Several years ago my husband, Michael McClure, set the goal of being in the best shape of  his life by his 50th birthday. He started an all plant based high protein diet when he discovered that some of the worlds best bodybuilders were vegan.  He has been an athlete all his life: surfing and springboard diving are his best events.  One of the things I love most about his sculpted body is that his muscles are not just for show, he loves to carry heavy things, build things around the house and even does bench presses with our 7 year old son! For his 50th birthday I decided to get him a photo shoot with Vixen! Enjoy.

If you want to read more about Michael Here is a link to 25 things you probably didn’t know.  And you can follow him  at: http://www.polyamorymichael.com/

To see more VIXEN photos of Kamala Devi and her Girlfriends Roxanne and Summer Click here. 

Photos by Scott Saw at Vixen Photography: http://vixenphotography.com/

Scott’s background is in fine art. He naturally draws on his years of experience to create beautiful photographs that highlight the client’s best features. To Scott, photography is more than taking pictures… it’s creating art. You can view Scott’s art at: scottsaw.com

The post Michael McClure Rocks his 50th birthday in this sexy photo shoot! appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

Do you have what it takes to write a book? People often ask me how I got so prolific. How do you write so many books, plays, poems and blog posts. You want to know? 

The answer to how I write a book in 90 days:
I am NOT a perfectionist.
I do not over-think. I act.
My life is a work in progress,
and so is my art.  

Where there is skill in my craft, it was cultivated by doing.
Some of my early teachers were: The Artist’s way by Julia Cameron, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont and No Plot, No problem by Chris Beaty.

Chris Beaty started a writing revolution called: NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. Last year, on November 1, 2013 over 300K participants began working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel in one month. Who wants to join me and take the challenge this year?

For the official NanoWrimo Pledge go here:
http://nanowrimo.org

Here is my personal NaNoWriMo pledge:

• I will write at least 5 days per week in Nov.
• I will attempt to write 2,500 words per day.
• I will post my word count, even when fall behind.
• I will not revise, edit and/or censor myself.
• I will not judge the quality of my writing. I am in a writing partnership with the great creator, quanity is my domain and quality is completely entrusted to my higher power.
• I will be supportive and encouraging to anyone else who is writing.
• I will complete 52 sexy scenerios during the month of November.
• I will maintain balance and kindness towards my loved ones during this outrageous process.
• I will write for pleasure and pledge to enjoy the process.

Please forgive me if I am abscent and self indulgent during the month of Novemeber. If you decide to join me on this journey…please make your “writing buddy” on the official website: http://nanowrimo.org

The post Ever wanted to write a book? Join me for the NaNoWriMo challenge! appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

. Despite popular misconception, Poly Palooza is not just a big sex party, and yet, it is a sex positive, clothing optional event. Because we believe the nude human form is art, and we are advocates of sexual liberation, we  have decided to post select pictures that are NOT allowed on Facebook. (Please do not re-post any of these pictures without written permission of the subjects and the producer, thank you.)

NAKED YOGA

Roxanne DePalma offers an all level morning movement class by the poolside. She invites you to “Focus your drishti on each other’s genitals.”

DIRTY TALK OLYMPICS at Poly Palooza 2014

AmyJo showed her dominant alter ego as Mistress Honeytoes as she coached the Dirty Talk Olympics.

The Judges for Dirty Talk at Poly Palooza2014

…And the winners!

The evening was not complete without a TWERKING CONTEST!

SENSUAL PLAY

This sex-positive event provided a wonderful and safe environment for people to feel comfortable and open to learning, sharing and having fun!

KINKY CATWALK at Poly Palooza

We’re too sexy for our clothes!

TANTRA THEATER IMPROV at PolyPalooza

Kamala Devi and Roxanne Prepare for a never before seen ping pong show. The looks on the faces of the audience says it all…

For details go to Champions!!!
www.PolyPalooza.com

The post Naked Photos From Poly Palooza 2014 The Festival for Free Lovers appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

This Holiday season I am taking time from work to enjoy my family, heal my body and write a playful new erotic novel! 

I want to gift you with a referral list of practitioners that have helped me during my own healing journey.

I am uncertain when I’ll resume mentoring, but I am such a lover of people and the turning of the seasons, that it won’t be long until I’ll want to re-connect with my community. 

I don’t usually quote the Bible, but it wouldn’t be fair to give Peter Seeger all the credit for his song ‘Turn!, Turn!, Turn!’ (Ecclesiastes III, 3:1-3:8 King James Version):

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

During my professional sabbatical, I’d like to recommend a few stellar practitioners.
Granted finding a mentor is such a matter of personal compatability, but following is a short list of high level healers and teachers who’s work I love and trust. Scroll down for picture and bios.

