“52 Fridays with My Bitch and Her Queen” is the working title of the forthcoming erotic novel by Kamala Devi and Roxanne DePalma

Synopsis

Excerpt:

The post Sneak Peek of New Erotic Novel by Kamala Devi & Roxanne DePalma appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

The “Spiritual Polyamory” Meetup is closing in 2 weeks! Please JOIN the “San Diego Polyamory” so we can stay in touch in 2015!

In the past SIX Years since our formation in 2008, we have grown to 600 members! Congratulations!

There’s no doubt the OPEN relationship movement is growing!  Before the Docu-series “Polyamory: Married & Dating, many people did not even know what the word Polyamory meant, now it is a household word! In order to better serve the community we are combining with the SD Polyamory group, which is twice our size!

Do not worry. We will still be offering many spiritually, conscious and tantric focused events by Kamala Devi and other national guest speakers.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION: If you are not already a member, please JOIN http://www.meetup.com/SDPoly and introduce yourself before this group
closes at the end of the month!

We look forward to connecting in the new year!
Love,
KamalaDevi
www.KamalaDevi.com

The post Meetup: Spiritual Polyamory will be merging into San Diego Polyamory appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

Photo by Nick Karras

The great cannabis controversy is one of defining political issues of our times. Because the political is always personal (and vise versa) I’m willing to reveal my recent experiences with medical marijuana and speak up for anti-prohibition.

MY PERSONAL POSITION ON THE RECREATIONAL USE OF MARIJUNA

I am pro-Freedom. When it comes to recreation, I’d personally rather alter my mind through sustainable natural practices, like meditation, breath-work, and of course sex. I do not smoke Marijuana, tobacco or even drink alcohol. However, my lifestyle choices do not give me the right to restrict or judge others. Prohibition of drugs limits individual freedom, incentivizes illegal behavior and perpetuates ignorance. Whenever our government imposes laws against consenting adult behavior, (that does no harm) we are stripped of our liberty.

However, this is not simply a question of recreation, for some, it is a question of life.

Marijuana is not only less damaging than alcohol and tobacco, but 500xs less fatal than aspirin. Cannabis was America’s #1 painkiller in 1899, When Bayer introduced aspirin and today, approximately 500 people die every year by taking aspirin. No one has ever been reported to die from an Marijuana overdose. (Source: Patients for Medical Cannabis.) 

THE PROHIBITION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years throughout ancient Egypt, China, Greece and India. A huge range of diseases and ailments have been treated, healed and recorded in historic records . Only in recent times has science been able to explain why it is such a miracle plant.

Today, twenty-three states have legalized the use and production of medical marijuana for qualifying patients. However, the medical use of marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and patients in the remaining states are without any legal access.  Even in states where medical marijuana laws exist, patients and providers are vulnerable to arrest and interference from federal law enforcement. (USA Today.)

The political interference with cannabis research and its use as a medicine started with the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Despite the objections of the American Medical Association, the United States Congress passed the first federal law restricting access to cannabis, even for medical and research purposes. Since then, numerous reviews by local, federal and international commissions have confirmed the relative safety and efficacy of cannabis as a medicine. And in recent decades, research studies have further shown cannabis has the potential to treat a variety of debilitating conditions for which conventional treatments are lacking. Yet the use of cannabis remains completely prohibited by federal law—even for medical purposes. (Source: Americans for Safe Access)

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE W/ ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

I have always had a chemical disposition for depression. It’s no secret that after my baby was born, I had sever postpartum depression, and after 11 months of trying every natural remedy from acupuncture, herbs, high doses of amino acids, EFT, hypnosis… I reluctantly decided to ween my son off mother’s milk, and start a series of a pharmaceutical antidepressants (I didn’t want to pass it on to him through breastfeeding.) After about a year of therapy I got off the SSRI’s and continued with food based supplements.

This year, approximately 6 years later, I found myself going through a different type of postpartum period. After our reality show ended, I was living with the stress and jealousy of multiple relationship transitions, and I started experiencing post traumatic stress symptoms (AKA anxiety attacks.) The panic, paranoia and seizure-like convulsing were said to be treatable by medical marijuana. I already had such a thin grasp on reality, I did not want to deal with the delusional or euphoric affects of weed, so I was intrigued when I heard that CBD hemp oil does not have the psychotropic affects of THC.

WHAT IS CBD HEMP OIL?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound in cannabis that has medical effects but does not have the same effect as THC or smoking cannabis. Cannabinoid receptors are naturally found in the human brain and are involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory.  Interestingly, several major scientific studies have found that human breast milk naturally contains many of the same cannabinoids found in marijuana, which are actually extremely vital for proper human development.

Some of the known affects of this potent medicine, according to the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology:

• Antiemetic (Reduces nausea and vomiting)
• Anticonvulsant (Suppresses seizure activity)
• Antipsychotic (Combats psychosis disorders)
• Anti-inflammatory (Reduces inflammatory disorders)
• Anti-oxidant (Combats neurodegenerative disorders)
• Anti-tumoral/Anti-cancer (Combats tumor and cancer cells)
• Anxiolytic/Anti-depressant (Counters anxiety and depression disorders).

HOW CBD HEMP OIL HELPED MY HEALING

I recently completed a 3 months series of a moderate daily dose of CBD Hemp Oil. The results: My anxiety subsided, all convulsions stopped, my arthritis became less painful, and it had an overall calming affect on me.

CBD Oil is not a magic pill, however. There were times I wished the results were faster. There were times my dosage was off and I felt lethargic. And because it tastes like a plant stalk, there were times I felt like a cow chewing on a cud.

On the upside, I didn’t have to deal with the same side effects I had when taking prescription anti-depressants: I wasn’t walking around in a fog, didn’t have dry mouth, blurred vision or constipation. And the best part, according to my husband,  is I never lost my sexual desire or ability to orgasm!

(Yes, the photo above is of me and Michael. The picture is taken by Sexologist Nick Karras who is working with researcher Kami Lennox to gathering anecdotal evidence of the effects of cannabis on the sexual experience. see: nickkarras.com)

It’s important to note that although CBD was the only herbal medicine that I took during this period, it was not the only factor in my healing. I dramatically changed my work, my living situation, my diet, my exercise, and continued doing deep personal growth.

Would I recommend CBD oil to my friends and family? YES!

Because of it’s history of prohibition, however it is not only hard to source but can be costly.  I found a trustworthy and reasonably priced source and For me it proved worth it. In fact, it exceeded my expectations! (Scroll to the bottom for details on how to source legal CBD Hemp oil.)

CBD HEMP OIL IS  LEGAL AND AVAILABLE HERE: 

So, If you are like me, and suffer from anxiety, stress, pain or want to take preventative steps against cancer, you may want to give CBD a try.

One of my best friends and lovers is in the early stages of filming his second documentary on medical marijuana. Please support the cause by using his affiliate link:

http://hempmedspx.com/real-scientific-hemp-oil/?AFFID=161719

If you don’t have an acute condition, you may want to check out the “Products” link for Cibdex™ Drops are the most convenient way to add CBD to your daily routine. Cibdex™ drops are infused with natural CBD hemp oil and is a more affordable supplemental dose.

Please comment below on your personal position on Medical Marijuana.If you don’t have an acute condition, you may want to check out the “Products” link for Cibdex™ Drops are the most convenient way to add CBD to your daily routine. Cibdex™ drops are infused with natural CBD hemp oil and is a more affordable supplemental dose.

Please comment below on your personal position on Medical Marijuana.

The post My Personal Healing Journey with Medical Marijuana or CBD Hemp Oil appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

In working on my new book, I decided to update my author’s bio. I got a bit more vulnerable and had fun adding my hobbies: ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kamala Devi is a bisexual Latin woman of Jewish descent who was raised between conservative Orange County and a ranch in Mexico. Throughout college, she produced a handful of feminist-themed plays and was a gay and lesbian activist. She founded the first bisexual and lesbian women’s discussion group at her university.

Before she even heard the word polyamory, her college girlfriend pointed out that she was in love with a male yoga teacher and she began dating them both… After graduation, she moved to a drumming commune in Hawaii where she directed the lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual Pride festival of Honolulu in 1997. She met a professional dominatrix who introduced her to the world of kink.

After a spontaneous sexual awakening on the islands, she began backpacking and studying yoga throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, and China. When she returned to California, she met her life partner, Michael, at a Valentine’s puja in San Diego.

Together they took a tantric pilgrimage to South India to study goddess worship from a guru who channels Kali. The 2004 Sumatran Tsunami struck the very beaches where they were at the exact moment their airplane lifted off. This event inspired Kamala Devi’s first novel, Don’t Drink the Punch: An Adventure in Tantra.

When pregnant, they bought a beach house that Michael converted into an eco-friendly temple where they home-birthed their son Devin Echo McClure. He is now an 8 year old bilingual scientist who loves to sail and surf. Devin is proud to be raised in a polyamorous family with a variety of live-in lovers who were featured on Showtime’s docu-series, Polyamory: Married and Dating which ran for 2 seasons.

Kamala Devi’s primary girlfriend is Roxanne, who is co-author of the erotic novel, 52 Fridays with My Bitch. Together, they are part of a circle of about a dozen lovers who are transparent about everything, this group is affectionately called the superpod.

Kamala Devi is the founder of both TantraPalooza and PolyPalooza, which are annual festivals for liberated lovers. She also created and directs Tantra Theater, a collective of artists, teachers and healers who offer live performance art to heal sexual guilt and shame.

She is co-author of Sacred Sexual Healing with Baba Dez and is featured in his award-winning documentary, Sex Magic. She has made several instructional DVDs including Earning your BLACKBELT in Relationship with Reid Mihalko.

Today, Kamala Devi is a highly-visible spokesperson and has facilitated over a thousand sex-positive events in the last 20 years. Kamala Devi has also appeared on the Tyra Banks Show, Discovery Channel, Morning Show Live, Inside Edition, and MTV’s True Life, to name a few. Her future vision is to create a retreat center so people from all over the world can liberate their love lives. Kamala Devi is devoted to helping people awaken their sexuality ethically, because she feels humanity’s realization their true creative potential is necessary for the evolution of the planet.  She is especially interested in training healers, teachers and visionaries so they can become Love Leaders around the world.

Kamala Devi takes pleasure in nature, massage, vegan foods, snuggling, dance, theater and performance art. Her ultimate turn-on is penetrating conversation. Kamala Devi is a natural muse and uses her body as a doorway to enlightenment. She knows how to use her mouth and words to stimulate and heal people. She is also a deep listener, and loves silence, touch and laughter. For free resources on how to become a better lover go to: KamalaDevi.com

Stay posted for details about her forthcoming erotic novel: 52 Fridays with my Bitch!

The post Bio for Kamala Devi’s Book: About the Author appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

Kamala Devi’s new book will be published in the winter of 2015! The working title is…

Tantra Sutras:

Provocative quotes on Sex, Art, Love, Orgasm Kink, and Other Spiritual Pursuits.

