Spring Break for Couples

Spring Break is coming.  Well, what happens if you don't have children or you're not in school anymore?  Does that mean you don't get to have spring break?  Just because you don't officially get time off, does that mean you can't treat the approaching spring with a break of your own?  

Spring Break is supposed to be a celebration of coming out of the winter months and into the rebirth.  So why should that only be for those in school?  I am suggesting that you as a couple plan out your spring break activities.  You might not be able to jet off to a warm location, but you can make a point to do something fun and exciting.  Plan out a wonderful hiking trip on a weekend or get your plans set to put out flowers around your home.  

The important thing is to view it as a break from your normal activities and get yourself ready to enjoy the warm weather that is on the way.  

- Rob

Want a good laugh.....we laughed until I cried during this episode...maybe it will make you laugh too.  Laughter is contagious after all.

Listen to internet radio with The Relationship Guides on Blog Talk Radio

photo by Liliia Rudchenko - Fotolia.com 

You're Doing That in Bed???!!!!!!

No, no, no!  Please don't get stuck in the rut of reading a book or the newspaper (or worse yet...doing work) in bed.  

There are two things that bed should be for and reading or working isn't one of them.

1. Sleeping or resting.  Obviously, this is your place to sleep.  Sometimes, if you are feeling under the weather, you will retire to bed to get some rest and return to good health.  Your body comes to recognize the feel of your sheets and your comfy surroundings as a signal to drift off - a place to rejuvenate you.  
2. Making love or snuggling with your partner.  Mmmm....there are a long list of places you can make love or snuggle up with your partner, but your bed is probably at the top of that list.  Your bedroom should be a sanctuary for the two of you - a physically and emotionally safe place to go to be completely open with each other.  **If you have small children or grandchildren, you may find precious moments of snuggling with your amazing little kids before getting up on the lazy weekend mornings.  And, that is wonderful and beautiful too...you're still snuggling.

If you confuse your body and your mind by having other experiences in your bed from reading the paper to working to watching television to having arguments, your mind and body are no longer going to instantly say, "Hey...this is wondrous...time to relax and doze off." or "Mmmm...there is my love's warm body...I feel a tingle ;)"

**A little side-note: If you like reading something sexy to each other, then by all means do read that in bed together!

Make your bed and your bedroom be a place that automatically sets the mood for relaxation and special time with your beloved.  And, yes, that means sometimes the relaxation comes along a little bit later, but  the "pre-relaxation" time is WELL WORTH it ;) 

-Janelle

Listen to internet radio with The Relationship Guides on Blog Talk Radio

Photo by © detailblick - Fotolia.com3

Visualize The Change You Want

Want a shift in your life?  Maybe you want a new house for the two of you, or maybe a better job?  It might even be as simple as you want more time to spend with each other.  The change starts when you start to visualize the outcome you desire.  Picture yourself in that new house or at that new job.  Close your eyes and imagine that the two of you have plenty of time to go on dates and see the world.  The energy you put on these thoughts is the first steps in creating the change.  If you can see it in your mind, then it can happen.  Yet, you just can't sit around and visualize all the time.  The next step is to take action.  Determine what step comes after visualization and start that process in motion.  Before you know it your vision of change will be a reality. 

One of the amazing benefits of being in a relationship and loving someone is that you can both focus and visualize on this change.  Putting double the energy out to reach these goals will bring it to you that much faster.   Plus, if you are both taking action towards this goal, reaching it will become a quest for the two of you as a couple. What a wonderful thing to share!  

-Rob

We talked about this on our morning radio show - it is also related to yesterday's post.  Listen now.

Photo from Creative Commons

Think You Have No Options? Think Again.

Have you ever thought there was nothing you could do?  There were no options.  Everything was just blank.  You had no choices, no creative ideas, no way out.

The majority of people have or will feel this way at some point.  The more important question is how long are they willing to allow this feeling to stay with them?  When find the key to opening and connecting to your higher self, you will be amazed at what can happen.

