These are the typical stages of a romantic partnership: During the honeymoon phase, our brains are flooded with chemicals—dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline increase, creating the feeling of lust and/or attraction toward someone. The combination of these can be intoxicating, making us ignore certain issues and potentially red flags. After some time, these neurotransmitters dissipate, allowing the “high” to wear off and the relationship to move into Phases 2–4. The Back-to-Reality Phase is usually when folks break up if one person decides they don’t want something long term....

And you’re not alone if these unpleasant—OK, freaking miserable—symptoms pop up before your menstrual cycle. About 75% of women experience them, and for about 20% of them, those symptoms are so severe that they resort to medications. Many of my patients also struggle with sugar cravings before their periods. Others rely on coffee to compensate for bad sleep. Or they take the edge off a bad day with a few glasses of red wine....

Suffice it to say, all of these components have been shown to provide a wide array of benefits for skin care and beyond: Some research has found that aloin4, a compound found in the aloe plant, has anti-inflammatory properties that aid in the skin-healing process. Aloe is also chock-full of antioxidants, and one antioxidant protein, in particular, called metallothionein, has been found to have a protective effect on skin1 that’s been exposed to and damaged by UV rays....

“Erotic hypnosis has a way of enhancing the things that the subject already enjoys. It can draw things out that would otherwise stay hidden, allow the hypnotee to be more sensitive, and lower inhibition if that’s what they want,” hypnodomme and certified hypnotist Katherine Dire tells mbg. “It’s a way of playing with sexuality in a way that is a little indirect.” Then, the hypnotist suggests you into a trance. During hypnosis, a person’s attention leaves their immediate environment and clings to “inner experiences such as feelings, cognition, and imagery,” according to research1 by hypnotherapist Ann Williamson....

As a certified Pilates instructor and prenatal and postpartum corrective specialist, the question I often find myself asking is: “Why do so many prenatal and postpartum fitness classes focus just on restorative practices and not on actually building the strength and stamina required for motherhood?” Your primary focus post-baby is restoring your deepest core and pelvic floor muscles, and part of this includes relearning how to breathe. Because the growing baby essentially pushes organs up into your diaphragm, you may have become accustomed to short, shallow breathing—this can prevent you not only from finding nervous system relief but also from using your core functionally....

Om your marks, get set, O. Tantra itself is an ancient spiritual practice with roots in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jain traditions that’s thousands of years old. Today, “tantra as we know it is a heart-centered, embodied spiritual practice that embraces every aspect of life and says, ‘This could be a path or vehicle to enlightenment,’” explains Barbara Carrellas ACS, AASECT, author of Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the 21st Century. Walking the dog, doing your homework, and navigating traffic can all be done tantrically....

While PETA claims that shearing hurts the animal, this is an extreme outcome and generally happens if the animal isn’t given the proper time to recoup its fleece before the next shearing. Meaning, the animal is only harmed if the farm or shearer in question cares more about profit and the amount of wool than the animal itself. Otherwise, shearing is pain-free for the animal and necessary for maintaining the health of the flock....