“You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

One of the things about equality is not just that you be treated equally to a man, but that you treat yourself equally to the way you treat a man. 

~Marlo Thomas

A woman’s mind is cleaner than a man’s – That’s because she changes it more often.
~Oliver Herford

How much love is needed in one’s life?

The perfect combinations includes the physical and decadent pleasures of love, the oh so reassuring emotional connections & the spiritual “Etat de grace”. Greedy me wants all 3.

No fat-free-light-version of love, pour moi. I want the rich, full body, deep fried version de l’AMOUUUR. I want the intense taste that comes when you breath the rarefied air of absolute Love.
But of course one must accept the risk that the stories ends up dramatically… And should this be the case, well hey it might finally give me some material to write a book!

Bien evidemment, it won’t happen with wishful thinking only. One must show the gods our willingness to put a little sweat equity into your own life so they grant your favors with more celerity.

So 2012 will include
1/ the practice of tantric love -  doesn’t the Institute of Tantric Living sounds like a good place to start?
2/ catching up on some of some absolute love with Smythson’s red leather Love Letters
3/ the spiritual Etat de grace will require spending time in sacred locations and until we get to Bali, I’ll be lightening some candles in the bedroom

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn’t it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life…You give them a piece of you. They didn’t ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn’t your own anymore. Love takes hostages. (…) It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It’s a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.”

Neil Gaiman

Mes cheris, are you taking care of your libido ?

Our favorite Barbarella is a big believer in a healthy libido and urges us all to take testosterone to make sure you keep it up. And yes Ladies us too !

You are getting sex advice from a 73 year old woman but she is no ordinary woman…

You might have fallen in love with her as Barbarella, or as a political activist, or with her tight leotards in the 80′s or even more recently as co-founder of the Women’s Media Center, an organization that works to amplify the voices of women in the media.

All of the above? Me too.

But now I nominate her as a She is French Ambassador on the sole basis that she credits good sex for the longevity of her appeal: 30% to be exact according to her interview to the Daily Mail

“How do I still look good?  I owe 30 per cent to genes, 30 per cent to good sex, 30 per cent because of sports and healthy lifestyle with proper nutrition and for the remaining ten per cent, I have to thank my plastic surgeon.”

I am in heaven because nothing makes me more happy than hearing a woman who says she has great sex… and at 73 even better -she obviously spent enough time on the subject to know what she is talking about.

And she is right, it is it is scientifically proven good sex gives a great glow to the face making the skin look younger (see following post on After Sex Glow).

Think Low-Tox vs Botox but whatever you do make sure you apply the Fonda ratios and keep your injections under 10%. Or just increase your sex life to counter-balance your numbers.

~ She

Her new book PRIME TIME: Love, health, sex, fitness, friendship, spirit–making the most of all of your life will hopefully be your next read. I know it will be mine.