I am currently in the process of editing and finding an illustrator. Following is my seasonal installment of deep and dirty thoughts, I had so many sayings, that I had to break them into parts. Enjoy A-H, if you want to read more click here.  I’m also excited to announce that my full list of Eco-Sex Sutras will be published in an Ecosexuality anthology by Serena Anderlini in 2015. Details TBA. Hope you enjoy these fun pieces!

ON AGAPE

• I am at the center of my universe, just as you are the center of yours, by loving each other, our worlds merge into infinity.
• Love takes courage: when the fear of loss looms big, we must open our hearts even bigger.
• If it’s true that love cannot be created or destroyed, it is just constantly changing form, then our current relationships are new configurations of all the love we ever shared.
• Love is both relative and absolute. Fear is the opposite of the small love. The big love has no emotional counterpart. It is the white light that turns into a whole spectrum of experience when passing through the prism of the human heart.

ON ART

• I am actively un-writing my destiny.
• If you are not pissing off the pope, you are not playing hard enough.
• Her elaborate web of perverted fantasies hangs over my head like a dream catcher when I write.
• My art oscillates between periods of narcissistic self indulgence and courageous acts of service to the collective.
• I met Rumi, writing poetry by the riverside. I told him if his pen ever ran dry, he could dip it into my inkwell. I’ve been overflowing ever since.
• Creativity can be cruel. She starts by nibbling on your earlobe, if that doesn’t inspire you, she’ll bite, and if you ignore her, she’ll shoot her creative venom into your veins.
• Writers block is an indication that you are attached to quality. If you give yourself permission to produce quantity, without clinging to concepts of ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ everything flows.
• There are two full grown women running around in my head doing things I’ve always dreamed of doing. I admit, I hear voices. I write, because the alternative would be crazy…and the result is over 5,000 words of my new novel with Roxanne DePalma.
• My art is not just for an audience but for my ancestors. For all the sexual outcasts, perverts and pioneers. I dedicate my work to the men and women who were branded as witches and devil worshipers. And it’s for the sad housewives who don’t know better, and go numb in their girl parts. I do it for the collective.

ON BREATHING

• Love in. Love out. I receive love on the inhalation and release love on the exhalation. I just can’t be held accountable for what happens during those damn retentions.
• Countless times a day, without notice, our inhalation turns into an exhalation. Like two strangers crossing on a city street– without recognition. But every once in a while, someone wakes up to the miracle that another human being is, and just like that, a connection is born! Within every person, in every moment, a similar spark of magic is available, if we simply observe how the fullness of breath naturally flips inside out– becoming empty, again– until the end of our existence.

ON COMMUNITY

• I hold my community close, like a second skin.
• Community service is graduate personal growth work.
• Civility is wanting for the whole as much as for the individuals.
• My most intimate relationship is with a complex network of individuals.
• One cannot be a truly great lover without some of it spilling over into the community.
• I’m not looking for my soul mate –I’ve found my soul tribe– and we are always accepting applications.
• To my dear friends in Victimhood, I wish you the best, but I’m moving to a new neighborhood.
• I have created an abundant community around me to overcompensate for the fear that I am ultimately alone.
• The collective consciousness of a connected community doesn’t just have a mind of its own, but a group heart.
• One way to temper a false sense of community is to co-create an orgy, and show up afterwards for whatever comes up in the process.
• I am terrified of suffering alone, as a result I’ve been compulsive about pulling others into my pain. I see now where I’ve confused wallowing for compassion, and resolve to connect more in pleasure.

ON COMPASSION

• Staying bitter is lazy, compared to the deep and humbling work of forgiveness.
• Compassion comes with knowing that reality is always perceived and projected through our partial perspectives.
• Suffering is a part of life, forgiveness is the holy practice of accepting that truth, without perpetuating it by closing our hearts.
• I understand and forgive the defensive impulse to vilify someone you love, when the relationship can not continue, but your heart is still attached.

ON ECOSEXUALITY

• Everything in nature is made wet by her laughter.
• When the wilderness wants to be watched, it’s not from behind a window.
• Sunbathing is so sensual, but my sunburn is not sexy, like an Eco-sex shame-hang over.
• How can I be satisfied by the beauty of the ocean’s surface when she keeps calling me into her depths?
• As I run my hands down to the base of her trunk, I feel for the soft ticklish places that peek out between bits of bark, until I get to that vulnerable spot where she splits into roots and merges into earth.

ON FALLING IN LOVE

• If you open my heart, naturally, my legs will want to follow.
• Deep in my heart I built an altar and lit a candle for you.
• Burning wings can’t keep me from flirting with the flames of love.
• Grab that which is not love fiercely and rape it with your love.
• I fell asleep in a lavender scented bath, listening to the rain, in my beloved Michael McClure’s arms last night.
• I’m bummed that I can not make you love me the way I want you to, but I refuse to let that close my heart.
• If you know how to listen, to really listen, you may realize there are angels all around you, singing their hearts out.
• There is a new girl in the front row. She doesn’t know the rules, the answers, or really anyone– yet–she’s got everyone’s attention. We all want a blank slate, a fresh start, a new perspective. She reminds us: we are all strangers to ourselves.

ON HEALING

• Where there is separation, it is by my own creation.
• I either remedy or poison everyone I treat, yet it appears I am immune to my own medicine.
• We can not become whole in ourselves unless we strive to see the wholeness in others.
• Forgive me–when my current communication triggers your past pains and I am confused for the cause. Let me make it up to you by helping heal those old wounds once and for all.

ON HEARTACHE

• I will always love everyone I ever loved.
• By the time I get to the mid-life point, I will have already had my crisis.
• If you think re-setting a broken bone is a bitch, try a fractured love bond.
• My heart bursts into shrapnels, in service to Cupid, who needs frequent target practice.
• I think of you with the same compulsion that leads a criminal back to the scene of the crime.
• Heartache is inevitable when our immense capacity to love God is singularly focused on another human being.
• When your intention is to do no harm, and communicating does more harm than good, it’s time to stop communicating.
• Leaving would be easier if I could blame you for harsh words, broken boundaries and insufferable dysfunction. But it takes a steeper kind of courage to not settle for comfortable.

ON HUMOR

• Safer Sex rule #1: Don’t set my pubic hair on fire!
• If infinite intelligence came down to Earth and took the form of a woman, I’d challenge her to a naked oil wrestling match.
• Most humans are born with 5 senses and can chose to cultivate more throughout their life. It doesn’t take psychic ability to see that God has a sense of humor.

All Copyrights belong to Kamala Devi, 2015. If you would like to read Part 2 with Kamala Devi’s thoughts on: Jealousy, Kink, Life, Marriage, Motherhood, Non-Attachment, Non-Duality, On being Human, Parenting, Polyamory, Sacred Sex, Vulnerability and Waking up…Click here.

The post Tantra Sutras on Love, Art, Breathing, Community, Compassion, Eco-Sexuality, Healing & Heartache appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

Part II: Tantra Sutras for Winter Solstice 2014

Kamala Devi designed these Tantra Sutras to disrupt our current constructs in order to unlock a more direct experience of life. Love is a miracle, spirituality is mystical, and sex naturally opens us to the mystery beyond both. If you enjoy these quotes, please look for the full illustrated collection in 2015!

ON JEALOUSY

• If your God is judgmental, jealous and damming — give him space– it sounds like he may need a vacation.
• It takes a while for the puddles to dry out, even when I set my mind to stop looping a painful story, the chemistry of jealousy is still in my system.
• Witnessing someone else’s delight as they savor the forbidden fruit is satisfying only if your belly is full. If you are in want, it can be torture.
• I don’t want to make you suffer, but I can’t endure misfortune alone. On the other hand: I’m afraid of evoking envy, but my triumphs too are too big to keep to myself.
• The trick to jealousy is rising above the discomfort and recognizing that someone else has what you desire. Instead of condemning them– bless them– let the universe know you are big enough to handle getting what you want.
• Yes, I get jealous. Polyamory is not the solution to jealousy any more than monogamy is. I share my life with multiple partners because my love is too big for one person, as a consequence I feel more. Sometimes having multiple lovers lessens my insecurity, fear of loss or feeling left out–but other times it heightens everything!

ON KINK

• Can clipping fingernails can be a form of foreplay?
• Compared to who I am in my fantasies, I am a very good girl; so glad dreamtime knows no consequence.
• I used you in my fantasy last night. It wasn’t anything too elaborate or perverted, but it will forever change the way I think of you.
• Power Exchange cuts across all kinds of disciplines: In Queer culture it’s Butch & Femme in Tantra it’s Shiva & Shakti, in Yoga it’s guru & disciple, and of course, In kink it’s top & bottom.

ON LIFE

• Life loves me.
• The world waits for nothing–not even a nervous breakdown.
• Evolution is unstoppable. Personal growth may happen in fits and spurts, and may be stunted by bitter seasons, or un-fertile grounds, but evolution never ceases.
• Learning comes to us in different forms; some lessons pass over us like a gentle breeze, while some cyclones rip away the non-essentials. I fancy myself an expert tornado chaser who, every once in a while, needs to rest in calmer climates–Now is one of those times.
• Attraction is a great teacher. When someone has a gravitational pull on me, my mind questions why–what do I like about them? However, rarely is affinity the real reason they are in my life. Magnetism moves us in mysterious ways.

ON MARRIAGE

• If I just met my husband today, say, we ran into each other at the farmers market or something, I know for certain, we’d fall in love at first sight.
• Every bisexual woman who marries a man must, at some point, make peace with the fact that he is never going to be a lesbian. I think I am finally at that point.
• Marriage happens in the present tense. It is not something I did, nor is it something that happened to you. If we want to continue to make our lives together, we must perpetually re-commit. I am choosing to constantly re-commit to you, Michael McClure.
• This morning my husband pinned me down and whispered that he loves not only being my life partner and co-parent but he wants to breath life into my fantasies and passionate perversions. We are not going to settle for a happy marriage– we are starting a hot new love affair.
• I am tickled by the comparison Michael made of our relationship to an exotic lizard with a regenerative tail. Some of our wounds were too deep to heal, so we stopped trying to “save our marriage” and we started over. Disengaging from the past in order to regrow a new base is not simple, but we’re happy to announce it’s not impossible.
• Working on a Relationships can be an uphill struggle. Michael McClure and I have spent the several months on a metaphoric Mountain climb. Neither of us have ever been this far, and didn’t know what to expect. We’ve had to lean on each other, take turns carrying the baggage, and sometimes double back to rest. But we are now getting a glimpse at new vistas. And I’m happy to report: The view is stunning. The reward to all this risk is absolutely gorgeous!

