Sex

How ED Can Teach You To Have Great Sex

How ED Can Teach You To Have Great Sex

Erectile Dysfunction can be fixed.

Viagra and Cialis Get You Rock Hard, But They Can’t Change Your Life. These Ideas Can… 

by Mike Rosen

 

Of the 26 men on my current caseload as a sex and relationships therapist, 20 of them came to my office complaining of “erectile dysfunction.”  These men are united in the fear that they will never again have a fulfilling sex life.

Here’s the catch: most of these men aren’t suffering from ED nearly as much as they’re suffering from excessive expectations, and far from ruining their sex life these unpredictable erections hold the key to unlocking the hottest and most connected sex of their lives. 

These guys tell me things like “my dick and I aren’t on the same page” and “my cock doesn’t work.”   If this sounds like you, it’s important to realize the things you’re saying—all those midnight “oh you work now?” jabs and the mid-coital “where are you when I need you?”—aren’t weird or abnormal.

Over 40% of men report being dissatisfied with their sex lives, and almost every man (and their partners) have had trouble getting or maintaining an erection at some period in their lives. 

Your fears make sense, too. More than a receding hairline or dad bod, few things challenge the core of the man like an unresponsive penis. What once felt reliable now feels risky, and it starts to drive a wedge between you and your partner(s).

I get why you’re confused. You were told bills would be an issue, you knew there was nothing you could do to help the Knicks actually win a game, but this was supposed to be automatic, wasn’t it? Wasn’t that the whole problem with men? That they were too horny, too ready for sex, and too one-track-minded?

So, let’s set the record straight:  having an unpredictable erection doesn’t make you less of a man, you’re not resigned to being a sexual spectator for the rest of your life, and your dick isn’t “offline.” Far from it. Your cock has actually never been trying harder to reach you. It’s sending a very clear signal: please, please, please have better sex. 

What is Erectile Disorder?

Erectile disorder (we don’t call it erectile dysfunction anymore) is when you have trouble getting or staying hard for the duration of intercourse over a period of 6 months or more. We DO NOT give the diagnosis, however, if these unreliable erections can’t be better explained by relationship or life stressors. But you wouldn’t know that from watching television.

In 2015 alone, Cialis outspent ALL major pharmaceutical brands with $272 million in advertising. Viagra was a stiffy’s length behind at $232 million. That’s over $500,000,000 spent to convince you that any erection issue is a biomedical issue — and that’s just one year’s worth of ads. Assuming you’ve turned on a TV anytime since 2015 it follows that some of that advertising worked on you. 

There are, of course, medical explanations for erectile disorder: trauma or scar tissue, conditions that limit blood flow, and damaged nerves to name a few. A pill can often help with these issues, but not all ED is medical in origin. Part of the reason those ad spends were so successful (Viagra regularly brings in billions each year in sales) was that they didn’t have to work hard: most men have a tragically limited view of what sex can be.  American sex education is notoriously limited to biology, and glosses over subjects like intimacy, pleasure, and curiosity. Porn and mainstream media don’t exactly fill out the picture, so a lot of men (and women) separate sex from the rest of their lives. 

Viagra and Cialis fail men because they don’t change that paradigm.

Most guys take viagra, and still think they need to stick it in and cum as fast as possible before that little blue pill wears off. It doesn’t help them have better sex or feel more connected to their partner (40% of men are dissatisfied with the sex they’re having). It doesn’t help them understand the problem. And it sure as shit doesn’t work if they stop taking the pill (50% of men simply stop taking the medicine even if it’s working).

That’s because Viagra and Cialis can’t undo the conditioning that ED causes, nor do they ease performance anxiety or the concerns of “what if it doesn’t work this time?” In fact, pharmaceutical intervention has been shown to only be equally effective to psychotherapy, and most effective when combined. 

The majority of men I work with come in thinking that sex exists in a vacuum, and that it can be siloed off. They think their relationships are suffering because sex has become difficult, not the other way around.

This siloing is convenient. It allows them to skip the more complex work of self-exploration. They skip the stuff that really unlocks sex. They don’t think about what they want from sex because they don’t realize they have options. They don’t consider factors like safety, confidence, or even their own sexual preferences. 

If you wake up with a tent in your pants some days, or if you can get it up with some partners but not others, then it’s probably not just your biology that you’re coming up against. It’s your psychology, too.  It’s true. If you’re having a hard time getting hard, it’s unlikely that there’s an issue with erectile functioning. It’s much more likely that you have normal erectile functioning and excessive, misguided expectations.

Your perceived weakness is about to become your greatest weapon. 

How To Fix Unpredictable Erections—And Have the Best Sex You’ve Ever Had

Alright, here’s the part you’ve been waiting for. It’s a step-by-step guide to helping your little Stella get its groove back. This doesn’t all unfold in a straight line, but these are some of the actions you can take to start addressing ED. 

I know this is scary and weird. I know this seems insurmountable. That’s why the single most important thing you can do is humanize this. Nothing you’re experiencing is alien. Nothing you’re experiencing is your fault. What you’re going through is normal and even expected. You have to just keep reminding yourself of what’s real and what isn’t. Our society and culture are practically designed to block you from intimacy. So this isn’t about you “not being able to fix yourself.” It’s way bigger than that. Ok, here we go…

Step One: END THE PASS/FAIL TEST

If you’re struggling with erections, you’re probably looking at every sexual encounter as an exam. That’s putting way too much pressure on a few inches of flesh. If you’re going to have a shot at healing this then you have to take sex entirely off the table for a little while. Porn, too. Yeah, even the photos. Yes, even the ones you thought you deleted. All of this “omg am I hard or am I not hard” doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for joy and fun.

Ultimately, ED is a couple’s issue and not an individual’s. But how do you tell your partner about this? Just be honest. Make it about both of you. Your partner can play a major role in this healing. In fact, partners can be one of the best tools in your toolkit. Try something like, “Hey, I want to get back to having incredible sex with you. I want to connect with you without anxiety, and I never want you to think that you’re not enough for me. As part of that process, I need to take sex off the table for a little while. I want to explore other ways of pleasing you…are you willing to help me?”  They’re going to have feelings about this. Hear them out, but be firm.

