Secrets of Happily Ever After: Marriage and Intimacy Tips for Couples

Today we are chatting with Alexandra Stockwell MD, author of the book Uncompromising Intimacy. She is a relationship and intimacy expert just like me. Alexandra believes that when both people know how to love and be loved for exactly who they are, the relationship is juicy, nourishing and deeply satisfying.

Alexandra is breaking the traditions of marital advice and teaching couples that compromise does not lead to long term relationship success. We should not let our spouse's needs become more important than our own. Not to say that you should get your way all the time or that you dominate the relationship, instead learning how to be vulnerable with each other and honest about our wants and desires.

How do we do this? By cultivating curiosity, being curious about your partner and asking questions about what they like and don’t like. This allows us to be more curious about ourselves and we can learn and accept our own desires and needs.

Every interaction we have with our spouse that isn’t sex is foreplay. Moments throughout the day are either bringing you closer together or building up walls, resentment, and separation. We discuss ways to have difficult conversations with our spouses that can not only end with our desired outcome, but also builds excitement to get into the bedroom.

For more information, check out her website at: https://www.alexandrastockwell.com/

To download and read the first chapter of her book for FREE go to: https://chapter.alexandrastockwell.com/

If you would like to download my freebie - 51 Ways to Initiate Sex with Your Spouse, you can do so here: https://onthebrightersideofmarriage.com/51waysinitiate

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Today is the second episode in our Conversations with Interracial Couples Series and we are chatting with my friends and colleagues Sarah and Alex Dumas.

Sarah and Alex have been married for over 10 years and have 2 beautiful children. They are sharing how they have dealt with racism over the years, both from complete strangers and within their families, all while staying true to their "weird and fun" personalities.

Even though their families are very different, they both have the same vision of what being committed to each other and to their marriage looks like. They are setting an example for their children of how family is supposed to be by laughing and loving each other every second they get. "We are weird, fun, and we treat people with respect".

Alex says, “It is never what you are called, but what you answer to that is important.”

To get connected with them, check out:

The Business in Marriage Podcast

www.Abundancedaily.com

IG: @therealsarahdumas

FB: thebusinessinmarriageproject

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Today's episode is an interview with Laurie McCracken about her journey of sexual self-discovery from a Catholic Nun to a holistic health and sexuality coach teaching Tantra as medicine.

As a former nun, oncology nurse, holistic health coach, and energy medicine practitioner, Laurie is passionate about supporting the healing and transformation needed to reunite our sexuality with our spirituality. She knows personally the emotional, physical, and mental trauma this “disconnect” can create in one’s life. Laurie has also experienced firsthand the profound healing and transformation Authentic Tantra® offers, as a way to heal from the inside out.

To find out more about what services Laurie provides, please go to her website at: https://lauriemccracken.com/.

If you are interested in joining us for the 14 Days to Better Sex Challenge, please register here: https://onthebrightersideofmarriage.com/14-daychallenge

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This is the first episode in our Conversations with Interracial Couples Series. Today, we are interviewing Sandra and Ryan Tanner.

Ryan and Sandra Tanner have been married for almost 8 years and they live in North Metro Atlanta with their 3 children. Their ages are 17, 14, and 7. They share how their roads lead them to each other after many years, the struggles they have been through and some great advice on making a marriage work. They are a beautiful couple with a rich story who believe deeply in teaching their children to respect everyone, regardless of their race, religion or gender.

I loved this interview and I know you will too. You can continue the conversation with Sandra at: https://www.optimizedlife.com/ or on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/loving_life_with_5/

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Have you ever planned your work meetings and social calendar around your menstrual cycle? If your answer is no, be sure to tune into this episode! Today I'm having so much fun chatting with my friend, April Davis, the creator of the Vagina Blog and the Vagina Blog Podcast. She teaches women that when you cater to your cyclical nature, you find you have hidden strengths and that there is value in resting and respecting your menstrual cycle.

April compares our menstrual cycle to the 4 changing seasons:

· Winter- is when we are menstruating. We are very intuitive during this phase and feel a strong need to hibernate. We tend to be attracted to warmer, nutrient dense foods and enjoy staying close to home.

· Spring- is the follicular phase when we have an internal energy surge. This is a great time to take on big projects and utilize the extra motivation to take action.

· Summer- is when we ovulate. We are “easy, breezy, and beautiful” during this phase. We tend to look better on camera and love being around people.

· Fall- this is the luteal phase. We are in preparation for winter. During this phase, our hormones crash and we start to question every life decision we have ever made. We sometimes hate ourselves and our spouses during this time. It’s probably not the best time to take on a big new project at work or go on a fun family vacation.

So, the next time you are planning an anniversary trip, get your calendar out. Plan it around your cycle and go during your Spring or follicular stage right after your period. This way you are feeling "up for it", have high energy, and are feeling adventurous. Your spouse will thank you.

Be sure to check out April’s resources mentioned in the episode by going to:

Website: www.thevaginablog.com

Podcast: The Vagina Blog Podcast

Instagram: @thevaginablog

For more resources about marriage and female sexual health, join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/otbsofmarriage/

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As a part of the Sexual Health Series, today we are chatting with the amazing Kristen Jenson, author of the best-selling Good Pictures Bad Pictures series. She shares with us; how important it is to talk with our children about pornography.

Kristen loves helping and empowering parents. She encourages them and equips them with what to do WHEN (not if) their child sees pornography. These books give children a simple and age appropriate definition of what a bad picture is, and what to do when they see it.