ON MOTHERHOOD

• I used to be human, then a seed was planted inside me, I swelled with spirit and life sprang forth…now I am a mother.
• I bleed every month, when my womb melts from the inside out, as a regular reminder that we create life– It’s just how we’re built.
• The cry of the birthing woman from deep within the womb, beyond the sound of the body stretching open in a hospital bed is a rally for the millions of mammas who’ve been stripped of their sacred station.

ON NON-ATTACHMENT

• The world is not going to end if you don’t get what you want –but your clinging to the unreal might.
• No matter how much you want it, your Happiness is NOT dependent on something being what it is not.
• The renunciation of desire is sometimes just a spiritual mask for an immature child in a playground teasing their first crush.
• When my desires become too intense, a dastardly thing happens: I confuse them for needs, and cease enjoying the pursuit.
• There are infinite desires overtaking my garden. Like thirsty weeds; some are determined vines slowly creeping in the corners while others are dirty dandelions that scatter when I sneeze. I surrender. Zen is simply not in season.

ON NON-DUALITY

• The more dense the matter the more saturated with energy it is.
• Say whatever you want about me, it’s true. All true. And the opposite is also simultaneously true.
• To the degree you are willing to hold my hand through the valleys, I’ll be able to climb new peaks with you.

ON POLYAMORY

• Note to self: Do not make relationship agreements if the real reason you are doing it is to test if your partner really loves you.
• No, polyamory isn’t fair. Life isn’t fair. Or safe, or easy, for that matter. But if you want truth, freedom, personal growth–it may be for you. If it’s fairness you need, don’t you dare open your relationship.
• Polyamory is only one of my orientations–I was tantric, kinky and bisexual– way before I ever had my first threesome. At the deepest level I am an activist, I’m not promoting any one sexual identity, as much as I am advocating liberation.

ON SACRED SEX

• I’m on my knees, what now?
• I fancy foreplay that last for months, not minutes.
• My mattress has known more devotion than even the most highly-revered church pews.
• Being attached to an orgasm is like clinging to the walls of the river that will deliver you there.
• Tantra can’t be taught in words, if your going to read about it, the book should at least have pictures. ;)
• Within a temple, every object is regarded as sacred. I call my body a temple, but do not treat it as such.

ON VULNERABILITY

• I’m perplexed by human nature, particularly how we build defenses that push away the things we crave the deepest.
• My deep and dirty defenses dissipate in proportion to my acceptance of our limitation as human beings.
• Somewhere between the defensive walls that separate us, and our foolish hearts that are bloody from risking everything–there is a field. I am stumbling around, trying to meet you there.
• Personal Boundaries are simple, right?
• They are guidelines of what people around me can say or do to help bring out my best. I wasn’t born with a guidebook, so I don’t always know what my boundaries are until they’ve been broken. Good thing my body has an alarm system and I can tell by my reaction when a boundary is crossed. Then it becomes a question of how I negotiate being treated differently in the future. Not to complicate matters, but boundaries are different with different people. And, of course, they are constantly shifting as I evolve.

ON WAKING UP

• Eventually, I must fall sleep again, after all it is the natural rhythm of life, still I pray to awaken with more and more lucidity, until the days become as pure as I am in deep dreamless sleep.
• At night, like a sleepwalker, I slip out of my body and dance in the dreams of my beloveds. By day I get reports of my whereabouts. Sometimes they’re sexual, often they’re spiritual, but always surreal.
• Tonight, I die to the past and pray she passes swiftly. God help me push my unwanted history off a volcanic ridge and watch her be instantly incinerated, rather than suffer as my spent days slowly freeze in the gradual stages of hypothermia.

If you like this post you’ll LOVE part 1 where Kamala Devi shares her thoughts on Love, Art, Breathing, Community, Compassion, Eco-Sexuality, Healing & Heartache and More CLICK HERE!

The post Tantra Sutras on Jealousy, Kink, Life, Marriage, Motherhood, Polyamory, Sacred Sex and More! appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

Happy Polydays!

Kamala Devi, Michael & Devin’s Annual New Years Letter.

Dear Friends, Family & Fans,
This is my 15th annual update. I usually cover both highs and lows for the year, but in recognizing how life is malleable, like a lucid dream, I’m choosing to indulge in the good instead of my drama addiction. Fortunately, Years marks a new chapter and I am eager to be turning the page on my nervous breakdown, narrow escape from divorce, and recent healing crisis.

So, here is a list of our top10 highlights for 2014: Devin’s Sailing Regatta, Tantric Trips, Yosemite, Michael turns 50, Family Therapy, Burning Man, PolyPalooza, Going Green, A creative sabbatical, winning the 50K word challenge…. Continue reading for pictures and Juicy details!

#10 Devin (age 7) raced in his first sailing Regatta!

After a summer of sailing camp, he and his best friend Kaden competed with the big boys at Mission Bay! Other remarkable accomplishments include memorizing the periodic table, riding his bike to school, learning to whistle, snap and meditate. He calls it “minitate” because it is only 5 minutes of sitting and calming the mind.

#9 Tantric Trips.

We had a variety of weekend adventures that deserve an honorable mention:

• Harbin with Love Coach Academy.
• Viraja’s all Goddess 40th Birthday Retreat.
• Canyon De Guadalupe with the SuperPod.
• New York with James for Diana & Ed’s Wedding.
• An eco-sexual hike in Mauie where I met LaughingHawk.
• Keynoting at a local ISTA where Tantra Theater did the “virginity lost” show.
• A romantic retreat to Esalen where we experienced Marc Gafni’s work.

#8 Family Road trip to Yosemite!

Devin camped in a tent under the stars, hiked the Mist Trail, Bridal Veil, and Inspiration Point. He learned to skip rocks, track bear poop, and paid his respects to General Sherman, and General Grant the 1st and 2nd largest trees in the world!

#7 Michael turns 50!

After an intimate group of lovers camped at Liberty Advance, we had a private play party and a “dudeoir” photo shoot to document his sexy body in the peak of his vegan body building practice.

#6 Therapy, therapy and more therapy.

During our painful separation with a long term lover, Michael and I sought extra healing to hold the marriage together from a variety of support systems. I especially appreciate the sweet daily chats with Cheri during her transitional stay with us. As a result of all this personal growth, Michael and I are more committed, passionate, and intimate than I ever thought possible!

#5 Burning Man.

We hitched a ride out in a sassy RV, camped with the Mystics, stirred up magic on the playa and soaked in the hotsprings on the way home with Janos and Sarah.

#4 PolyPalooza!

A wildly successful hotel take-over for free lovers led by Reid, Diana, AmyJo and the San Diego Poly Family. Michael and I deepened our relationships to the SuperPod and started new romantic connections with Stacy & Ria. Roxanne and I put on an unforgettable ping-pong performance at the X-rated Tantra Theater Show.

#3 Going Green.

Michael created his own position as a Solar Energy Sales Manger at Sun Coast and has broken all his personal best sales records in the last 3 months. We bought a prius and new energy efficient windows and solar panels for the whole house. Coincidentally, the value of our beach-house has sky-rocked. Michael spends his free time building a 3 story tree fort, in the back yard.

#2 A Creative sabbatical.

After 7 months of consulting for a ground breaking personal growth program, I am currently taking a break from monthly tantra talks, poly potlucks and sacred snuggle parties. I’ve been spending more time with my son, my lovers and myself, while writing 3 new books: Tantra Sutras, Poly Sutras and…

…#1…52 Fridays with my Bitch!

Roxanne DePalma and are chronicling the hot fantasies and role plays that we’ve co-created during our last 3 years together and writing an autobiographically based erotic novel. In November I joined NaNoWriMo and won the 50K word challenge!

New Years Intentions for 2015

• I’ll be turning 40 next year and plan to publish 3 books!
• Devin wants to learn to play the theme song to “star wars” on his violin.
• Michael’s returning to his roots in real estate investing, wiser and more supported than ever!
• Extended Summer vacation in Europe to experience intentional communities!
• We’ve already planned romantic family trips to Portland, Israel, Boulder Creek, Canyon de Guadalupe, and the local but enchanting Fire Gardens. If you want to join us in January, we’ll be teaching at the Hawaii Tantra Fest and doing a week at New Culture Winter Camp.

We are wishing you the warmest in the New year. I trust our paths will cross in divine timing, hopefully that’s lots in 2015!

Infinite Love,

Kamala Devi, Michael and Devin

P.S.

• Help Please! We have been trying to get our show on a dvd box set, and could use your vote: All I want for Christmas…

• Here’s a New Years Gift, that is just as relevant this year as last: Ten Tips to writing successful New Year goals & resolutions! 

• If you want to see more sexy pics of Michael McClure Rocking his 50th birthday Click Here.

• If your curious to read last year’s update, check out Kamala Devi’s 2013 Year in Review: What’s behind the scenes & beyond two? 

• If your a super fan and want to read about 2012, go to: Year in Review Newsletter

The post Top 10 New Years Highlights of 2014 for Kamala Devi, Michael & Devin’s New Years Letter appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

A Bucket list is a checklist of all the cool stuff you want to experience or accomplish before you die. What do you want to create or experience in 2015 and beyond?

I know death is on my dance card but I am not chasing after it, nor running away.–KD

Popularized by Rob Reiner’s tragic comedy starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, the point of a bucket list is to help you live your life to the fullest.

Following is a list of approximately 50 things I have accomplished from my bucket list. I hope it inspires you to create your own. And then, to share it with your friends. Some of the best items on the list are not just difficult feats but actually require community support.

Your bucket list will not just make you a better conversationalists at parties, but requires personal growth– It’s not just something to brag about, but to work towards. The most satisfying bucket lists are goals that are aligned with your deep values. (Perhaps that’s why I start mine off with Sex.) At the end of my list I have a category called CHANGES which contains all the things that I am no longer interested in doing, perhaps because they are things at some point I “should” do, but now I am only interested in doing that which really lights me up!  It’s your life. It’s your list. Enjoy.