Step Two: BEGIN THE GREAT RECKONING

Your “regular” life is connected to your sex life. I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to hear that, but you can’t silo it off anymore. Maybe that worked when you were a teenager and got hard every time Britney Spears came on the radio, but life changes, hun, and your body isn’t immune to what’s going on around you.

It’s time to look deeper at what’s actually happening for you psychologically when you switch on that D’angelo playlist. You’re going to want a journal for this. A good therapist who is grounded in sexuality could also be invaluable. 

Look for powerful patterns.

  • Study the game film of your entire sex life. List all the times getting a hard-on wasn’t difficult. What did those moments/partners/situations have in common? Were your partners strangers or long-term commitments?  Were you at your own home or theirs? Were they blonde or brunette? What was going on in your life at that time? Were you financially secure? How did you feel about your own body and fitness? What was your family life like?  Did you like your life? 
  • Do the same for all the times when getting a hard-on was difficult. 
  • Go through these lists and look for patterns. Maybe you have a hard time getting hard in long-term relationships. Maybe you realize that all the times you’ve struggled with erections have been in the 6 months following a death event or changing jobs. Maybe you only get aroused when the Yankees are in the playoffs. Whatever the pattern might be, it’s important to know it and take actions to address any associated distress. 

Fantasize better.

Most men haven’t really thought about what they want sexually beyond a few porn fantasies.  Also, most men only rely on one or two senses during sex even though they have five. You don’t have to be like most men. List all the things you enjoy or are curious about sexually on one side of the page. Eventually, knowing these things will allow you to explore more with your partner(s).

  • Do you like cuddling? Do you like moving slow or fast? Lights on or off? What are some of the things you’ve always wanted to try? 
  • Write the list of things you DON’T enjoy. Maybe you don’t actually like getting head, maybe you’ve never really been into dirty talk. These are good things to know. 
  • Use these lists to write out as many “ideal sex scenarios” as you can. Then copy that list into a new document. Under each one write a few steps you’d need to take to make those dreams come true. (e.g. “ask my partner” “attend therapy to work out some stress” “introduce myself to the girl at the gym” “buy some handcuffs”) 

Life pressures.

  • You want to keep sex separate from the rest of your life. You want to seal it off because that would keep it safe and manageable, and because that’s what our society does. Culturally in the West, we have developed a way of thinking about sex as if it’s some other part of life, like there’s life and then there’s sex, but that’s not true. 
  • Conduct an honest appraisal of the type of stress you’re under in the rest of your life…Look at how/when this stress started relative to your struggles in the bedroom. How does your partner’s response to your sexuality make you feel? Are you worried about losing him/her/them if you can’t get it up? The stress you’re feeling in your relationship, your job, or around your father’s health could be the source of all of this. 

Step Three: LET’S GET IT ON

Now that you’ve looked at the social and psychological side of things it’s time to get physical again.

Engorge your concepts of pleasure.

  • The greatest mistake most men make is thinking that sex is about orgasm. That’s depressingly limited. Unless you’re only having sex to procreate, sex is about pleasure. Cumming is pleasurable, yes, but sacrificing all other forms of pleasure for the orgasm isn’t doing anyone any favors.
  • What is pleasure? Good question. Grab a tissue and run it gently over the back of your hand. That feel good? That’s pleasure. Turn on an ASMR video on youtube with headphones in. That feel good? Pleasure. What could sex look like for you if it wasn’t all about cumming?

Practice pleasing your pleasure parts with Sensate Focus.

You’ve spent your whole life focusing on dick-centered pleasure… The rest of your body has nerves, too. Sensate focus is about pleasure without “sex.” At this stage, you’re just exploring. You’re not trying to get hard. So don’t sweat it. 

  • Without touching your genitals, run hands along your body, have your partner blindfold you and kiss your neck and thighs… just FEEL. This is not about getting an erection. It’s about sensation. So even if you do get hard, keep going with the exercise. Do not try to have sex.
  • Practice vocalizing when something feels good, if you want more of something, or if it’s unpleasant.
  • Try a night of penetration-free touch. Have you ever just let your partner kiss your chest for 5 minutes? Not intense enough? Have them pour hot, body-friendly wax on your inner thigh. Need more intensity? Research impact play and breath play. 
  • After a few sessions like this, if you’re starting to feel less pressure when it comes to playtime, you can introduce genital touch. Again, this isn’t about getting hard. And don’t let this turn into sex. It’s about feeling.

Man up / Man down, not man overboard

When you’re dealing with unpredictable erections one of the most challenging parts is the fear that takes over when you start losing your erection. This exercise will help teach you how to be present in those moments, how to retrain your attention, and how to stop beating yourself up.

  • Whether on your own or with your partner, practice getting hard, and actually practice losing your erection. Stimulate yourself until you’re erect and then just stop. Let it go down. Notice which parts of your body are lit up with pleasure. Feel your heartbeat. Learn what it’s like for your cock to go down without it being an emergency.
  • Repeat the cycle a few times. Don’t try to bring yourself to orgasm.
  • You’ll likely notice that soon you can go through many rounds of this. Your partner might even find it really hot to participate or watch.
  • Like sensate focus, this is about body awareness and pleasure without destination or shame.