Okay, some of you may say I know how to connect to God (I pray and pray...nothing happens) or I know how to reach my inner guidance or I am aware of my spirituality.  Yet, you still feel like your options are bleak.  So, you have the key in your hand - now you have to take action ... locate the white door that may be blended into the white wall, insert the key into the lock, turn it, turn the knob, and open the door.  Then you may or may not need to step across the threshold.  It may be that ideas flood in the opening, but it also may be that you have go to take the risk and step through the door too.

In direct regards to relationships, if only one partner is willing to take action, it can cause a strain on the relationship.  If that action taker is willing to reach back and give a hand to his/her partner, then hopefully you can take this new journey together.

We expand a bit on this in our weekday radio show...listen below!

Love,
Janelle

Photo by © Alexei Sysoev - Fotolia.com2

Taoist Beliefs On The Importance Of Sex

Click here to get your copy of this book!

Recently I read the book The Multi-Orgasmic Couple - How Couples Can Dramatically Enhance Their Pleasure, Intimacy and Health by Mantak Chia, Maneewan Chia, Douglas Abrams and Rachel Carlton Abrams, M.D.  

This book is full of Taoists beliefs on how important intimacy and sex are to our relationships and health.  I was amazed at some of the understanding the ancient Taoists had about the affects of sex on our bodies.  Modern science has proven that wonderful chemicals are released during sexual activity, and research has presented us with data on the importance of intimacy in our lives overall.  My question is how did these Taoists understand these things thousands of years ago?  

I found some very interesting things in this book.  For starters Taoists doctors would prescribe sexual activity in specific positions to cure medical conditions for people.  Another thing I loved was the focus on the energy of sexual activity and how that energy was the basis for everything.  This book also explained the health benefits of touch and kissing, which made a lot of sense to me.  Basically this book  explains how not only sex is the fountain of youth, but is is also one of the most powerful healing energies in our lives.  

I highly recommend every couple to add this book to their library.  This book not only helps you understand how important intimacy is in your life, but it also shows how sacred it should be.  

- Rob

Listen to internet radio with The Relationship Guides on Blog Talk Radio

6 Celebrity Couples Still Together

6 Famous Married Couples Who Stayed Together Forever

No doubt about it, people have different views and stresses when it comes to retirement. As we get older, we truly begin to understand the profound effect of having healthy and nourishing relationships in our life. Our partners or better halves contribute to our health and wellbeing in more ways than can be explained by science. Seniors especially now have more time to connect to their partners in the latter stages of life now that retirement allows for more time to spend with each other.

It’s not impossible to find love at this age either, and surely for the lucky few who make it, retirement will be more of a blessing than a burden. A happy marriage will ground you, extend your mental and physical health, and support you growth and maturity in so many ways. Here’s a list of famous married couples who stayed together through the latter stages of life. It’s not impossible.

1. Kevin Bacon & Kyra Sedgwick - Married since 1988, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick have two children and attribute their long, happy marriage to finding an optimal balance between their work and private lives. The couple even made a promise to one another that neither will work on a project while the other is working on one.
2. Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta Jones - This happily married famous couple met in 1998 and dated less than a year before getting hitched in 2000. Catherine and Doug love to share their passion for travel together and own homes in Bermuda, Swansea, Majorca, and Quebec. Finding similar hobbies and interests to do together keeps their marriage fun and exciting. Douglas reportedly said “I want to father your children” when the couple first met and nine years later they have two children together, with no signs of slowing down.
3. Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne - This eccentric Hollywood couple has been happily married since 1982 and recently renewed their wedding vows in 2003. Renewing wedding vows are one of the ways couples reaffirm their love and commitment to each another. Sharon was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, and, with the help of her family and husband Ozzy, showed great courage during her treatment.
4. Taylor Hackford & Helen Mirren - After years of saying she would not marry, Helen Mirren was immediately hooked when she met Taylor Hackford on the set of White Nights in 1986. The couple had a Scottish wedding, and since 1997, has remained happily married.
5. Danny Devito & Rhea Perlman - Danny Devito may be famous for his many roles in film, including The War of the Roses about a destructive relationship and the heartbreak that comes with painful divorces, but in reality, DeVito and actress Rhea Perlman have been together since 1982 and live a happy life with their three children. DeVito asserts that the key to happy marriage is to actively participate in common ventures with his wife, such as his non-profit organization, OneVoice Movement, and co-owning a restaurant called DeVito South Beach.
6. Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson - Back in 1985, it was love at first sight when Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson met on the set of Volunteers; they got married in 1988 and have never looked back. They attribute their marriage success to working together and supporting one another. Rita has even coached Tom on his movie roles, including helping him perfect his accent for The Terminal. They remain in a healthy balance between careers and private life.