My Bucket List Completions by 2015:

SEX

Mile high club
Sex in central park
Create amateur Porn
Sex in a public bathroom
Make love with 2 brothers
Public consummation at my wedding
Make love under a waterfall (Bali)
Sex in a ancient castle in Germany
Hold a sex party with 130 participants
Make someone orgasm without touching them
See a sex show in Red Light district of Thailand

ART

Sing a Karaoke Duet
Paint a self portrait
Get a standing ovation
Run my own theater company
Write and perform a one woman show
Write and publish a novel & a non fiction book
Record my grandparents telling the story of how they met.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Get published
Own my own home
Receive Fan mail
Home birth my child
Be on a reality show
Write/direct or perform in an award winning play
Have people look up to me for my organizational skills

HOBBIES

Knit a Scarf
Take up cooking
Grow my own organic garden

SERVICE

Be a Mentor
Be an Organ Donor
Organize a fundraiser
Be Present at a Birth
Teach theater to kids
Make a contribution to humanity
Love as much and as many people as the universe allows

FINANCE

Create a Passive Income
Break a six figure income
Start a savings account for my son’s college education

TRAVEL

Burning man
Hike Grand Canyon
Swim with dolphins
New Years in Australia
Watch an opera in Korea
Tantric pilgrimage to India
Do Puja in Lingam Cave in Bali
Hold a monkey at the Singapore zoo
White water rafting in Colorado River
Take an international first class flight
Climb to the top of the statue of liberty
Take a topless picture at the great wall of china
Hula Hoop performance on the Yangtze river in Chinese
Backpack through europe for 6 months with a Eurorail pass
(Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Louvre, Stonehenge, Gaudi’s work in Barcelona, Charles Bridge in Prague, Ann Frank’s hiding place, Parthenon, leaning tower, )

CHANGES

(Things I no longer wish to do)
Walk on Hot Coals
Eat any exotic animals
Cross country road trip
Phd in Dramatic studies
Earn my MFA in playwriting
See the Holland Flower Festival
Attend all my son’s recitals and plays
Have an art show with my wire sculptures.
Get produced main-stage at a major university
Live as a playwright in New York for at least a year

P.S. Here’s a New Years Gift, that is just as relevant this year as last: Ten Tips to writing successful New Year goals & resolutions! CLICK HERE.

The post What’s on your Bucket List in 2015? appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

Think Grindr and Tinder, and you think casual sex. But when it comes to apps for polyamorous people? Not so fast.

This Article is by Ellie Krupnick*
Reprinted From Identities.Mic

Released last month, The Poly Life is an app aimed at the poly community. But unlike other relationship apps on the market — and unlike what some might assume about polyamory — The Poly Life has nothing to do with hooking up.

The product was conceived by a poly family and app developer Christine Tseng to address the daily challenges poly partners face. As one of the family members told Vice, “there’s nothing out there that’s made for people in multiple relationships,” unlike apps for hookups, of which there are plenty.

But casual hookups, importantly, actually have little to do with polyamory. Indeed, rather than focusing on meeting new potential partners, the Poly Life app (currently available for iPhone and fundraising to launchfor Android) features shared calendars, group chat and multiple tasks lists — not exactly sexy features, but ones helpful to maintaining the intricate connections of some polyamorous relationships.

Sex is certainly involved in polyamorous relationships; one feature of The Poly Life helps partners post and update the rules of their relationships, as managing boundaries between multiple couples can get tricky.

But above all, polyamory is less about sex specifically but rather pursuing relationships with multiple partners. While there’s no one way to be polyamorous, as the Atlantic points out, these relationships are often stable, loving and no less serious or committed than two-partner relationships. And the functional nature of The Poly Life highlights just how thoughtfully constructed these relationships, including those that involve families with children, can be.

Unfortunately, it’s a reality that’s still misunderstood. Polyamory has entered mainstream conversation in recent years, with numerous magazine stories on the topic, interviews with “throuples,” TV shows like Showtime’s Polyamory: Married and Dating, and even celebrity testimonials such as Maria Bello’s essay in the New York Times.

But even with heightened awareness, relationships that include multiple partnerships are often still viewed as “unconventional” or bizarre. As Angi Becker Stevens wrote about her poly family in Mic,

“To conservatives, we’re the ultimate danger that the ‘slippery slope’ of gay marriage might lead to. To liberals and particularly same-sex marriage advocates, we’re often seen as a silly distraction from more important matters.”

No matter how many stories are written, polyamory is still often perceived as an edgy experiment for the sexually promiscuous.

Rolling Stone put polyamory at the center of their 2014 report on “millennials’ sexual revolution,” describing multiple-partner relationships as an avant-garde arrangement seemingly too radical for the “young-professional types” currently taken with it.

“She wears pretty skirts; he wears jeans and trendy glasses. They have a large, downtown apartment with a sweeping view,” article author Alex Morris wrote, marveling at the piece’s polyamorous subjects, as if people so normal couldn’t possibly partake in such freaky behavior.

But polyamory isn’t a kinky “revolution,” nor is it a hot millennial fad. As the Los Angeles Timesguest blogger Emmett Rensin wrote in response to Rolling Stone, “Polyamory isn’t a trend among young people. It never was. Among the non-monogamous, there is everything from the youngish hipsters Morris profiles to long-standing domestic families with mortgages and children. Some are even on Social Security. The only common thread is deviation from strict, traditional fidelity.”

If that sounds boring and mundane, it’s because it can be, in the best way possible. For the types of families targeted by this app, polyamory is just a normal, stable way of life. A member of the poly family that worked with Tseng on the app told Vice, “Our favorite part of the app is the To Do List. We’ve all forgotten to pick up toothpaste or toilet paper at some point. Now we can give each other chore reminders and assign them with no excuses for dropping the ball!”

If there’s anything more normal than picking up toilet paper from the store, we don’t know what is.

For a Follow up Article about this App. Click Here. 
To help fund the Poly App on Android Click here.

*Ellie is Mic’s Lifestyle Editor. A former style and fashion editor for The Huffington Post, her writing has also appeared in Women’s Wear Daily, HarpersBazaar.com and the Twitter feeds of British royal fans everywhere. https://twitter.com/elliekrupnick

The post The Poly Life App is available on iPhone now and Android soon! appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

3 days old, Sunbathing with his Daddy.

In honor of my son’s 8th birthday, today, I re-print his Birth Story:

Baby Devin Echo McClure was born 7 Lbs. 12. Oz. 21 inches on Jan. 13th 2007

For someone who’s never felt a birthing contraction, the closest thing I can compare it to is orgasm– except instead of producing pleasure, the sensation is anywhere between a light fluttering and an excruciating seizure–that lasts from 20 seconds to a couple of minutes. And then it’s gone. The pressure disappears and it’s like, what the hell just happened?

It was a planned pregnancy. In fact it was so planned, we spent a full year preparing for it. After we came back from India, 5 years into our marriage, we were more in love than ever. Michael took me to a fancy Creole restaurant to listen to his favorite Jazz musician over a plate of Gumbo. My hormone-inspired conversation went something like this:

ME: “if you don’t want to give me a baby, this relationship is going to have to end.”
MICHAEL: “I never thought of myself as a father, but if I was ever going to do it, it would be with you. I’m almost 40, so I guess this is as good a time as any.  Except, I don’t want to fight anymore.  How about, if we can stop fighting for a full year, then we can get pregnant.
ME: Really? One year from now?
MICHAEL: Yes…and I need you to get health insurance, incase anything happens.”
ME: I can do that! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! (Hugs and kisses ensue.)

After a full year of re-directing my drama into writing and publishing my first novel, Michael agreed there was enough harmony in our relationship for us to begin “trying,” except we called it “intending.” We marveled at how strong the impulse was to have our poly lovers involved in our process. We even joked about throwing a big play party with our lovers and just “letting the best sperm win.” In reality we had a very conscious conception process that involved prayers and candles.

After only 2 months, Devin was conceived. I was pregnant at my book release party. It was a glorious pregnancy. Despite the first few months of nausea, I felt eternally infused with spirit. Michael had an awakening. He quit his job, did a green re-model on our new home and started an environmentally friendly christmas tree delivery company and realized his place in making a better world for future generations to inherit. We went for long walks, played the guitar my bump and made love nearly every day. 

My first contractions came before winter solstice and continued inconsistently for over a month. We called them “surges” and had many sleepless nights of “practice” labor.

Despite his due date, the baby didn’t come the day after Christmas, or the following 3 weeks. When I was 43 weeks pregnant the midwife at the birth center informed us that she would have to transfer us to the hospital where the mainstream medical protocol is to administer heavy pharmaceuticals or surgery. So we considered natural methods of induction.

When lying on the treatment table of my acupuncture appointment, I retold my lucid and disturbing dream from the night before: Someone was trying to pierce my nipple and the baby kicked so hard you could see it’s little leg kicking at the walls of my womb, from the outside.  My acupuncturist, Jess, wisely said: “This kid does not want to be rushed.”

So instead of inducing, she referred me to a midwife who specialized in llate term pregnancies because she trusted the baby to be born in his own time. Michael and I had about 3 days to turn our home into a free standing birth center complete with plastic sheets, rubber gloves and a warm hot tub.

On Friday Jan. 12th 2007 we called Jess to come and hang out with us while I labored (shivering) on the couch. Jess informed us that it was a record-breaking cold winter night and decided to drive back home to retrieve extra space heaters. When Michael plugged them into the wall, they overwhelmed the old circuitry in our 60 year old house and caused several black outs. I lay on my back clenching my fists and counting my breaths while Michael rushed around the house flipping power switches and hanging blankets over doorways for extra insulation.

I naively recounted my ‘hypnobirthing” script in my head, intending for a painless 3-hour birth.

But the surges came on strong, like painful pulses from outer space. The sensation was otherworldly, and when they were consistently 3 minutes apart for over 2 hours we called the midwife. By the time the birth team arrived, I was spontaneously chanting Om with every exhalation, and when that got old, I used other mantras like Open and Om Mani Pad Me Hum.

For untold hours, I labored on the couch, the toilet, the hot tub, but according to the midwifes, the anterior lip of my cervix still had to melt away before I could push. I wanted relief, I wanted to run, I wanted drugs, I wanted to chew on a nearby tree-trunk. Michael said my eyes were big and wild like a feral cat with a bird in her mouth.

Finally, my midwife followed me to the bathroom to have a private chat. “Births usually stall because of fear,” she probed, “What are you afraid of?”

I searched my soul and told her that I felt like an animal. My pain-body was so overwhelming I couldn’t access my spiritual self. She asked me what I needed: to chant, to dance, to read scripture? Perhaps I have a picture of a guru or some other spiritual symbol that would help me. But I knew my strength didn’t come from anything external, I thirsted for direct experience, itself. I knelt down off the toilet, took the midwife’s hands in mine and spoke an invocation.

“I’m ready now,” I said, then marched into my bedroom to puke my guts out.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the divine looking back at me. There were five goddesses in the room in addition to Michael, and with each surge they chanted: Down, Down, Down Devin Down. They were a chorus of temple priestesses while Michael’s deep voice anchored me as it calmly coached me to breath down through my yoni.

I was high from the endorphins, serotonin and oxytocin. I was high on Love. Each surge came like a transcendent wave of light. I followed my inhalation up, out my forehead and used tantric cobra breath to bring my awareness back down to my yoni.

I changed positions from spread eagle on my side, to squatting, to the birthing chair, to slow dancing, to straddling Michael’s lap. After two hours of these gymnastics, I left my body. My mission: to reach out into the world of spirit grab a hold of my son and bring him safely down into the world of form.

When Devin’s malleable head started to crown, I squatted against Jess’s knees so that Michael would be free to catch him. When Michael caught sight of his pointy head he got worried and asked the midwife, are they always like that? She shrugged her shoulder and Michael resumed his post. The last thought that went through my mind before breathing Devin out was, I’m going to bring down Michael’s son.