Step Four: INTEGRATION AND PENETRATION

  • Go forth with a pleasure mindset. Think about all those things you realized you NEED to enjoy sex. Ask for all those things you wrote that you wanted. Speak up if you don’t like something. Ask your partner about what they like.
  • It makes sense that you want to give your partner the best orgasm they’ve ever had. But what if you also gave them the best head they’ve ever had? Or filled their (or your) role play fantasy? Test out foreplay, fingers, mouths, toys, sounds, smells, and tastes.
  • Introduce penetration slowly. Just for a few seconds or minutes at first. Remember, you have so many tricks and tools to please your partner if your erection goes down.
  • If penetration happens, that’s great, but by that time you’ll have experienced so much pleasure it’ll be the cherry on top and not the whole damn experience. If you lose your erection, laugh, grab a toy, and keep going. It’s fine. You’re still an incredible partner, a talented lover, and very very much still a man.
Sources: 
  • Gambescia, N., Weeks, G. R., & Hertlein, K. M. (2015). A clinician’s guide to systemic sex therapy (2nd ed.). Routledge.
  • Kleinplatz, P. J. (2004). Beyond sexual mechanics and hydraulics: Humanizing the discourse surrounding erectile dysfunction. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 44(2), 215–242. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167804263130
  • Simopoulos, E. F., & Trinidad, A. C. (2013). Male erectile dysfunction: Integrating psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. General Hospital Psychiatry, 35(1), 33–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2012.08.008
  • Velten, J., & Margraf, J. (2017). Satisfaction guaranteed? How individual, partner, and relationship factors impact sexual satisfaction within partnerships. PLOS ONE, 12(2), e0172855. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172855
  • Wentzell, E. (2017). How did erectile dysfunction become “Natural”? A review of the critical social scientific literature on medical treatment for male sexual dysfunction. The Journal of Sex Research, 54(4–5), 486–506. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2016.1259386

The Real Reason Men Lose Their Erection When Using A Condom

That Awkward Moment When…

If you’re a man, you’ve probably experienced this. Everything is perfect, the foreplay is going great, and the stage is set for a throbbing, mind-blowing, heart-shattering lovemaking. Your erection is strong and powerful, and feeling it turns you on even more.
And then, that moment comes. Your lover looks at you sweetly but squarely in the eyes, and with a soft but firm voice says, “We need to use a condom.”
This makes perfect sense. The risk of STIs and/or pregnancy is real. So you’ve got to wear that condom.
But our genitals don’t understand logic. And, sometimes, it only takes a few seconds of this pause for your penis to soften. Her being sweet and comprehensive only makes things worse: something inside you tells you that you won’t be able to do it if you wear a condom.
I’ve gone through the same process. I used to consistently lose my erection whenever a woman asked me to wear a condom. It wasn’t pretty. I hate to admit it, but a couple of times I even lied to a partner, telling her that there were no condoms in the house, while I actually had plenty. I just was too scared of sexual failure. Boy, am I grateful that no one got an STI or got pregnant because of that dirty little lie of mine.
So why on Earth does this happen? Why do we men lose our erection because of condoms?

The Real Reason Condoms Turn Men Off…

You might try to fool yourself and others with explanations such as:

  • That you don’t feel enough pleasure with a condom.
  • That a condom squeezes your penis too much.
  • That the pause “takes the romance away”…

But deep in your heart, you know that those are not the real reasons.
As for sensitivity and comfort, you know well that your penis is not all that sensitive. In fact, the harder it is, the less sensitive it is. And as for the non-romanticism of the 2-minutes pause, you have fantasized or have been in way less romantic situations, where your erection stood strong and implacable.
So WHAT is the real reason why you lose your erection? And what can you do about it?
To answer this question, the first thing you need to understand is that your main sexual organ sits in between your ears or, if you prefer, inside your chest. It is your head and your heart that turn you on (or off).
So, the reason why we men lose our erection when a woman asks us to wear a condom is that some deeply uncomfortable thought and/or emotion arises in us in response to that request. And what might that thought or feeling be?
Although every man is different, that uncomfortable thought is virtually always a variation on the same theme: she asking you to wear a condom carries the message that she does not accept you inside her body. And this can be truly devastating for a man.

Some Truths About Male Sexuality

Men love to feel invited, welcomed, by a trusting lover that opens up to their force and thrust. When the body of a woman is welcoming, wet, inviting, this is a huge turn-on for a man. When the body and soul of a woman tense, close up, tighten – this is a turn-off.
Men deeply crave to feel accepted, welcomed, and trusted.
The request to wear a condom challenges that. It can seem to convey the following messages:

  • If you don’t wear it, I won’t let you inside me (you’re unwelcome)
  • I don’t trust you to be healthy, or to control your ejaculation (you’re not trusted)

This is the subterranean thought that runs into most men’s mind, and makes them lose their erection.
Understanding it is the first step towards liberating your sexuality from this blockage.
As a man, you need to realize that, even if you wear a condom, you are welcome and accepted. That she wants you just as badly. In fact, she wants you so badly that she wants to be fully trusting and surrendered. And in order for that to happen, she needs to feel safe. This conviction will take some time to build, but once it’s there, it will never leave you. Condoms won’t be an issue anymore.
In order to get there, the best thing to do is start practicing, both by yourself and with a partner.

Practicing By Yourself

Get familiar and friendly with condoms. Buy a pack of condoms and start experimenting. Wear a condom and play with yourself.
Now, I know that the condom instructions say that you should wear it only when you are fully erect. The reason they say this is that if your penis is not fully erect, then a condom can potentially slip away, which is not cool. But for now, you can forget about this. You are alone, and you can wear a condom even if your penis is completely flaccid. In fact, you should practice this skill. Wear a condom on your soft penis, and then stimulate your penis so that it becomes hard.
Familiarize yourself with the condom, and lose your aversion to it. This will be really useful once you practice with a partner.

