Intelligence: the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.
TLD Intel: a monthly roundup of events, articles, books, videos and podcasts to help you live The Life Delicious!
Hello! How are you?
What are you celebrating?
I participated in the Embodied Yoga Summit in April and particularly loved the session with Michelle C. Johnson, called Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing and Collective Grief – also the name of her upcoming book, which I cannot wait to read! (She is the author of Skill in Action, which I recommended in my last newsletter.)
At the Summit, Johnson shared 2 questions that inspire a much deeper level of connection than asking, "how are you":
How is your heart?
What are you grieving?
Is your heart happy and hopeful, hurting and sad, angry and hot?
What are you grieving?
We're all grieving the loss of something, especially at this time in history as we navigate life during a pandemic and understand our role in social justice activism.
"Many of us have been conditioned to grieve in isolation – and that disconnects us from community," says Johnson. "I think we're missing a big opportunity to heal together. One thing that allows me to move through grief is connection with others, with the earth. Connection in sacred circles."
Even though this virtual medium does not connect us physically, please receive the gratitude I feel for your presence and participation in this online community.
I hope you'll find nourishment in this month's roundup. Happy reading/listening/watching!
Top 3:
1. BOOK: Code Red by Lisa Lister
This book is life-changing! Code Red: Know Your Flow, Unlock Your Superpowers, and Create a Bloody Amazing Life. Period. by Lisa Lister is a must-read for anyone who bleeds, or anyone who knows someone that bleeds. I’ve been charting my cycle for years but it’s so next-level to learn about our monthly superpowers – during pre-ovulation, ovulation, pre-menstruation and menstruation – and to schedule life accordingly. I wish I’d read this 30 years ago. I can’t wait to one day give this book to my daughter.
Says Lister, "Your menstrual cycle is way more than PMS, carb cravings and lady rage. It's actually a 4-part lady code, that once cracked, will uncover a series of monthly superpowers that can be used to enhance your relationships with others, build a better business, have incredible sex and create a ‘bloody' amazing life. You’ll learn how to live and work in complete alignment with the rhythms of nature, the moon and your menstrual cycle, be inspired by insights from Wise and Wild Women, and gain access to easy-to-follow strategies and SHE flow practices. You'll be invited to re-connect with your true nature as a woman, tap into the transformative power of your innate feminine wisdom and use your menstrual cycle as an ever-unfolding map to crack your lady code."
2. VIDEO: Esther Perel – What is Erotic Intelligence?
"My goal is to help people create thriving relationships, not just to be in one," says psychotherapist, author, speaker and podcaster Esther Perel. "I come from a family of two parents who were concentration camp survivors. My two parents are the sole survivors of their entire family. And I grew up in a community in Antwerp, Belgium that was exclusively Holocaust survivors. And in this community, I always saw two groups of people, those who did not die, and those who came back to life. And those who did not die lived rather tethered to the ground, the world was a dangerous place, you could not trust and certainly, you could not enjoy or experience pleasure, because if you did it meant you were not on guard and if you were not on guard shit could happen.
"And those who came back to life are those who understood the erotic, eroticism as a life force not just in its modern narrow definition of sex, but basically how do you re-imagine yourself, how do you reinvent yourself, how do you bring back an energy, a vitality, an aliveness. And it was my parents who inspired me to look at it like that. So much of what I try to do is actually help people connect with their aliveness. And aliveness goes with meaning, goes with purpose, goes with creativity, goes with playfulness, and goes with connection to oneself, to one's partners, families, and to the world, to the politics of the world."
3. PODCAST: Sex With Dr. Jess – Eroticize Daily Interactions: 20 Actionable Tips For Busy Couples
"Have more fun. Be more playful. Even when life feels heavy," says sexologist, author, and media personality Dr. Jessica O'Reilly. "This week, we share 20 actionable tips & strategies to inject levity, passion & eroticism into your daily routine. Because you’re not a light switch. You (probably) can’t go from talking about work, kids, taxes and whether or not your dog took a dump to tearing one another’s clothes off. When I say *eroticize* daily interactions, I’m not talking about making everything blatantly sexual or flirtatious. What I mean is that you can be intentional about weaving playfulness, intimacy & laughter into your more mundane interactions. And it’s likely to pay off both in and out of the bedroom. When life feels heavy, seeking joy and pleasure becomes even more valuable. Ans you deserve all the joy and all the pleasure."
Registration for my Summer 2021 Women's Coaching Circle opens May 18!
As I wrap up my Spring 2021 Women’s Coaching Circle, I am filled with gratitude for the incredible, open, honest and strong women who joined me for this journey.
Would you like to join me for the next program?
This 6-Week Online Circle, from June 22 to July 29, includes 6 x 75-minute group sessions and 2 x 30-minute private one-on-one sessions via Zoom. We cover 15 succinct modules – across the areas of Mindset, Movement, Nutrition, Sleep and Connection – featuring the latest, greatest science across multiple wellness disciplines, and use The Life Delicious’ proprietary strategic plan to help you INTEGRATE + ACTIVATE what you learn.
These intimate and supportive Circles have only 7 spots available, and look at Leading with Pleasure through the lens of women who are leaders, lovers and mothers.
To learn more and register, visit www.thelifedelicious.ca/coaching.
My NEW YouTube Video Series:
My NEW YouTube series, The 7s Pleasure Practice, is inspired by the practice I've been doing for the last year, which has been such an incredible source of insight and power.
This practice was designed to help liberate you from physical and psychological pain.
I'm excited to share EPISODE 3: GODDESS SQUATS with you today!
I'd love to hear about your experience with this practice.
I wish you TONS of delicious juicy pleasure!
Best,
Catherine
P.S. Registration for my Women's Coaching Circle comes with a $150 gift certificate for my January 2022 Wellness Retreat at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria, BC!