I heard someone say “Your baby is here.” And other excited voices celebrating as if they were at the end of a long tunnel. “Slow. Be Careful. He’s cord-wrapped.” I could hear the midwife coaching Michael on how to unwrap the cord–twice around his neck and once around his abdomen.

Then somebody placed him on my belly. I heard a cute little sneeze. He coughed out the amniotic fluid and then cried. My baby was crying. I looked around the room and found eyes, but otherwise I only saw little points of light.

I looked down and made out the back of my baby’s head. His hair seemed sticky and black, his head was now perfectly round.
 
“Can you turn him so I can look into his eyes?” I asked.
And Michael gently rotated his little body. As soon as he looked up, it wasn’t my eyes he found but my nipple. He latched onto my breast and feverishly started sucking. Whoa. Now, my vision returned. His sucking pulled me back into my body. I held his head to my breast and marveled at his intense thirst for life.

My baby boy is born.

I looked into Michael’s eyes and felt the most amazing sensation between my legs: the placenta started slipping slowly down through my birthing canal and softly, squishing into the world. It felt divine, like God was licking me clean. In that moment, all the pain washed away. I was suspended in pleasure.

The birth was complete.

After the Midwives inspected the baby, I asked for privacy so my new family could have a moment of sacred communion before we cut the cord. Michael and I held each other, the baby, and prayed before floundering around trying to cut the very thick and grisly cord. At 3 feet, it was the longest the Midwife had ever seen and it looked like a telephone cord.

Thus, after 21 hours of laboring on the coldest night of the year, Devin Echo McClure was born.

P.S. When Michael tells the story of Devin’s Birth, he often adds the following detail about how we knew Devin was his biological son.

Michael has a small physical deformity of the lower part of his breast bone or sternum. It’s called the xiphoid process, and when most people breath in, it sticks in. But Michael’s has always stuck out about half an inch. It’s not a big deal, but he remembers his lifeguard friends used to tease him about it. 

Before conception, I had a condom slip with one of my male lovers so there had been a sliver of doubt in the back of our mind as to whose son I was carrying. During the pregnancy, Michael became so clear about his purpose as a father, that he declared: regardless of the biological paternity, he would raise the child as his own. Shortly after Devin was born he noticed that his little sternum stuck out when he coughed or gasped for air. Devin had a visible xiphoid process, just like Daddy. We were both relieved to have any doubt about a paternity dispute disappear.  Devin is positively just like his daddy.

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There are too few love poems about polyamory! That’s why I’m delighted when I meet sisters and brothers who have a resonant world view and are willing to sing a different song. I recently stayed with Amara on a beautiful permaculture eco-farm on the big Island and fell in love with her artistry, her poly “ohana” or family, and her creative spirit! Enjoy this love poem and related video & resources:

LOVE STORY   by Amara Karuna

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“I wonder what will happen when I wake up tomorrow. Will I be sad that I’m not in Hawaii?” Devin (age 8) says on the airplane home after almost 2 weeks on the Big Island. Ever since he was born, Michael and I have traveled with him to study a variety of intentional communities. We were totally turned on by our experience at NFNC (Network for New Culture) Winter Camp on the big island this year, which was hosted by the residents of La’akea, a permaculture farm where an egalitarian community has been practicing non-violent communication, polyamory and other forms of personal growth for over a decade.

Frankly, I fell in love with La’akea.  Witnessing this community living and loving the land is the most embodied eco-sexual experience I’ve ever had.

New Cluture Winter camp 2015 expanded my horizons in ways that are too raw and deep to express. Yet,  in attempt to share just the tip of the volcano (The iceberg cliche just felt out of place,) I came up with this fun list of my top 10 eco-sexual highlights. You will be shocked when you read #1!

My Top 10 Eco-sexual highlights from NFNC Network for New Cluture Winter Camp include:

10. Daily Forum.

It’s no secret that my favorite community building practice is ZEGG forum. I would not have the abundant and juicy love life that I have today if it weren’t for my lover’s willingness to circle and tell the truth.  I also have a favorite facilitator: Sarah Taub, who kicked off the ritual by reminding us that the purpose of ZEGG is to reveal: What is happening under the surface?  (Forgive me, I know having favorites is not politically correct.) Of all the places I’ve ever done Forum, the Medow Space at La’akea is my favorite. It was as if the banana trees, tropical breeze and tiki altar gathered every morning to join a diverse gathering of about 55 radical lovers every morning for a powerful share. Each voice in the group was accepted as both autonomous and part of the whole.

9. Writers Retreat.

Ironically, I actually unplugged and took a much needed retreat from writing my new novel: 52 Fridays with my Bitch. As an artist, I find it is important to take creative time to gestate, get perspective and return to ones work renewed. Nothing like falling in love in the tropics to nurture the muse!

8. Permaculture and polyamory.

I’ve often said that maintaining multiple open relationships is like tending to a complex garden of desires which requires intelligent systems to optimize growth through the seasons. Someday I’ll write a blog on what polyamory has in common with Permaculture, but for now, just imagine that stacking functions is analogous to meeting multiple human needs, and you may get a glimpse at what I mean. For purposes of today’s blog, I’ll simply quote the father of Permaculture, Bill Mollison, :

“Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system.”

7. Healing the split between Sex-Positive and Kid-friendly space.

I suspect our serendipitous decision to attend NFNC Winter Camp may have something to do with my son having some kind of a fated soul contract with the land.  Our family was going to the Island to teach at the ISTA Tantra Fest, but like many sex positive events, ISTA is for adults only.  We were torn about how to integrate Devin into our community, until we heard that there were children being raised at La’akea, we wanted to meet other extraordinary little beings who, like Devin, are valued as important members of the community.

• We explain to the children what is happening when they are curious.
• We involve our children in all decisions about  their life when possible.
• Eye contact and physical contact is important to feel connected.
• Check in with children and let them change their minds about what they want moment to moment.
• We enjoy hugging and physical play. We Touch children only when they want to be touched, (except as needed for safety or limit setting) and encourage them to do the same with each other.

6. Monique Darling gives good Cuddle PartyTM

I met Monique in 2008. We’ve been through Tantra-Palooza, Sacred snuggle parties, mommy circles, sharing lovers, break-ups, and coming back together. Somewhere in there, we even had a threesome with Jesus Christ. Yet, through all these ups and downs, this is the first time I got to experience Monique in her mastery.  I got to witness this high priestess lead a tantra puja in Hawai’i, of all places! I am in awe of her creativity, her wisdom and of course the famous

5. What will it mean if we have sex?

4. Getting Naked.

3. Exotic fruit and medicines.

2. Ecosex with Michael

 …Drumroll, please…. 1. Composting toilets!

• Huge gratitude to Amara Karuna and the members of La’akae for visioning and hosting this event! For more resources about La’akea go to: http://permaculture-hawaii.com/
• For more details about Raising children in Community: See http://permaculture-hawaii.com/vision/children-in-community/)
• La’akea Community is cooking up another New Culture camp in 2015, on the theme of teaching people skills for living in land based community. Contact Amara Karuna for details: amara@mindspring.com

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The love Guru: Tziporah Kingsbury

By Twinkle Marie Manning. 

Being on Sabbatical in Southern California in the dead of winter has its perks.  Not the least of which has been spending time getting to know many unique wellness practitioners including Tziporah Kingsbury, an Intimacy Expert and Integrated Breath Work Specialist.  Tziporah recently made her television debut as “America’s Love Guru” on ABC’s  prime time hit series The Bachelor.  Her segments with the Bachelor and his date stirred up mainstream viewers.

The episode featured Tziporah facilitating an “Awakening Intimacy” session with Bachelor Chris Soules and his date Carly Waddell.  The session was over a two hour period in a beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico home. It was edited down to approximately ten minutes of air time. Her session with the couple was authentic, and, as most transformational processes can, it pushed the boundaries of one’s comfort zones.  

During the debut party on Monday, February 2nd, in a Private Residence in the Elfin Forest of San Diego hosted by Judy Foster as part of her Women’s Wisdom Master Mind Speaker Series, Tziporah spoke about her experience on The Bachelor.  Fifty people were present, including men. The evening began with Tziporah talking about her studies in Switzerland and throughout Europe.  She has decades of training in Integrated Breath Work and is a Contemporary Medicine Woman who works with clients who are ready to make positive emotional growth in their lives.  

During her pre-show presentation, Tziporah described the difference between sex and intimacy: “Intimacy is how you live your life in every moment. It is about being whole and complete with yourself and being able to share that completeness with others.” A distinction worth paying attention to in light of the mass distorted sexual comments following the show.  Tziporah concluded her presentation by guiding all present through an integrated breath work meditation.

Her sessions and meditations are different than many, as the breath work she employs is one of open-mouth breathing.  The tempo, while not rapid, is deep and is steady in its progression.  While the body is still, the breath is constant.  Participants were astounded at the results.  After the meditation everyone turned their attention to The Bachelor episode featuring Tziporah on TV.

The first hour of the session with the couple, they dialogued a lot.  Tziporah’s role is to help them identify where their challenges are, what parts of themselves (internally and externally) they wish to hide from the world and from each other.  Her process is to “unmask” so that only authenticity remains between the couple.  Much of these preliminary conversations were left on the cutting-room floor, as it does not make for edgy TV viewing.  So viewers were fast-forwarded into the hot-seat watching the couple disrobe and and pose in intimate positions, such as Yab Yum, one of the most common Tantra positions where one partner sits on the other’s lap facing each other.  While in a pose like this, the couple is meant to look at each other (“eye gaze”).  

As this was the Bachelor and his date’s first “couples yoga” session, and both of their first experiences with something so intimate as Tantra, it was to be expected that there would be moments of uncomfortableness.   Both expressed this on-air.  Which delighted Tziporah because she says that was the point of the exercises, “to see where they would set their boundaries.  So many people, especially women, say ‘yes’ when they want to say ‘no’ when involving sexual or intimate encounters.  Most people go through life without knowing their own needs or core values, let alone expressing them out loud.  Both Chris and Carly did so during our session.  It was a breakthrough for them.”

So, in a world where sex-sells and primetime is filled with love scenes, why has this episode of The Bachelor caused such a stir?  While Chris and Carly have known each other for many weeks during the production of this series, this was their first private time together (on TV).  A session such as the one they experienced with Tziporah most couples would not engage in until further along in their relationship.  The nature of Tziporah’s practice is deep impact.  She brings her clients to a level of intimacy, as individuals and as couples, that requires a commitment to transformation.  In this episode the couple came face to face with their vulnerabilities in ways that have not been seen on primetime before.  More than that, those unfamiliar with Yoga or Couples Yoga, and those with misunderstandings about Tantra, could easily mistake some of the postures she guided her clients through as salacious.