Practicing With a Partner

This is potentially going to be scary, so you’ll need to set a firm intention: you won’t back off. You will wear a condom no matter what, whether you end up having intercourse or not.
Next time you have the opportunity, do not wait for your partner to propose using a condom. Once you have enjoyed your foreplay long enough, go ahead and say the magic phrase: “I’ll put on a condom now, just in case.”
That means that, whether you are going to penetrate your partner or not, you can wear a condom anyway and then continue with whatever you were doing. At some point you may even forget that you have a condom on.
Your partner also has a role in this. You can ask her to support you in a very simple way: by doing with your penis exactly what she would do with it if there were no condoms. Touching it, sucking it, teasing it—just as if that condom did not exist.
And now, if the moment is ripe for both of you, still wearing your condom, penetrate her. Don’t worry if your erection isn’t that strong. In that case, just make sure to hold the bottom of your condom with your fingers to make sure it doesn’t slip away. But do get yourself to the point where you can penetrate her while still wearing a condom.
This moment is a threshold, and after that, the rest will be much easier. The more you feel that things are going well, the more natural it will become to continue making love with a condom. You will notice that it isn’t all that different from not using it, and that wearing a condom will give both of you more confidence and a feeling of safety. Since you are practicing here, refrain from ejaculating inside your partner, even if you are wearing a condom. The purpose now is to gain confidence with condoms—not necessarily to have the hottest lovemaking of your life.
Every man on this planet should be able to make love with a condom, if necessary. We owe it to ourselves, and we owe it to our partners, men or women. Asking a partner not to use condoms just to protect our sexual pride is not an option. If two lovers decide to not use condoms, let that be a conscious decision, rather than a slippery workaround of a sexual blockage.
Have fun!
Read More By Raffaello Manacorda on the ManTalks Blog:
These 3 Expressions Will Destroy Your Sex and Love Life
_________________________________________________________________

raffa_200x200Raffaello Manacorda (but you can call him Raffa, he likes that) is a Tantra teacher, author, and coach. After graduating with a degree in Philosophy, he spent more than a decade living in alternative communities and working as a radical activist. He discovered Tantra early in his twenties, and then went on to explore the deep secrets of sex and spirit. He is the creator of The Network of Love, an international workshop on conscious relationships, and a regular columnist for The Elephant Journal. His current obsession is human evolution in all of its aspects, and he loves to rant about Tantra, sexuality, and conscious relationships.

Check out Raffa’s Website or connect with him on FacebookYoutube, or Twitter.

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When Your Partner Isn't Attracted To You Anymore

Do You Feel Entitled To Your Partner Feeling Attraction For You?

“But I am his wife!”
“She is my woman.”
“He hasn’t slept with me in over 2 months.”
“She is always turning down sex.”
I often hear things like these in my dating, intimacy, and relationship coaching practice and although each relationship is complex and unique, I want to talk about attraction today and why we need to be aware of how it works.
There may be an attraction problem if our partner doesn’t desire us as much as they used to.
When it comes to attraction and desire we need to understand one thing, you can’t ask someone to desire you and be attracted to you.
Someone is attracted to you based on how you show up in your life and theirs.
A relationship label is never an excuse to assume attraction either.
Just because he is your husband or she is your girlfriend doesn’t mean he or she should desire you automatically and vice versa.
If your partner doesn’t desire you as much as you want, you need to take a deeper look at the polarity in the relationship. Are you both showing up as attractive to each other?
Not understanding the dynamics of connection and attraction is what often leads couples who began with a lot of passion into leveling out and over time feeling more like friends or roommates than lovers.
With a group of women I coach, I recently shared this example about a woman opening up sexually when masculine energy is around.
I asked them the following:
“Let’s say you meet a man and date long distance. The relationship progresses and now he asks you to move to his city to be with him. So you drop everything and move across the country to be with your man and when you arrive, feeling scared and unsettled, he is needy and asking you for sex everyday, and then taking it personally as he wonders out loud to you why you don’t want him… how would that make you feel?”
There was a collective distaste over every woman’s face. Many of their faces said, “heck no!”
Then I asked:
“But what if he was focused on making everything smooth, solving problems, helping you land and be safe, being the leader needed at that moment, what would that do for you?”
Every woman instantly smiled a sexy little smile and had a very happy look on her face.
There are many attraction triggers for men and women, but I’ll share one that is very strong for women.
When a woman has sex it increases her chances of getting pregnant. It is therefore in her biology to assess safety and assure herself of it before having sex, because if she gets pregnant she becomes vulnerable. If she isn’t safe, her child will be at risk.
So, if a man focuses less on his feelings of being rejected by his woman sexually and steps up as her man by funneling that energy into creating safety around her, it helps her feel like she is with a directional, grounded and strong man who is un-reactive at a time when she may feel reactive (scared, ungrounded, unsettled).
She will then feel at ease in his capable hands and soften out of her masculine energy, into her feminine, and open herself up sexually.
A shift in perception is sometimes required rather than the usual way people often deal with these situations — by taking them as a personal rejection.
These moments are always an invitation to step up into a greater version of ourselves and into deeper understanding of the attraction triggers in our partners.
Read More By Giordana Toccaceli
Why Women Stay in Relationships with Emotionally Unavailable Men

12966291_10153439436716332_855021454_nGiordana Toccaceli is an International Dating, Relationship and Intimacy Expert having worked with thousands of women and men around the world to become their most attractive and magnetic selves and attract incredible partners into their lives in record time.
Giordana has worked with a wide range of clients from Top CEOs, Billionaires, successful entrepreneurs, professional athletes, actors, models and every day men and women. She is a regular contributor to Univision TV’s morning show “Despierta Austin” and the Founder of Woman’s Allure and the Co-Founder of Embody Love Project.
Book a free Discovery Session today and find out what’s holding you back from feeling deep freedom, vibrant health, and alignment in your life. Access your free gift today: Get Giordana’s Heal Your Heart” 10 Minute Meditation.

 
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Man Of The Week – Jordan Gray

This week’s Man Of The Week is Jordan Gray for his work as a sex & relationship coach. Jordan is a #1 Amazon best-selling author, a public speaker with nearly a decade of experience in the field. For as long as he can remember, Jordan has always been a giver and helper to people. In his coaching, he allows people to become aware and in turn remove their emotional roadblocks to maintain healthy and intimate relationships. To ensure everybody has some of the tools they need to persevere, Jordan started a blog, which since launch has reached over ten million viewers globally. When Jordan isn’t coaching clients or writing, he loves to pretend he’s good at surfing, immerse himself in new cultures, and savour slow-motion hangouts with his closest companions. If you know anyone looking to deepen their connection to their partner, Jordan’s sensitivity and intuitive perspective will definitely help you step up in your relationships!

