that can easily turn into violence or depression. Men require support to access their feelings—rather than being told repeatedly to “suck it up.”
Being cut off from their feelings makes it hard for men to connect with ours—which in turn makes it hard for them to support women’s pleasure. A man’s deepest desire is to serve the Goddess—that is, to serve life. That truth is written into the King Arthur legends and the stories of brave warriors who protected their people. Look at the comic books and science fiction movies that serve as our new myths. The man is always trying to serve and protect women, or the feminine.
The problem is that when it comes to serving women in real life, many men go about it ineptly much of the time because they’re not listening to what women actually want and need. If we help them serve our goddess energy, and praise them for what they do for us, including the small things that make life more pleasant, men will want to work even harder for us.
To receive assistance and pleasure from men, you have to start with making requests, not demands, so that their egos don’t get the better of them. Otherwise, they tend to shut down. Set the expectation that the men in your life can give you pleasure and acknowledge them for doing so. This can be as easy as thanking them for opening a door. And yes—I know you are fully capable of doing it yourself. But remember, receiving is a skill that has to be cultivated.
When you put pleasure and fun at the top of your list, the man wants to get in on it. Men find you attractive whatever your age because you are living agelessly and joyfully. Who wouldn’t be attracted to someone like that? To use a dance metaphor, I waited my whole life for a man who would
My motto is that anything worth taking seriously is worth making fun of. One evening many years back, when I was studying the harp, I was helping a fellow harpist in our harp ensemble at the Cleveland Institute of Music move her instrument out of a retirement home where our ensemble had played for the residents. As we carried the ungainly harp down a hallway, I overheard an older woman say to another, “It was a good day. Nobody fell.” I burst into laughter and had to put my end of the harp on the ground. I managed to catch my breath long enough to say to my friend, “When my definition of a good day is when nobody falls, it’s probably a good time for you to help me check out.” My friend was horrified by my dark humor, but I really believe that when you lose your sense of humor, you lose your vitality. At that point, you’re just waiting for the end to come.
Deep laughter from the belly floods you with nitric oxide. Buddhism has the laughing Buddha to remind us of the healing, life-affirming nature of laughter. I wish more spiritual traditions would help us lighten up. Just because something is meaningful doesn’t mean it can’t be screamingly funny.
Laugh and have fun. When you open up to receiving pleasure, it comes to you. Don’t be afraid to lighten your To Do list and put “pleasure” at the top of it.
MEN’S ROLE IN WOMEN’S PLEASURE
Many men are having a hard time of it these days. Historically, men have always had a higher suicide rate than women, in no small part because women are far more likely to consult a therapist. In the U.S., the suicide rate of men in midlife is at an all-time high because men are feeling cut off from the life force.
Keep this in mind: Too many little boys have heard “Be a man” or “Don’t be a sissy” over and over again since they were very young. They have to shut down their feelings of sadness or fear at an early age to survive in our culture. The result is that far too many have repressed anger and sadness that can easily turn into violence or depression. Men require support to access their feelings—rather than being told repeatedly to “suck it up.”
Being cut off from their feelings makes it hard for men to connect with ours—which in turn makes it hard for them to support women’s pleasure. A man’s deepest desire is to serve the Goddess—that is, to serve life. That truth is written into the King Arthur legends and the stories of brave warriors who protected their people. Look at the comic books and science fiction movies that serve as our new myths. The man is always trying to serve and protect women, or the feminine.
The problem is that when it comes to serving women in real life, many men go about it ineptly much of the time because they’re not listening to what women actually want and need. If we help them serve our goddess energy, and praise them for what they do for us, including the small things that make life more pleasant, men will want to work even harder for us.
To receive assistance and pleasure from men, you have to start with making requests, not demands, so that their egos don’t get the better of them. Otherwise, they tend to shut down. Set the expectation that the men in your life can give you pleasure and acknowledge them for doing so. This can be as easy as thanking them for opening a door. And yes—I know you are fully capable of doing it yourself. But remember, receiving is a skill that has to be cultivated.
When you put pleasure and fun at the top of your list, the man wants to get in on it. Men find you attractive whatever your age because you are living agelessly and joyfully. Who wouldn’t be attracted to someone like that? To use a dance metaphor, I waited my whole life for a man who would
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