The Bachelor producers mindfully sought out Tziporah.  They invited her to be on the show because her credentials are impeccable and her work is valuable.  They clearly appreciated the session so much that they front loaded the segments with Tziporah into the first half of the episode.  The amount of airtime this newcomer to Hollywood received is significant indication of her worth.

Tziporah is featured in a new anthology published by Matrika Press entitled, “Women of Spirit, Exploring Sacred Paths of Wisdom Keepers.”  She teaches workshops worldwide and offers private sessions to select clients. One of her most popular seminars is her six week Revolutionizing Intimacy: Awakening a New Bolder Juicier You!  

For more information, visit:
www.TziporahIntimacy.com
http://matrikapress.com/women-of-spirit/
http://www.tziporahintimacy.com/revolutionizing-intimacy-in-your-life/

This article is reposted from http://community.omtimes.com
“Twinkle” Marie Manning is a freelance writer currently on Sabbatical in California.
www.EmpoweringWomenTV.com

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A dear friend and creative colleague, Dave Booda is launching a new online radio show about writing for artists called “Darken the Page.” It’s is advice he was given by one of his favorite authors, Steve Chandler.

Following is a free online podcast interview (audio download) for writers and artists about the writing process.

In this fun and casual chat we share profound insights and  tips to stay in the creative flow.  Listen now. And if you want more interviews by Dave Booda, check out his new radio show: http://darkenthepage.com

Kamala Devi joins me to talk about how she wrote her latest book in a month during November and the three stages of writing, pre-writing, writing, and editing. We also talk about the positive and negative effects of Facebook on writing and why we’re all becoming better spellers but don’t realize it.

For all inquiries contact Dave Booda, davebooda@gmail.com
Visit Darken the Page on Facebook
Follow Dave Booda on twitter
See Dave’s writing at boodaism.com

The post On Writing, Editing and Rewriting, Audio interview with Kamala Devi & Dave Booda appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

I had the tremendous honor of leading a Celebration of Life for my dear friend, student and sister, Cindy Davis.  

A community of over 50 friends and family gathered around a bonfire at Moonlight beach in Encinitas for a multi-denominational ritual and to share memories and stories of how she touched our lives. Since Cindy is so humble and a better listener than speaker, many of us had never heard her amazing life story. For this reason, I intend to immortalize her legacy by publishing her brief biography Here. (Even if you didn’t know Cindy, read on as this is an unbelievable life story!)

A devoted wife to Keith Davis.
Sister of Three,  Mother of Two, Grandmother of two (ages 12, 10.)
A life-long animal lover, currently raising: 2 horses, 2 cats, 2 dogs, 1 parrot.
A student of Charles Muir & Shawn Roop.
An active community member, and friend to so many.

I always knew there was something special about Cindy, but I had no idea her life story was so exceptional:

61 years ago, on Jan, 30th 1954, Cindy Davis was born in Germany to an unmarried woman. During this postwar time it was illegal to be a single mother, so at 2 weeks she was taken by the police to an orphanage.When she was just a few months old, an American soldier saw her and selected her out for adoption. He proceeded to go through months of challenging bureaucracy, during which time they mistreated her and cut her food ration.

Finally, when she was 6 months old, her adopted parents Edward (Ned) and Nancy Froning took her to  San Mateo, California where she was raised with her 3 siblings and tons and tons of Mormon cousins! She attended Kerry private school for girls.  Her father was an orthopedic surgeon doing pioneering work in surgery which inspired her to want to become a nurse.

At age 16, her mother helped her start an animal grooming business and despite severe learning disabilities, she was able to complete nursing school and began doing specialized one-on-one care for elders. She got to travel the world including Australia doing this work.

In her late 20’s she met Keith Davis while he was on his back in the hospital recovering from surgery. She must’ve liked the way he looked in his hospital gown, because she accepted his invitation to fly to Phoenix, where he was living and working as a Costco supplier. The story goes that she had to take her nursing test there anyway, but after the first time they went out to dinner, they both knew it was true love.

Keith’s son was 4 at the time and she took to him like her own. He was the best man at their wedding when he was 7 years old and they got married.

Cindy and Keith were determined to have a child together. They didn’t know, however, that she had been chemically sterilized as an orphan, so they suffered 7 tragic miscarriages. Despite all their difficulty, they were able to conceive a miracle son!

Cindy was determined to be the best mother she could and moved to a 5 acre farm in Prescott, AZ where she could work from home. She started an organic tomato farm selling up to 40 cases of tomatoes a day. They had a dry lake bed where she would play with her son until he was around 6 years old.

They moved to San Diego where she started working with special needs children in Ramona school district where she worked for about 11 years.

About 10 years ago, Cindy’s blood brother Leroy (who was adopted out of Germany into texas) found her and told her that she had 13 siblings. She traveled to Germany to meet her family, but mother passed 2 years prior.  She learned that her birth name was Karen and that after she was take away, her mother gave that name to one of her sisters. This is also how she learned about  the chemical sterilization, because her brother was also mistreated at the orphanage.

After her own kids grew up, Cindy and Keith spent time re-discovering each other and themselves. They enjoyed each other’s company, they started new adventures and began the exploration of Tantra.

The post A Celebration of Life with a brief biography of Cindy Davis appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

It may be impossible to describe God in words, but a writer is not burdened by what’s possible.

I am a lover of poetry, literature, and performance. I am a collector and curator of words. Following is a short list of my all time favorite quotes. Enjoy!

10. Work in the invisible world at least as hard as you do in the visible. ~Rumi

9. God’s art is mine. I did not want his divine talent, it simply grew in my heart from the way I loved. ~ Hafiz

8. The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. ~ Albert Camus

7. Put away your pointless taboos and restrictions on sexual energy – rather help others to truly understand its wonder, and to channel it properly. ~ God, channeled by Neale Donald Walsh

6. I reserve the right to love many different people at once, and to change my prince often. ~ Anaïs Nin

5. A slut shares her sexuality the way a philanthropist shares his money — because they have a lot to share, because it makes them happy to share it, because sharing makes the world a better place.~ Dossie Easton & Janet Hardy

4. Straight away, remove yourself from the field of spiritual progression , stay away from contemplation and skillful discourse, do not do research or meditate on the divinities, and stop concentrating and reciting textbooks! Tell me, what is the absolute nature of reality which allows no room for doubt? Listen carefully! Stop holding on to this or that, inhabit your true absolute nature, and peacefully enjoy the essence of what it is to be alive!”
~Abhinavagupta

The next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha will take the form of a community; a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community practicing mindful living. This may be the most important thing we can do for the survival of the Earth.
—Thich Nhat Hanh

2. I looked in temples, churches, & mosques. But I found the Divine within my heart. ~ Rumi

2. Art is not about thinking something up. It is the opposite — getting something down. ~ Julia Cameron, Artists Way

1. I live in my dreams — that’s what you sense. Other people live in dreams, but not in their own. That’s the difference. ~ Hermann Hesse

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Kamala Devi, Charles Muir, Laurie Handlers, Baba Dez Nichols speak on the subject of Sex Magic at the International School of Temple Arts in San Diego

Laurie Handlers gives great interview! We had a deep and intimate conversation on her Free Talk Radio show: Sex and Happiness. The topic: Vulnerability the New Strength, where I discuss the notion that vulnerability is perhaps the most powerful force for real intimacy.

Together with Laurie Handlers, I explore authenticity, discernment, speaking your truth; and give powerful tips for lovers. This show is an example of two great an powerful female leaders opening their hearts to the public in a deeper way than ever.

Totally worth the 30 minutes!
www.webtalkradio.net/shows/sex-and-happiness

It’s been a while since the last time she interviewed me but I found this free talk radio download in her archievs:

The post Free Talk Radio: Sex & Happiness with Laurie Handlers and Kamala Devi appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

Ever heard of Flash Fiction? Or Mini- Sagas? Here are 21 short stories. During a private lovers retreat to Joshua Tree, I took an informal workshop with creativity coach Tatyana Brown who introduced me to 50 word stories. It’s a simple craft. A bit like writing Haikus. It’s one of the best ways to learn word concision. Since I am currently writing a new book, I’ve been practicing word sprints and thought I’d re-print my first week of raw and random stories. Some are sick and twisted. Some are sacred. Such is life. Enjoy. (For instructions on how to write a 50 word story, scroll to the bottom.)

Lesbians love dinner dates. The trick is to master one irresistible dish. In college, I’d cook the “eggplant boat” on every first date. After just a few bites, they’d inevitably jump in bed with me. Afterwards, they weren’t as interested in my skills in the kitchen, as what I could do in bed.

#2

They already know. I rationalize. Why state the obvious? They’ve pretended their little boy will outgrow his social deviance for over twenty years now. Meanwhile, my boyfriend’s sick of being regarded as my roommate. He deserves his proper title. Aha! Maybe a wedding invitation will say it all for us.

#3

She wore an amputated cervix from after her second birth. The day they cut the cancer off, she finally felt free from her childhood abuse, but doctors left doubt inside. Could she ever enjoy pressure, pleasure, passion again? Until, tonight. It melted. By my lightning touch, she became whole.

#4

Mamma commanded me to guard her bath when a Shiva returned from battle calling her name. I drew my sword and lost my head. My useless body crumpled to earth. Inconsolable, she cursed him for killing his own son. With an elephants head I was resurrected and pronounced lord Ganesha.

#5

The baby flops around like a live fish. My belly looks like I could’ve swallowed the whole aquarium. All of this internal movement arouses me. As if there’s not enough action in there, I want to stuff more in. Nothing can satisfy me.

#6

Parents are out. I’m stuck home doing chores for my allowance The vacuum tube accidentally catches my thigh. Like a massage, it pulls. Hmmm, I wonder. Doors locked. Dwars down. Oh God. And again. Three times later I rest. Feeling a little guilty about getting fifty cents.

#7

When she asked for a tantric ritual, I thought, Sweet! She wants to play in my realm. I prepared to worship her every breath and movement. But she couldn’t withstand the ego flood that said she didn’t deserve. So she shut down. Then blamed me.

#8

Innocence surrendered to her first penetrative experience (by something other than her own finger.) He was hot and eager. She was perhaps too trusting. When he said, “I love you,” she naively assumed his adoration would withstand the explosion of sexual fluids that henceforth defined her as a female ejaculator.

#9

Our four-way garden of Eden was shattered by a text message which read “this isn’t working for us.” We left about a dozen messages, begging for clarity. I suspect our intensity freaked them out. At least now my husband will admit we are more than just swingers.

#10

The farmer felt spited by a defective daughter with three boobs. Yet she knew in her marrow the defect would dissolve upon meeting her love. Shunned to the village outskirts, she was the first to spot the sky-clad sadhu en-rout to teach the elders of God’s sick sense of humor.
# 11

Your head on my pillow, finally rests after three days of passionate ego storms since we first met. Love vs. Fantasy. The winds of naked, risk-all romantic possibility ripped through my canyon leaving me wet, baptized and hungry for more. Though future hurricane forecasts are unknowable, nature always prevails.