Age: 29

What do you do? (Work)
I’m a sex and relationship coach, and writer.

Why do you do it?
Because I believe that a deeply fulfilling love life should be available to everyone.

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
I reach over a million people per month with my writing at JordanGrayConsulting.com and I coach people 1-on-1 as well.

What are 3 defining moments in your life?
– Having my heart broken at 20.
– Starting my business at 25.
– Learning to love again at 27.

What is your life purpose?
My life purpose is to spread and inspire deep levels of love around the world, in all that I do.

How did you tap into it?
As cliché as it might sound, I really don’t think I ever tapped into it. It just was me, from a young age. I’ve always had such a huge heart for people. Even before I knew I could create my own career, I knew I would be doing something similar to what I’m doing now.

Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
I have many role models and mentors for different areas of my life (too many to list)… so I’ll take this in a slightly different direction. The person who currently inspires me the most in the world is a man named Sonny Moore (aka Skrillex). He’s a musician who works tirelessly to improve in his craft, he honours the variety of his creative impulses whether they make sense within his cohesive brand or not, and he loves serving his audience.

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
Yes, and they all occur in the morning. I write before sunrise (articles, books, etc.), I have a morning gratitude practice, and I have a green smoothie that’s loaded with essentially all of the nutrients that I need to get me through the day.

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
When I sit down to write an article that I know my mind is excited to write, but my heart is unable to meet me halfway. When my creative energy feels stifled I know that I need to take some down time to recharge.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
I went through an emotionally devastating breakup in my early 20’s that rocked me to my core. During the breakup my emotionality and sensitivity were heavily shamed and for a period of over five years I hid my negative emotions from all women. I didn’t cry in front of a woman for those years (which is a huge feat because I’m totally a crier) and had a huge emotional block to women in general. It was only over the last 2-3 years that I’ve been able to fully open up again and honour my sensitive nature in all scenarios.

What did you learn from it?
The things inside of ourselves that we most resist are the things that we most need to stop fighting. And when we stop fighting, we will find our greatest gifts that we can offer to the world.

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
It totally depends on who the person is and at what point they are in in their journey. Every good mentor knows that any advice is useless except for the man who desperately needs to hear that one piece of advice in that very moment. But if there was one overarching piece of advice that I feel would appeal to anyone that I feel has the most benefit, it would be to “Question everything.”

Question the gender roles you have been handed. Question what society says you can or cannot do for your life’s work. Question the marketing that is presented to you. Question the advice of your mentor. I’m not recommending that people become hardened, cynical, or doubtful of the world… in fact, quite the opposite. You must strike the balance between not taking everything at face value, while having a sense of open, playful curiosity with how the world appears to you. Everything should be questioned.

How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
My short answer to this question is the same as when people ask me what my favourite sex position is (“It depends on the partner I’m with”) since everything is about calibration. Some of the things that I’ve gotten the most consistent feedback about is that I listen deeply and without distraction (my phone is almost always in airplane mode), I am highly physically affectionate, and I naturally gravitate towards being lavish with my verbal praise. The people I love always know how much I love them and exactly what I love about them. They never have to question it.

Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
Yes. I donate to Vancouver’s Friends For Life society. FFL provides support to people with life-threatening illnesses. I initially heard about them because my parents discovered them and have been volunteering with them for nearly a decade. As an aside, most of what I’ve learned about being a good person was modeled to me by my parents. I hit the jackpot by being born into their family.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
My Way by Frank Sinatra. Not because I pride myself on going at it alone or hustling, white knuckling, or forcing life to happen… but rather because I believe in living life with a high degree of intentionality. I’m constantly asking myself “What do I want?/Why do I want that?/How do I go about achieving that?” At the end of my life, I want to know that I loved deeply, inspired a deeper ability to love in others, and always honoured myself and chose my own path.

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
With how rapidly my life has changed in the last decade, it feels almost impossible to hypothesize a response to this question. But assuming that there won’t be the major shifts in technology, distribution models, and culture that will inevitably happen over the next three years, my answer would be the following.

In three years time, my writing will reach over 25 million people per month and be inspiring a more open, honest, and shame-free conversation about sex and relationships. I will be a two-time New York Times bestseller. I will do approximately ten public speaking engagements per year, while also coaching clients 1-on-1 digitally, and holding small retreats and workshops around the world for couples. I will also be married, my eyes will be bright, and I will be splitting my time between Vancouver, Paris, and Ubud.

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
When it comes down to it, everything that I do with my life is about love and intentionality. I want to leave a legacy that leaves people feeling inspired, expansive, loved, and empowered. Yes, you can tell that person what you love about them. Yes, you can chase down any career path you desire. Yes, you can ask them to marry you. All of it is attainable. Everything you desire is just on the other side of a deep breath and twenty seconds of courage.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a brilliant read for any man looking to be able to trust and surrender to the idea that every person has internal messages that must be listened to. The runner up to that, that I feel every person the planet would benefit from, is The Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden. It’s written in a (relatively) much more dry way, but it has some densely packed value in there.

If you know a Man that is making a positive impact on the world, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]

Man Of The Week – Mark Groves

In an increasingly digital world, we at ManTalks often hear people frustration’s about how difficult it can be to find quality human connection. Our Man Of The Week, Mark Groves, is someone who specializes in human connection and believes the depth of our relationships, both with ourselves and others, are arguably the single biggest predictor of our life’s happiness. Through a heartbreak of his own, Mark came to the realization that many of us, including him, suffer from being subconscious patterns & actions that don’t serve us or our relationships. These patterns drove Mark’s desire to want to understand the science and psychology of great relationships, both for himself to build one and to be able to channel his purpose of helping others build those relationships. Mark believes in the power of vulnerability and by sharing our vulnerabilities with the world, we no longer give them the power to weigh over us and have the ability to turn them into strengths. Read on to get a true feeling of how raw and honest Mark gets in sharing his tougher learns, but also in inspiring us to show up and act with integrity in our relationships.