Blessings to you and yours!I

COACHES:
1. Greg Clowminzer
www.GregClowminzer.com

TANTRIKAS
2. Shawn Roop
http://www.tantraquest.com/#sthash.Igegv3bz.dpuf

3. Tziporah Kingsbury
http://www.tziporahintimacy.com/

4. Celene
www.AwakenToPleasure.com

THERAPISTS:
5. David Dantinu
http://theparadoxcure.com/about-dave-donatiu/

6. Mark Kaupp
https://emotionallyfocusedtherapy.us/Mark_A.html

7. Tom Wall
http://www.livecompassion.com/

1.Greg Clowminzer
(760) 930-9604
www.GregClowminzer.com
Greg was my first coaching mentor who helped launched my career. He is
a pioneering business and leadership coach with over 10,000 hours of
real time coaching experience. Greg coaches and consults with CEOs,
small business owners and professionals, helping them clarify their
vision, create unique strategies for success and developing the
necessary skills to be a leader and effectively exercise leadership as
their natural self-expression.

You will often catch Greg ranting about conscious entrepreneurship,
integrating passion, profit and peace into your business, enlightened
leadership, refining human capital, as well as eloquent riffs into the
nature of conscious loving relationships or visit
www.GregClowminzer.com

2. Shawn Roop
(619) 365-5481
http://www.tantraquest.com/#sthash.Igegv3bz.dpuf
Shawn Roop is a highly trained and qualified facilitator of Tantric wisdom. He has taught to thousands of individuals and groups worldwide. His passion is fueled with the desire for each person to own their magnificence and to support the understanding of how easy it is to become ecstatic in life. He offers skills to disassemble complication and build from a place of simplicity. He comes from a nurturing, compassionate and heartfelt expression. He is a spiritual muse; and makes sense of the human experience without denial or suppression. He unites pleasure and dissatisfaction while igniting personal fire from within.

3. Tziporah Kingsbury
http://www.tziporahintimacy.com/contact-us/
For 15 years, I have worked with men, women and couples — spiritual seekers who have chosen their own path — who may be struggling with relationships, feeling disconnected from their own body, weighed down by emotional toxins and unfulfilled, like life has become superficial. I  guides them deeper inside themselves where they feel freer and empowered with the keys to a life that meets their emotional, sexual and spiritual needs.

4. Celine
(970) 343-0750
www.awakentopleasure.com
From an early age I had a passion for travel and sexuality, so after obtaining my esthetician license I decided to follow my heart and long time dream to study ancient Taoist traditions….I like for potential clients to go to my website first, so that they can determine if what I offer is what they are looking for, then give me a call. 

.www.awakentopleasure.com

5. David Dantinu
(303) 499-5363
http://theparadoxcure.com/about-dave-donatiu/
High personal recommendation for Dave’s high level transformational
work. He has helped me and my family tremendously during my recent
breakdown. His a brilliant therapist with extraordinary skills in a
wide variety of methods…and in mastery of his own paradox
cure…Check it out:
http://theparadoxcure.com/about-dave-donatiu/ 

6. Mark Kaupp
(619) 665-5590
https://emotionallyfocusedtherapy.us/Mark_A.html
Mark A. Kaupp, Psy.D sees clients on an individual, relationship, and family basis. His primary focus is Couples Therapy and aims to create greater levels of trust, safety and stronger emotional bonds through the use of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT). Further issues addressed range from relational conflicts, work concerns, and family difficulties to depression, grief, stress, anger, anxiety and Addictions. He works with all ages, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

7. Tom Wall
(619) 708-7126
http://www.livecompassion.com/
The journey towards change and healing is full of growth and discovery. Although this journey can be challenging, with compassionate support, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish. One of the most important aspects of making this journey an easier one is to develop a healthy support system. Finding a therapist that you feel safe with and can trust is part of developing that support system. As a therapist, I not only work with clients to gain better understanding of themselves, but I also work with them to create a safe and supportive environment that will help them integrate the body, mind and spirit.

If you liked this Post you’ll enjoy this video on increasing your abundance for the holidays:  http://www.kamaladevi.com/1493/boost-your-prosperity-in-just-4-min#.VGuEAlfF_b0

All I want for Christmas is a DVD Box Set of Showtime’s Polyamory: Married & Dating http://www.kamaladevi.com/3450/dvd-box-set-of-showtimes-polyamory-married-dating#.VGuEKVfF_b0

The post A Time to Grow: Referral List of San Diego Healers, coaches and tantra teachers appeared first on Kamala Devi. Read more from Kamala Devi.

 “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 the second half 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.

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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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