# 12

The construction worker fetish never did anything for her. She almost didn’t notice the Mexicans on her roof. In their splattered blue jeans and straw hats but when Ricardo strutted onto the job with his overalls and bandana, like her daddy used to wear. Her nipples suddenly stood at attention.

#13

She cradles his balls and uses long strokes to circulate orgasmic energy from his erect penis to his heart, leaving a kiss between his nipples. She concludes the session by offering seamen to Shiva. Afterwards, he presents his police badge and says it’s unlike any therapy he’s ever had.

#14

Despite the casting director’s expert opinion, the writer insists I play the lead. As if her rape-redemption story wasn’t psychotic enough, she says I remind her of herself. I’m sorry but the story stirs up memories I’d rather keep locked within my personal basement than have to relive onstage.

#15

As a kid she rubbed a “magic lamp” and hoped that when she grew up she could walk into a room and everyone would notice her but somehow belly-dancing in a empty Middle Eastern restaurant was not what she had in mind. She hates her job. Stupid second hand lamp.

#16

Sploop! She squirts plain organic yogurt into her cunt with a plastic turkey-baster and lays back on the bathroom linoleum. Painted toenails stretching skyward as she counts: fifty-nine. Mississippi. Sixty. There. That should take care of her Candida. Down with the slippery microscopic bastards so she can finally fuck again.

# 17

My A/C went on the fritz again. My landlord sent his dyke daughter over to wait for the electrician. The tenants all call her “Natalie the Nympho.” It was extra HOT when I got home from work and found them on my bed, using my toys, before fixing my A/C.

#18

“So, how many people have you slept with?” He asks between coughs.“I never counted,” She lies and changes the subject without admitting the growing list she kept hidden in her dormitory night-stand. Ultimately she gave up, not because she couldn’t remember their names, but because she never learned them.

#19

She let the “drunk bastard” sleep on her couch again. This was the last time, she swore. But sometime before 2 AM he slipped under her down comforter and did that thing he does with his pierced tongue. Who couldn’t forgive the father of her son, he could always lick clean any grudge.

#20

He rolled up to the packed night club in his beat-up Cadillac with charred upholstery. That didn’t stop him from smoking. He cut in line, and squeezed into the VIP lounge. He ordered a martini and let her take a few sips, before distracting her and slipping her the rufies.

#21

She sent her lover away with a fuck he’d never forget. Then cried buckets and marveled at how he’d never cease to make her wet. After months of masturbation she had mastered her etheric cock and when he returned she discovered he was even better in fantasy than bed.

If you are interested in this 50 word short form of writing, try the following instruction or contact Tatyana Brown. tatyanabrown@facebook.com

1.  Write longhand, 5 words a line, 10 lines down
2.  Not titles, but numbers for each day.
3.  Take a vacation and get as far away from your everyday life as possible.
4.  Use your senses.
5.  Start in the middle.

REMEMBER: A “story” counts as some kind of character for the reader to identify with, and some kind of transition. Thank you Tatyana. 

The post “Lesbians love dinner dates” and 20 other super short stories by Kamala Devi appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

My son Devin loves quantum physics, video games and intergalactic studies. His favorite number is infinity, favorite food is breakfast, and favorite color is: “all of them, even the ones that human eyes can’t see.” He does NOT like: haircuts, long walks, or the fact that the bees are disappearing. I am constantly astounded by what comes out of his mouth and have decided to post a blog with some of his most precious pearls.

Devin shares innocent insights: On Environment, On the cosmos, On Life, On Religion, On Science, On Psychology, On Fashion, On Politics, On Cuddling, On Unique Self, On Nature,  On Meditation, On Technology, On Aesthetics, On relativity, On Polyamory, On Words, On Holidays, On motherhood, On Gratitude….

On the Environment:

“I’m grateful for the environment, but these days it’s more important to be grateful for the environmentalists.” Age 7.

DEVIN: One age is not better than the other.
MOM: You mean like how you’re 7 years old and I’m almost 40?
DEVIN: No. Like how the Information age is not better than the stone age. For technology the information age is better, but for the animals that are now extinct, the stone age was much better.

On the Cosmos:

Equinox is my favorite day, it seems fair, with equal parts day and night. Age 7.

There might be more than one universe, because if there isn’t, the universe would be lonely. Age 7.

Before I fall asleep, the last thing I like to think about is how totally huge our galaxy is, but it’s still tiny compared to the universe. Age 7.

A lot of people think that humans are the most evolved species, but that’s kinda like thinking that the earth is the center of the universe. Age 8.

ME: You are the light of my life. DEVIN: If I’m the light of your life, you must be the star of my life, because stars make light and you made me. Age 8.

On Life:

The secret to life is…living. Age 6.

Devin fell and scraped his knee this weekend in the woods, he got up and said, “if my life was a movie, this would be the difficult part.” Age 6.

Mom, I know it’s your first time being a mom and you probably make mistakes sometimes but I forgive you because I’m having a great life. Age 7.

This morning I went into Devin’s room to wake him up and he was already awake in bed contemplating life. He turned to me and said: “I love life. Without life, I wouldn’t be here to love it.” Age 7.

On Religion:

“Some people say that kids pick their parents, but I’ve been thinking about it, and it doesn’t make sense. I think you and dad can choose whether or not to have a baby, but you can’t choose what baby to have, just like I can’t choose my parents. Your egg and his sperm came together and your DNA mixed and made me. There. It’s just like that.” Age 7.

Mom, some people think that God created everything, but I disagree. If there is a god, and I’m not saying there is, he probably only created the natural stuff like atoms, so it would evolve into everything else like humans who create technology. God doesn’t create technology. Think about it. Otherwise you would be walking through the woods and a Television would just appear, and that just doesn’t happen. Age 7.

Door to door missionaries stopped by today. Devin answered the door and I declined their literature, thanked them for stopping by, and told them we have our own spiritual practices.
“We love discussing different faiths with people, what do you practice?”
“I am tantric.” They said they didn’t know what that was, but politely blessed us as they left.
DEVIN: “How come they don’t know much about tantra, mom?”
ME: “Tantra is not as common as Christianity.”
DEVIN: “What is the difference?”
ME: Well, the Christians believe that there is only one God and that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Whereas we tantriks believe everybody is God.
DEVIN: That means I’m a lot like jesus christ.
ME: What do you mean?
DEVIN: If you believe everyone is god, then you and dad are god and I’m like jesus because I’m your only son. Age 7.

On Science:

Devin: You know what we have inside? Blood. I remember when dad stepped on a piece of glass and it squirted out his ankle. But if we have blood inside, how come it doesn’t come out when we pee and poop? Age 6.

Today Devin wants to start 92 days of studying the periodic table…I asked him if he was learning about it in science class and he said: No. I want to study it myself, in class we’re studying length. Age 7.

I love bananas! They are like a potassium ingots. Age 7.

What if I discovered a new element? It would have to be Trans-Uranium. Or if they have all been discovered by the time I am a chemist, maybe I could create a man-made compound, that is indestructible. And it could really help people– like volcanologists–they could used the material to make a new suit that is not even melted by lava. Age 7.

Margaret (The mother of Devin’s best friend: Kaden) reports:
“Today at church Kaden whispered to me that he does not believe in god anymore. Now he believes in The Periodic Table of Elements because the Elements are what made everything and what everything is made of.” I wish I had a scientist friend like Devin when I was 7!!

On Psychology:

DEVIN: Why are you crying?
MOM: Mommy is a little sad.
DEVIN: Its OK mom. It could always be worse.
MOM: But sometimes mommy is just sad, and it’s OK to feel sad too.
DEVIN: You got to think of your fans.
MOM: What do you mean?
DEVIN: Me and Daddy, we are your biggest fans. And your life is like a movie, you don’t’ want to make it too sad, because you’ll make your fans sad.
ME: Um…Can you explain that to me?
DEVIN: You have to think about it for yourself, and then you’ll know what I mean.
Age 6.

Devin Echo Mcclure casually says, over his oatmeal breakfast: Every day of everybody’s life is the ‘best day ever.’ But not everybody knows that. Age 7

Devin came back from swimming at the YMCA and said: “Can I watch an adult movie with you? Don’t worry, if I hear a bad word I don’t just ignore it, I actually make up a good word in my head to replace it.” Age 7.

MOM: When I was a kid, my favorite book was “Bridge to Terabithia,” Have you ever heard of it?
DEVIN: No. Not even in the farthest regions of my mind. It’s not even in “accidentally overheard in conversations land” or any of the other regions, like “things I learned on the internet.”
MOM: Are there any other regions in there?
DEVIN: There are Lots. My favorite is Experience-land. Age 8.

On Fashion:

Devin says, “Mom, you and dad are a good pair, like a pair of matching sox. With another matching sock which is me, Devin. Age 7.

I handed Devin a new pair of sandals to wear to the beach. While slipping them on he says: “Socks are kind of like underwear for your feet. Wearing shoes with no socks is kind of like going Comando.” Age 7.

Most everything on earth is made of earth, even the shoes we wear to walk on earth. Age 7.

On Politics:

DEVIN: Mom, why do they call the president’s wife the first lady?
ME: That’s a good question, Honey.
DEVIN: America has never had a female president, has it?
ME: Not yet.
DEVIN: Well, I think it’s about time that we have a first man.

On Unique Self:

Devin told Rachel: The world is so big, how could we even know if there are two snowflakes that are the same. Oh! I get it, there are no two snowflakes that are the same, because they are not the same snowflake! Age 6.

Mom: “Did you know that you are totally unique and irreplaceable, there is nobody quite like you in the entire universe?”
Devin: “Yes. I know that. And so is everyone else.” Age 7.

On Cuddling:

Devin woke his mother up early with a complex math equation: “Mommy + Bed + Blankets +pillows + Me = Cuddles!” Age 6.

DEVIN (6) Says: Can I tell you why you are my favorite person to cuddle?
ME: Why?
DEVIN: Because dad is too spiky, he’s like cuddling a cactus. Age 6.

Mom if you sleep in my bed with me, you don’t have to cuddle me, you can just cuddle the bed and the bed will cuddle me, even when I lay here asleep. Age 6.

On Nature:

This morning Devin says he wishes he could make rain blackberries, but he didn’t know what we would do about all the fruit flies. Age 6.

Devin says: “Do you know who’s been giving me lots of butterfly kisses? The actual butterflies. One landed on my wrist and one on my neck, and can I tell you something else? I got a loose tooth.” Age 6

Devin says: I really really like ants. Because they are so small. It makes me like them more. Whenever I see ants, I just drop all my stuff, and just watch the ants. Did you know I was so connected to ants, mom? Age 7.

Devin says that everything natural is better than manmade. They are like two inventors, except the earth has way more experience and man still has a lot to learn. Age 7.

Even though butterflies enchant human beings and spiders haunt them, they both deserve respect. Like every other living thing. Age 7.