Age: 37

What do you do? (Work)
I love the subject of human connection… soooooo, I help people connect better with themselves, and in turn, others

Why do you do it?
Because helping people foster deeper connections with others is why we’re here. In my opinion, the depth of our relationships is the single greatest predictor of our happiness and well-being

How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
I live everything I write. I am doing the best I can. I write from my soul. I speak and teach through my own life lessons. I put myself our there and am vulnerable with the world… through sharing my story, I invite others to share theirs… and to own them and make their stories their strength, no matter the plot line.

What are 3 defining moments in your life?
– It may be a vague answer, but my childhood. I am blessed to have great parents and a great family. That, to me, has been a defining pillar to who I am and how I show up.
– I broke my leg when I was 25 playing soccer. This break led to an embolism (from my bone marrow) in my lung which are usually about 40% fatal. That was really the first time that I was faced with my own mortality. It made me value each moment so much more…and it made me realize that I wanted more. That I was on this earth for more, and I wasn’t done here, yet.
– My romantic relationships have all been very defining… the most impactful in terms of being a catalyst for serious change was an engagement ending. And that one really woke me up to my choices and starting to recognize that my subconscious had been in the driver’s seat. It was the moment I consciously took the wheel…or so I think… haha ☺

What is your life purpose?
To wake people up to themselves. To help provide the space and platform for people to recognize their subconscious patterns and then change them. And ultimately, to learn how to connect to others from this space.

How did you tap into it?
Through having my relationship fall apart. I needed to be confronted by the consequences of my choices. I realized that I was never taught how to have great relationships, and what that even meant. I was taught to want to get married… but that’s just a title. We aren’t taught what creates great relationships, especially the one with ourselves. I wanted to understand what made great relationships work… and why did they not work? I wanted to dismantle the science and psychology of connection.

Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
I’ve had so many amazing ones. I would say my parents first, and as a man, my father. He is brilliant, kind, wise, and he really modeled that other people matter in more ways than I could ever articulate.

Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
Exercise, being around nature, and practicing gratitude. I have taught my mind to look for the good. Even in difficult, challenging, and sometimes heart wrenching moments, I look to feel and understand the lesson and what the gift(s) is(are).

When do you know your work/life balance is off?
I can sense it… that I need stillness. To walk in the forest and find myself. Being around other people, which normally charges me, begins to make me irritable.

Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us. 
When a breakup shattered me, I turned to partying and trying to hook up with girls. Anyone who knew me before that breakup, knew me as a teenager with incredible integrity. After the breakup I was out at the bar and I took a girl home to my parents’ house (great plan right?!?). I tried to have sex with her, but I couldn’t get an erection. Not because of booze, or lack of desire, but because, for the first time and very obviously, I abandoned my principles and integrity to adhere to the measures of what society believes makes a man a man… the ability to get ladies. I thought that would mend my broken heart. I knew in the moment that I was hurting more than I was wanting to have sex. The irony, is that I thought I would be able to cure my sadness by abandoning my heart… but in the end, I never got the fulfillment I thought I would, till I acknowledged and accepted the profound level of hurt that the breakup had delivered to me.

What did you learn from it?
That emotion and truth always demand to be felt. We can’t run from ourselves, our hearts, and who we are. Our commitment must always be to ourselves, our truth and our integrity. I let a breakup define who I was… that I wasn’t enough. But relationship outcomes have zero correlation to what kind of man we are… however the kind of man we are does have a correlation to the outcomes of our relationships.

If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
Understand your web, your psychology… why you do what you do. Align your life with your integrity, and despite all that you were taught about emotion and what it means to be a man, be yourself. Let all that bullshit go. Seems simple right? It takes courage to step into ourselves.

How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
It’s not good enough for us to say “I’m just not good at talking about how I feel.” The world demands more from us. Our partners, our sons, our daughter, our friends. They all deserve more from us.  And we deserve more from ourselves. We MUST be better. We MUST learn how to show up. When we change our beliefs, we change our identity. I often tell people to say the opposite, “I’m good at expressing my emotions.” What would that demand of you? How would you have to show up? Learn you, get intimate with yourself and your heart… because the depth to which you connect with others will always be limited by the depth to which you’ve connected with yourself.

Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
I am always donating and supporting different ones. I’m not really specific to a certain one, just charities and causes that speak to my heart in the moment they pass by me.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
Return of the Mack. Haha. Just kidding. That’s how I ended up making out on dancefloors. Ummmm. One of my fave artists is Ben Howard… I love all his music, but “Keep your head up” comes to mind right now.

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
I’m not sure. Happy, maybe with the beginnings of a family. And a larger platform to communicate my messages. I’ve been really keen on a documentary series on relationships… that would be fun. Any investors out there…. ☺

What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
That I loved and lived all out. That I left nothing on the table and made my fears about pursuing all of my dreams my bitch. That I was a good man, an amazing partner, son, brother, friend and father.

What One book would you recommend for any Man?
I’m picking two… cause I don’t like rules. Hmmmm. I would say that  right now, the one book I think EVERYONE, especially men should read, is “Attached” by Amir Levine. And “Man’s Search For Meaning” by Victor Frankl. SO good.

If you know a Man that is making a positive impact on the world, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]

These 3 Expressions Will Destroy Your Sex and Love Life

Change Your Language to Change Your Thoughts Around Sex and Love

A good male friend recently confessed to me something that, I believe, many men secretly think. He said,“If I meet a girl and after a few hours she’s already willing to have sex, I am disappointed. I can’t help thinking that she’s doing it with many other men – she’s just fucking around.” But I’ve come to believe that nothing is more dangerous for our sex and love lives than the negative way we think and speak.
It was the Nth time I had heard this comment about someone, but the derogatory charge behind those words hit me. I had to bring my friend’s attention to his words. This led to a deep and honest discussion about sexuality and relationships.
Often stopping for a moment to think about what we just said about intimacy can give us a valuable sneak peek into our subconscious ideas and values. The language we use around sex and love is especially charged. It expresses and conditions our attitude towards sex and love.
Here’s a few examples of negatively charged expressions we use abundantly, often without realizing the implications.