**We would like to thank our guest blogger today, Julia McCartney.  She is a staff researcher/part-time writer for SeniorCare.net.

Photo by © chandra - Fotolia.com 

Listen to internet radio with The Relationship Guides on Blog Talk Radio

Entertainment For Couples On A Budget

There is nothing fun about having a limited amount of money to live on.  However, if the two of you are on a pretty tight budget don't think that entertainment is out of the question.  There are many things to enjoy that don't cost anything and there are several you can enjoy for a very small amount.  

Start by locating your local parks for trails and events they will be having.  Next, you can always rent a movie for a couple of bucks and spice up your house to make it feel like a movie theater.  Turn all the lights off and make some popcorn.  Position your chairs as if your television was the big screen.  To save even more, check out your local library.  Most libraries now carry a huge selection of movies from comedies to documentaries.  

Keep an eye on your local paper for fun things coming to town that are free.  Festivals and fairs usually have a lot of free shows associated with them.  For sports action you can check out your local high schools and colleges, many of those events are free or charge a very small fee.  

The important thing is to understand you can find plenty to do that will fit in your budget even if your budget is zero.

- Rob  

Listen to internet radio with The Relationship Guides on Blog Talk Radio

Photo from Creative Commons

Extra Day Enjoy It

Okay, this day happens only once every four years.  It is a bonus day.  One that you don't get 75% of your life. What are you going to do with it?  Why not make a special pact with your partner or with yourself to do something special on this day every time it comes around?  Maybe the two of you can plan on going to a special place on February 29th like a little cabin in the mountains.  Another great idea would be to spend this day going through old photos and memories of your lives together.  If you are more adventurous maybe, you use this day to do something neither one of you have ever done before.  You could go skydiving, white water rafting or take a special class in an area that neither one of you would have dreamed about before.  The point is to take this day as a gift for it only presents itself once every four years.  

Just like everyday in your life - don't waste it.  LIVE IT!

--Rob

Listen to internet radio with The Relationship Guides on Blog Talk Radio

You Don't Stay the Same

Today we are not the same as yesterday

for all is impermanent

With non-attachment we can have

love and compassion for and appreciation of

our experiences which offer 

opportunities for growth and expansion

--Janelle Alex  

Listen to internet radio with The Relationship Guides on Blog Talk Radio

Photo by © Kochergin - Fotolia.com

Plan Now For Warm Days

Warm days are on the way.  So, today is a great day to plan out what the two of you are going to do on that first warm day.  Will you take a hike or go out and just bask in the sun.  After many months of enduring the colder weather (for those of us in the northern part of the US) these first few warm days are like a new lease on life.  We emerge out of our winter cocoons and spread our wings.  In a way, we have been hibernating and it is time to get out and enjoy the fresh air.  So plan out your first escape day and make sure the two of you enjoy it like the celebration it is.  - Rob

Listen to internet radio with The Relationship Guides on Blog Talk Radio

Photo : Scnicholl - Fotolia.com