At what age, is it appropriate to talk to your child about pornography?? Well… “At what age does your child have access to the internet”? WOAH! A big eye opener.

Even with the best technology and ALL of the filters we put in place. There will come a time, when your child is staring at a screen full of adult content. Will they know what to do when they see it? Will they come home and tell you about it?

Kristen teaches us the importance of having these difficult conversations early on. It actually strengthens the parent-child bond when you face these challenges together and even more, helps our children have healthy sex lives when they are married.

Some of the resources mentioned in the episode are: Healthy Sex Vs. Porn Sex and Protect Young Minds Resources

If you have additional questions about your child and pornography visit ProtectYoungMinds.org or you can grab yourself a copy of these books over on Amazon! You can also find resources on Facebook, Instagram @protectyoungminds, or Twitter @ProtectYM

Be sure to subscribe to this podcast, so you don't miss an episode and starting in July, every Friday, we'll be talking to couples as part of our Conversations with Interracial Couples Series.

If you loved this episode, please share it with your loved ones, because sharing is caring and be sure to check us out on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/monitanner1 for a chance to win autographed copies of Good Pictures, Bad Pictures.

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You are not broken! You are enough!

This week, we are talking to the amazing Dr. Kelly Casperson, MD. She is a board certified urologist and self taught Women’s Sexual Health Coach. She is striving to share what she has learned with the world and has armed other Doctors, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners with these tips! She has a brilliant way to explaining what's going on with women's bodies and brains before, during and after sex.

Knowledge is power and that is defiantly true when it comes to your own pleasure and knowing what can help you get mentally and physical satisfied. She breaks down the female anatomy and gives some tips that will surprise you, they did me! How well do you know your hidden parts? We want to reach women everywhere to help them know what is going on down there!

Dr. Casperson offers accurate medical knowledge that she has learned over the years. The biggest thing she wants every woman to know, You are not broken! There are some common misconceptions of the female anatomy and we are here to shine some light on a few of them! Did you know that for most women, arousal comes before desire and then desire before orgasm?

Women are built to enjoy pleasure from intercourse it’s just a matter of starting off right! We discuss painful intercourse and low sex drive and how hormones play a bigger role than you know! Are you sexually struggling with life after menopause? She even tells you where to start if you want to talk to someone!

I guarantee you will want to listen to this interview with pen in hand. I thought I knew a lot about sex, but I took a full page of notes and absolutely loved the insight Dr Casperson shared.

You can find Kelly's podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-are-not-broken/id1495710329

And look for her on social media here: https://www.facebook.com/youarentbroken or here: https://instagram.com/kellycaspersonmd.

If you are looking for ways to spice things up and make your sex life more exciting, be sure to download my free resource guide here: https://onthebrightersideofmarriage.com/resourceguide

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This week, I'm interviewing Laura M. Brotherson, certified sex therapist and author of Knowing Her Intimately: 12 Keys for Creating a Sextraordinary Marriage. Laura is one of my first mentors on this topic and I hope to follow in her footsteps, helping couples understand the true importance of sex within the marriage relationship.

In this episode, we discuss the 12 T's of female sexual wiring and how each of them contribute to creating a truly transcendent experience for both partners. Here are a few of the resources we mentioned in the interview:

• BOOK - Knowing HER Intimately: 12 Keys for Creating a Sextraordinary Marriage use the code 'knowher' to get the book for just $10.
• HANDOUT - “12 T’s of Female Sexual Wholeness"
• WEBSITES - StrengtheningMarriage.com and The Marital Intimacy Institute – especially Laura’s Resources Page

Also mentioned in this episode, I am doing a YouTube series on the Laura's 12 T's. Episode #1 on Transformed can be found here.

If you have any questions about anything you heard in this episode, you can schedule a relationship breakthrough call with me here.

Also, make sure you are subscribed to this podcast, because starting this week, we will be publishing 2 episodes each week. The second will be Conversations with Interracial Couples and you do not want to miss these important conversations.

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As the summer heats up, we are heating things up inside of On the Brighter Side. Today's episode is the first in our new Women's Sexual Health Series.

I'm chatting with Mommy Mojo Expert, Dana B Myers. She is a mama, author, speaker and creator of Booty Parlor. She teaches Moms how to get their mojo back after having kids and teaches about the importance of pleasure. You do NOT want to miss this episode on how to become the happiest, sexiest and most satisfied mom in every way.

You can find out more about Dana on her website: https://danabmyers.com/. Be sure to check out her new program Thrive!

Join our FREE Facebook Group to get even more trainings, resources and special interviews on how to strengthen your marriage here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/otbsofmarriage.

If you have any questions about how to rediscover your sexy, sensual side, book a FREE Relationship Breakthrough call with me here: https://calendly.com/onthebrightersideofmarriage/relationship-breakthrough. You could be 30 minutes away from the healthy, thriving sex life you've always dreamed of!

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Today I'm sharing lessons I've learned in 41 trips around the sun. It's my birthday episode and I'm opening up about things I'm grateful for and what has gotten me to where I am today.

I announced our women's sexual health series starting next week on the podcast and emphasis on Knowing Her Intimately: 12 Keys for Creating a Sextraordinary Marriage by Laura Brotherson on the YouTube Channel.

You can register for the 14 Day Complete Intimacy Challenge here: https://onthebrightersideofmarriage.com/14daychallenge

Book a Relationship Breakthrough Call with me here: https://calendly.com/onthebrightersideofmarriage/relationship-breakthrough

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