He/She is just fucking around.”

Even in our, “sexually liberated” times, we still negatively judge anyone who lives his or her sexuality with multiple people. We consider any relationship that’s not strictly monogamous to be impure and lowly.
The term, “fucking around” reflects our fear and judgment of sexual promiscuity. It summons images of objectification, low respect, and zero emotional connection.
But this is a lot to assume, especially when speaking about anyone else but ourselves. Even is someone wants to explore sexuality with as many people as possible, isn’t that a positive way to spread sexual and emotional energy among many different people?
Like a sexual butterfly.
Experience shows that many intelligent, deep, loving, and caring people have done exactly this at some point of their lives.

“She’s easy.”

Sexually negative judgments are particularly severe towards women.
The definition of easy is, “free from worries or problems”. Sounds great, right? And indeed, easy is good in virtually all contexts of life. Having an easy life, being an easy person, taking it easy, easing up – we all like that.
How come then, that being an, “easy woman” is immoral and shameful? Why should a woman refrain from having an uncomplicated and easy sexual life, if she wants to?
With this expression, we may be unconsciously suggesting that we prefer women to be full of worries and problems around sexuality. This becomes so ingrained, that women will often even judge themselves harshly for desiring uncomplicated, “easy” intimate encounters.

“He/She has been cheating on him/her.”

This expression conjures dark stories of evil, cunning and deceit, such as the ones we see in movies and books. In the media, there is always a clear-cut judgment of everyone involved in a “cheating” episode: the victim, the perpetrator, and the accomplices are all designed to be either good or evil.
But reality has a way of escaping these simplistic projections. The “unfaithful wife” may turn out to be a loving and caring woman that tries to do her best to keep her emotional life healthy.
We may discover that the “cheating husband” adores his wife and family, while still needing emotional and sexual diversity. True, cheating implies that an agreement has been broken. But often, we realize that the problem lies more in the rigidness of the agreement itself, its inability to cope with the changes in our lives, rather than in the immorality of the people involved.

Changing Our Language Around Sex and Love

Although we don’t necessarily need to radically change our way of speaking about intimacy and relationships, bringing awareness to it never hurts. The temptation to negatively judge someone else’s love life can be very strong, but it is unlikely to produce any beneficial results, other than reinforcing our anger and righteousness.
So here is a practical suggestion: let’s be attentive to the negatively charged expressions we may use around sexuality and love. Most often, these expressions reveal an unnecessary negative bias of someone else’s life. At the very least, bringing awareness to them can give us an insight into our hidden fears and sore spots.
One day, we might even decide to get such expressions out of our vocabulary and open our minds and hearts to the incredible diversity that human beings have to experience connection, intimacy and sexuality.
[For more on sex and relationships, listen to the ManTalks Podcast]
Raffaello Manacorda (but you can call him Raffa, he likes that) is a Tantra teacher, author, and coach. After graduating with a degree in Philosophy, he spent more than a decade living in raffa_200x200alternative communities and working as a radical activist. He discovered Tantra early in his twenties, and then went on to explore the deep secrets of sex and spirit. He is the creator of The Network of Love, an international workshop on conscious relationships, and a regular columnist for The Elephant Journal. His current obsession is human evolution in all of its aspects, and he loves to rant about Tantra, sexuality, and conscious relationships.
Website: http://fragmentsofevolution.org
Connect with Raffa on Facebook, Youtube, or Twitter
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Man Of The Week – Jesse Israel

We live in a world with more people than ever before, yet the desire for both personal and human connection has never been greater. Once our Man Of The Week, Jesse Israel, recognized this ironic trend and realized his way of giving back to the world was by creating a space where people, who share a passion, can come together to spread their message and celebrate their passions and connections. His dedication to his purpose has seen him start crowd-created programs for students that face transportation challenges in Tanzania to starting ‘The Big Quiet’, the largest mass mediation space for the public in Central Park history. Read on to learn how Jesse’s discipline allows him to channel his purpose through his everyday actions!
Age: 30
What do you do? (Work)
I’m currently building communities and businesses around human connection. Formerly I co-founded the record label and tech fund Cantora.
Why do you do it?
Our generation is thirsting for deeper connection with others and with ourselves. I feel most alive when I’m able to help facilitate that connection.
How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
By bringing people together around a shared passion and collectively spreading a message about that passion in unique ways (Examples: Cyclones Bike Share Africa – a crowd-created bike share program for students and communities with transportation challenges in rural Tanzania; The Big Quiet – crowd-promoted mass mediations for modern people, including the largest official meditation in Central Park history).
What are 3 defining moments in your life?
The time I watched my mother cry when I almost got kicked out of middle school
Witnessing the loss of a friend in a car accident in high school
Leaving my company of 9 years – without knowing what was next – to open myself up to my next purpose
What is your life purpose?
My deepest purpose in life is to enable a world where people are more present and feel more alive; to lead community through human connection; to better serve the people I love.
How did you tap into it?
The more I live at the edge of my fear/comfort zone, the more my purpose becomes clear to me. I’m drawn to existing in safety, so living at my edge takes work and patience.
Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
My father, Bob Israel. Among so many other valuable life lessons, he’s taught me the importance of being able to have a laugh when things get tough.
Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
I meditate for 20-30 minutes twice a day – this helps me hear and trust my intuition, and provides me with a deep state of restfulness
When I first wake up, I write down 5 things I am grateful for and 5 things I am looking forward to that day – this helps me maintain a positive mindset (particularly helpful on tough days)
My bedroom is a no-tech zone – this makes my bedroom a sanctuary for sex, sleep and rest
When do you know your work/life balance is off?
When I’m checking email past 10pm.
Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
I recently wrote a blog post inviting friends and family to help me define and evolve what it means to be a man today. In the post, I candidly spoke about challenges I’ve dealt with regarding sex, relationship, love, intimacy and purpose. After sharing it on Facebook and emailing it to my community, I felt exposed in a way I’ve never experienced before – kind of like that dream where you’re naked and everyone else is clothed.
What did you learn from it?
Sharing online in a way that is authentic can be scary – but it is important. While some people may not agree with the dialogue, others will be touched and find solace in the message.
If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
Follow your gut and act on it before you talk yourself out of it.
How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
These are (really tough) practices:
1) By being fully present with my woman
2) By being her rock
3) By making decisions that best serve her
Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
For half of my life I’ve been volunteering at a summer camp for underprivileged children in Los Angeles called Camp United in Harmony.