ME: Sometimes bad things just happen to good people.
DEVIN: I know that the monarch butterflies are poisonous if you eat them. Sometimes beautiful things can be dangerous, like a rose with thorns. Nature just has a way of balancing itself out. Age 7.

ME: Do you wish we had a pet? You know how some people are cat people and some people are dog people? What kind of pet would you like?
DEVIN: If I could get any pet, I think I’d get a snail, I’m more of a snail person myself. Age 7.

I told Devin when there is a conflict, I always try to seek win-win solutions.
MOM: Do you understand what win-win means?
DEVIN: Oh Yes! I know, when a predator is chasing a lizard and grabs him by the tail and the tail comes off and saves the lizard’s life, and the predator still gets fed. That win-win ‘for instance’ is from nature, but I want to hear more real-life ‘for instances?’
MOM: Uh, well, that pretty much tops any example I was going to give you. Thank you. Age 7.

On Love:

DEVIN: If you were me you would know how good it feels to hug you right now.
ME: And what if you were me?
DEVIN: Then I would be hugging myself, and that feels pretty good too. Age 6.

Thanks for scheduling this date with me, mom, it really meets my need for quality time with you. Age 6.

Mom- I don’t love you more than anything….I love you equal to everything! Age 6.

DEVIN: I love you.
ME: what does love feel like?
DEVIN: Like a strong bond within us, and between us.
ME: Does it have a color or a shape?
DEVIN: No it’s invisible and weightless, in fact it’s invincible! It doesn’t go away, not even when you do. Age 7.

I’m thinking about relationship, for example, like you and me. You are like the computer and I am the wall. And the love between us is like the cord. And when people get a divorce, for example, it’s like the cord gets unplugged from the wall. Age 7.

On Meditation:

There is always Music. Not just from the radio or in the passing cars. but the real music comes from nature, you have to learn to listen. Age 7.

After Devin’s first formal meditation, the first thing he said upon opening his eyes was: “That was unusual.” Afterwards, went on a bike ride with his father and he pulled me aside to say, “I want to do it again, it feels like something I have done before, and I think I can get good at it.” Age 7.

Devin has mastered the tantric practice of equanimity! After his meditation yesterday he said: Mom! I realized something. It doesn’t matter if my mantra is “Sha-lom” or “Toi-let” they both have the same effect of clearing my mind. Age 8.

While camping on Catalina Island, Devin asked if we could meditate in a tree. After 5 minutes, Devin reports: I stopped using my mantra for a while, but then I noticed that all my thoughts came back, so my mantra sort of morphed into a new one and I noticed that it actually does helps to clear my mind.
ME: What’s your new mantra?
DEVIN: Shalom
DEVIN: That’s appropriate, it means peace in Hebrew.
DEVIN: I didn’t know what it meant, it just came to me, and it works. Age 8.

Due to daylight savings, Devin got confused– brushed his teeth, got undressed and asked me if I would put him to bed at 6:30pm.
ME: It’s not your bedtime yet, Honey.
DEVIN: Oh! well, I’ll just wait here in bed and meditate until the time comes, I don’t have to brush my teeth again because they don’t get dirty from just eating air. Age 8.

On Technology:

I am going to think up a question that is so hard, even google doesn’t know the answer to it.” Devin, Age 6

I told Devin that when i was a kid my favorite cartoon was the Simpsons. To which he excitedly said: I know the Simpsons, I’ve seen them, they are that yellow family that is always getting in trouble.” 7

On Aesthetics:

DEVIN: Why is it all black when I close my eyes?
ME: Because you’re cutting off the light and your sense of sight.
DEVIN: But why isn’t it all purple or yellow? Age 6.

When I look at something really bright, and then I close my eyes, I can still see it in my mind. Devin. Age 6.

While tucking Devin in to bed he says, I don’t need a bedtime story anymore, because I’m starting to see the whole day is like a story. Age 6.

Mom, If you can’t see what I see, you can HEAR what what I see, because I will tell you what I’m seeing. Age 6.

On Relativity:

Devin is home sick with an earache. I tucked him in and told him: “Mommy is going to be on an important phone call for an hour, but I’ll check on you when I’m done.”
Devin says, ” A whole hour? That’s a long time for a kid. When your older time goes by faster. But it’s ok, I can wait.”
When I got off the phone, he was still lying in bed. “You’re done already? Time went by faster, maybe being sick is like being old.” Age 7.

On Polyamory:

RACHEL: How would you like to have a new mom.
Devin thought about it and said: I’ve already got three.
ME: Oh Really? When I asked him who his Moms were he said: You, Mamma Claudia (his nanny) and Jennifer Gold. Age 6.

DEVIN: James, you are kinda like a father to me.
JAMES: Is that good or bad?
DEVIN: It isn’t good. It isn’t bad, it just is what it is. Age 7.

I asked Devin how he would like to live in a hotel with all our lovers.
DEVIN: It sounds hot.
ME: What do you mean?
DEVIN:”Polyamorous people talk a lot, and since talking generates heat, it would get too hot to all live in one house together. Age 7.

On Words:

Devin wants to know why toilet sounds like ‘toy’ when just sitting there is not that much fun. “I know,” He says, “maybe it’s because when you’re done, you get to flush it down and that can be pretty fun.” Age 5.

Devin says a W is like two V’s Kissing. Age 6.

DEVIN: One of my kids books says that gold is like the sweat of the sun and silver is like the tears of the moon. I like the sounds of that, it makes sense to me.
ME: That’s why I named you Devin, it means Poet.
DEVIN: That’s not as natural as “little tree” the Cherokee Indians only use natural names.
MOM: If you were Cherokee I would name you “Little Big Heart.” 7

There was a butterfly flitting over a freshly cut oleander bush with one single flower and Devin said: Look mom it’s an ‘onlyander’ –was that a good pun? I declare today is Sunday-Punday. Age 7.

ME: You can eat a rice cake as long as you don’t get crumbs everywhere.
DEVIN: It’s pretty hard to get crumbs EVERYWHERE. I’ll just eat it in my bed and get crumbs on my pillow and sheets, but that’s not everywhere. Age 8.

On Holidays:

DEVIN: Would you rather it be Christmas every day or Halloween?
ME: I prefer Halloween, because we get to dress up and act out our inner demons.
DEVIN: I prefer both, I wish we could throw snowballs at monsters! Age 6.

We celebrated earth day in the park with a picnic, during which Devin says…why isn’t there a space day? Age 6.

DEVIN: Mom, Can I tell you something?”
ME: What is it, baby?
DEVIN: Yesterday was July 3rd, Tomorrow is going to be July 5th, do you know what today is?
ME: What?
DEVIN: Today is going to be Fun. Age. 6.

We were having a little family time in the Jacuzzi and a humming bird flew up to the plum tree behind me. Devin says: Thank you Mr. Humming Bird for coming to say Happy Birthday to my mamma. Then He buzzed up a few inches from my head and rushed away. Devin says: Mom you just had an H.B.H.B.–Happy Birthday Humming Bird. Age 7

On Motherhood:

Devin and I had our first argument–and he won–I told him nobody would notice if he changed into his board shorts on the beach.
Defiant, he questioned me: “how do you know?”
Not wanting to say, ‘Because I told you so,’ I say:
“Because a mother has intuition about such things, and I’m a very experienced mother.”
To which he says: “You’re not that experienced, it’s only been 7 years.

ME: Let’s pick a new book to read before bed. How about “The Education of Little Tree?”
DEVIN: What’s that?
ME: What’s that? That’s only daddy’s favorite book. He even read it to me when I was pregnant with you.
DEVIN: Oh yeah, I’ve already read it.
ME: Did he read it to you?
DEVIN: I think so. Was your mouth a little bit open when he was reading it to you? Then I could hear it. The mouth is like a doorway for sound to travel all the way through your body. Age 7.

This morning I heard a raccoon scrambled across our roof. Now, let me disclaim that I have not been sleeping well, so I was a bit edgier than normal. Not knowing what caused the sound, I jumped up to check on my son. I didn’t see him in his bed so I ran frantically from room to room, heart racing, calling his name.

Michael woke up and went to directly to Devin’s room…”He’s right here!”
I came back in to give him a reassuring hug.
With a sleepy voice and eyes half opened, Devin said:
Are you sorry you woke me up?
ME: Yes dear, I’m sorry, I heard a noise and got worried that you were sleepwalking on the ceiling.
DEVIN: I would NEVER do that.
ME: Good. Go to bed.
DEVIN: I’ve been in bed the whole time. Didn’t you see my lump?
ME: No. I didn’t. Now, go to sleep.
DEVIN: I forgive you for waking me up.
Kisses. Age 7.

On Gratitude:

I am grateful for many things, one of them is gratitude. Age 7.

Thank you.

If you would like to stay updated on Devin’s wit and wisdom please “like his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DevinEcho

To read more Devinisms from ages 1-5 click here and scroll to the very bottom of the page: http://www.kamaladevi.com/about-us/25-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-san-diego-polyamory-family/25-things-about-devin-echo-mcclure#.VRHhzpPF8vE

The post Devin Echo McClure’s wit and wisdom (Age 6-8) appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

This original poem was inspired by Christy & Charles Muir.  I was honored to be sister-priestess-bridesmaid at their wedding on March 29th, 2015 with about 80 members of their tantra family. As the creator of the event where they met, Tantra-Palooza on 12-12-12, I wanted to immortalize the story of love at first sight. Enjoy!

When the Master Meets his Muse.

The last time she made a vow
Was before she wore the skin she’s in.
She dedicated her voice to serve the goddess.
For she’s the Muse who sings when she prays.

And he’s the master who hears with his heart
And listens with his lips.
Lifetimes ago, he vowed to make love
For the sake of all sentient beings.

And today, by the power of all that is holy,
these two vow to become one
in Liberation, Salvation, Surrender and Bliss.

What magic made their lives cross?

She showed up for a guitar gig in purgatory.
As we all know: The world of form is ending.
It’s been pre-ordained, and if we’re going to die
We might as well feast and go down holding hands.
Says he, who agreed to awaken the sacred serpent

So the temple fills with seekers, (soon to be found)
She strums a soulful invocation
Unwittingly unearthing his timeless devotion.

For when the master meets his muse:

Reality is stripped naked from it’s veils
all of existence is revealed as a frequency
beyond matter, yearning to be realized.
For heaven and hell are not as they seem…
And with this brief time we have on earth
They chose to dance together in dharma
Rediscovering the embodiment of rapture
And rewriting outdated scripture.
–KamalaDevi 3/29/15

Photo: Top Left to Right: Triambika Ma vive, Liza A. Riizzoli, Christy Muir, Kamala Devi. Bottom Left to Right: Mare Simone, Ix-chel Sandivel, Charles Muir Lea Lachin.

The post “When the Master Meets his Muse” Poetry for Christy & Charles Muir’s Wedding appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.