My bike club, Cyclones.cc, is currently funding a sustainable bike shop and rental business in rural Tanzania. The shop will be entirely employed by women, and will provide locals with bike rentals to help them with commuter issues and enable them to better support their families and businesses. Money made from the project will go towards infrastructure to create more bike businesses. This partnership is made possible by globalbike.org. We previously raised money for the NGO’s Mama Hope and Tanzania Children Concern.

Jesse with students from Cyclones Bike Share Program
Jesse with students from Cyclones Bike Share Program

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
Pony by Ginuwine
Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
Leading a global, self-propelling movement around human connection.
Running a large business that supports this mission through tools, products, courses and communities that deeply resonate with the millennial generation.
In a relationship with a woman that I am able to open to the world, and with whom evokes my greatest gifts.
What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
A new standard for how people live life — with more presence and more aliveness.
What One book would you recommend for any Man?
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. It helped me understand the importance of cultivating courage in all aspects of my life.
If you know a Man that is making a positive impact on the world, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]

Man Of The Week – Andrew Horn

A life of service and gratitude is one of the most fulfilling pleasures one can experience, believes Andrew Horn. This belief coupled with numerous other accomplishments that make Andrew Horn our Man Of The Week! From making compassionate decisions in his personal relationships to founding his first NGO, ‘Dream for Kids DC’, Andrew is a man of many talents and passions, all of which are tied to giving back to society and making the world a better place for future generations. Today, Andrew lives his life to serve as an example to inspire others to share their appreciation and gratitude, to lead to more meaningful and enriching relationships.

  1. Age: 29
  2. What you do you do? (Work)
    Social Entrepreneur, current the Founder/CEO of Tribute.co
  3. Why do you do it?
    We get to help people share their gratitude and appreciation with the people they care about.
  4. How do you make a difference in the world? (Work, business, life, family, self)
    In business, I try to make a difference in the world by building organizations that have a sustainable impact on improving the lives of other. In my personal relationships, I try to lead with compassion and give people a platform to be truly seen, heard and supported the way they’d like to be.
  5. What are 3 defining moments in your life?
    1. Realizing the difference between pleasure and happiness
    2. Starting my first NGO Dreams For Kids DC with no idea what I was doing.
    3. Meeting my soul mate and marrying her three days later at Burning Man
  6. What is your life purpose?
    To live an integrous lifestyle, to be a servant to the people and causes I believe in, and to magnify love and gratitude in the world.
  7. How did you tap into it?
    I realized that helping others is the most effective way to find fulfillment and have grounded my actions and career choices in service ever since.
  8. Who is your Role-Model or Mentor?
    I am fortunate to have a community of friends called the Boom-Spiral and they are my collective role models. I learn and grow from our relationships constantly and am beyond grateful to have found/built such a strong community.
  9. Do you have any daily habits? If so, what are they?
    1. Don’t check phone immediately after waking up
    2. Put all of my team’s tasks into asana to start the day
    3. Try and be better than I was yesterday
  10. When do you know your work/life balance is off?
    I know my work-life balance is off when my energy doing the things I enjoy starts to lag lower than I’d like it to.
  11. Vulnerability is a challenge for most men – share a vulnerable moment from your life with us.
    My girlfriend Miki is the first real woman I have ever been with. She called for a man than I had to offer early on in our relationship.
    One of the arenas where I was lacking was sexual presence and technique.
    It soon became evident that one of the reasons I lacked this presence was because of an unhealthy porn habit.
    After almost a year and a half, I was finally able to subdue my porn habit and grounded myself in a constantly evolving, exciting sex life with my partner Miki.
  12. What did you learn from it?
    1. It is important to define the relationships that you want with pornography.
    2. Sexual polarity is essential if you want to maintain an element of desire in your relationship
    3. Great relationships take work, but you just need to believe in what you are building or working towards as an individual and union.
  13. If you are or were going to be a mentor for another man, what is one piece of advice you would give him?
    I would ask him to define why he wants what he wants, to help him articulate goals and understand his deepest desires.
    In understanding our internal drivers, we are most capable of obtaining happiness in the present, while engaged in a pursuit of something grander.
  14. How do you be the best partner (Boyfriend/Husband- past or present)
    1. Celebrate your partner’s victories with reckless abandon. This is the easiest way to make them feel supported.
    2. When you have something nice to say, share it. Telling the people we love why we love them is one of the easiest ways to establish deep connectivity.
    3. Realize that helping others is one of the easiest ways to add depth to any relationship. Find joy in serving those you care about.
  15. Do you support any Charities or Not-for-profits? (Which one(s) and why?)
    I am on the board of the two non-profits that I previously founded. www.dreamsforkidsdc.org and www.abilitylist.org.
  16. If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
    All I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey. That song is hilarious and awesome literally whenever you play it.
  17. Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
    Married to the woman of my dreams with a kid and one on the way. Living between NYC and Costa Rica. Surfing at least 50 days of the year.
    Running a successful company with 50 employees and building the “hallmark of the digital age.”
  18. What legacy do you want to leave for future generations?
    I want to leave the world with a newfound understanding and appreciation for the power of gratitude and service.
    If my life can serve as an example that inspires others to help each other and share their gratitude more openly, I think I will be able to magnify great relationships around the globe and that is a lasting impact that I would be very proud of.
  19. What One book would you recommend for any Man?
    The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida – This book has been shared around by all of the great mean in my life. It provides young men with a framework to aid in the articulation of personal purpose, and provides some essential truths about what it takes to exist in a desire filled romantic relationship.

 
If you know a Man that is making a positive impact on the world, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at [email protected]

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