#WIN A year supply of Calm supplements plus a £100 voucher
Calm supplements are 100% vegan and vegetarian friendly. Each easy to swallow capsule contains Vitamin B5 and B12, Lemon Balm, Chamomile and Folic acid.
This offer is open to all UK residents only.
Strictly you must be aged 18 and over
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your full and correct email
address and follow all steps above
The winner will be informed via email and will receive our newsletters which you can unsubscribe from at any time.
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your email address via the form as we email the winners
The prize cannot be transferred to a third party nor can it be redeemed for a cash
alternative.
We observe the right to withdraw this offer if needed
Booking dates are subject to availability
Country and value of price may be changed
Closing date July 6th 2023
Whether you’re a busy parent ferrying the kids to this club or that club, or you’re watching nervously as those household bills continue to rocket there’s an endless list of worries and woes that make modern life stressful. The daily grind can feel exactly that … a daily grind.
As a way of escaping the hamster wheel many of us are turning to meditation to help, with online apps such as Headspace and Calm seeing a massive increase in sign-ups. According to Google, the number of searches for meditation apps increased by 65% year on year as more and more people recognise the benefits of taking ten minutes out of their day to de-stress.
In fact, since 2015 more than 200 mobile apps have been launched in the sector, with the ten most popular witnessing 52 million downloads in 2019 alone.
WHAT IS MEDIATION?
From improving concentration to boosting energy, it helps to restore your body to a state of calm. The practice has been used throughout history as a way of grounding and contemplating.
Today, with mental health issues on the rise, it continues to be heralded for its many wellbeing benefits. Beeja – launched by Will Williams – recently looked into the impact of its own meditation courses and found 94% of participants felt more positive, 87% said it reduced insomnia within three months, and nearly three-quarters experienced an increase in creativity.
HOW DO I DO IT?
The easiest way to start is with focused meditation, where you concentrate on a single object, a calming sound or thought to clear your mind of distractions and negativity. Sit in a relaxed position, in your favourite chair for example, and focus on your breathing – try taking a deep breath in through the nose, hold for four seconds, then breath out, through pursed lips. If you find your mind wandering off, redirect your thoughts back to your breath.
You can start with as little as five minutes each day building up to 20 minute sessions. Just remember to silence your phone and put any devices out of reach.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
Decrease stress levels … Meditation affects the body in the opposite way that stress does, triggering your natural relaxation response.
Keep anxiety under control … One study found that eight weeks of mindfulness reduced anxiety symptoms while increasing positive coping methods.
Boost self-awareness … by taking time to focus on yourself you gain a greater understanding of what makes you tick.
Enhance emotional health … it can help train you to have a more positive outlook.
Improve attention … think of it as exercising your mind to improve memory and accuracy.
Better sleeping habits … busy lives can easily spill over into lack of shut eye; by practising what you learn through meditation you can re-focus those 2am panics.
Lower blood pressure … research shows daily meditation is good for heart health.
You can do it anywhere … no need for fancy gym equipment. Stressful commute? Remember those breathing techniques.
Becoming aware of your sensuality and desires is the first step towards reaching nookie nirvana. It’s time to take charge of your love life
How’s life between the sheets right now? Take our quiz to find out how confident you are in your sex life – and how to improve things to get the best sex you’ve ever had
Rate your answers on a scale of 1 to 5, based on how strongly you agree with each of the statements below – 5 being the highest, and then tot up your scores
1. I feel positive about my body when I am in the moment
2. I have a vivid imagination and can easily engage in sexual fantasies
3. I was raised with positive messages about sex
4. My sex life reflects my values and innermost desires
5. I find it easy to ask for intimacy from my partner
6. Masturbation is an important part of my sex life
7. I am comfortable initiating sexual activities
8. I don’t put pressure on myself to orgasm, or to perform for others
9. I’m comfortable with the size, shape and smell of my genitals
10. I think about sex on a daily basis
11. My mood is generally positive, and I have sexual energy and appetite
12. I can talk openly about any sexual anxieties I might have
13. I am more open-minded about sex as I get older
14. I have worked through difficult sexual experiences from my past
15. I don’t feel constrained sexually by my daily roles, such as being a parent
16. I take pleasure in the sensual side of life
17. I know my body well and what satisfies me
18. I don’t take myself too seriously, and can have fun sexually
19. I am clear about my personal boundaries with my partner
20. I’m happy with the amount of sex I have
THE RESULTS
75 AND ABOVE
Congratulations, you are well versed in the language of sex and sexual expression
You have a healthy attitude towards sex and intimacy and understand that sex starts from knowing your sexual self first; sex is important to you and you are highly aware of your body and its responses. You view your body as a source of pleasure and are happy to release your sexual energy on a regular basis.
You may not realise it, but your deep understanding of your sexual self is a valuable life skill, too. As you pass through the different phases of your life, change can bring unpredictability in your feelings and behaviour.
There will be challenges to face as you potentially encounter relationships, break-ups, marriages, children, illnesses, and old age – and so your ability to work through your emotional past and have an open attitude to the future will allow you to rebalance your sexual self as you navigate the trials and tribulations of life.
TRY: Talk more with others about sex and sexual attitudes. Many people are too embarrassed to ask questions about sexuality, but are very keen to find out answers. Your positive attitude towards your body and sex might be helpful to other people around you.
BETWEEN 50 AND 75
Your early sexual experiences have helped you develop a positive attitude but there’s room to loosen up
Sometimes sex can bring up some doubts and messages from the past you thought you had long forgotten. ‘Good girls don’t do things like that’, or, ‘Men know how to please themselves and their partners sexually’ are common myths that might guide your behaviour occasionally.
You have the right emotional tools to hand, but further exploration might help you reach another level of sexual satisfaction! Life is a major factor when it comes to sexual expression, from puberty to early adulthood, first serious relationships, living together, getting married, having children and adjusting to new dynamics in family life, work/life balance, and ageing. It is important to consider how life affects your sexual functioning.
TRY: Start by exploring how you feel about your body, your sexual likes and dislikes. Consider how you might share your feelings with your partner – if you know what turns you on, or off, that’s half the job done. It’s equally important that you can communicate this in a positive way so that your partner become part of the learning process. Then you can begin to explore new sexual heights – and have fun with it – together.
BELOW 50
You may have found some of the questions quite challenging – and that’s OK
Childhood experiences, role models, sexual encounters, and longer-term relationships can all contribute towards sexual anxiety. Depression, sex and some medication can also have a significant impact on your sexuality.
Knowledge is power and that applies to sex, too. Regardless of gender, age or persuasion, anyone can have great sex and learn sexual skills. Ask yourself: ‘Do I know what I like or need sexually?’, ‘What turns me on, or off?’, ‘What do I need more, or less, of?’.
If you don’t know about yourself, how can you expect anybody else to know how to turn you on? Ultimately, you are responsible for your own sexual needs and responsibilities, so get exploring.
TRY: Think about how your body can give you pleasure. Have a long bath with fragrant oils or a warm, soothing shower to reflect on your desires. Start by touching your skin and exploring its texture; you can do this as regularly as feels comfortable, then build up to masturbation at a pace that suits you.
MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON SEX
IT’S A BASIC INSTINCT
Professor Robert Winston, a leader in the field of fertility studies and reproductive medicine, says: ‘Sex is one of our most basic instincts’. Part of our sex drive can be explained by the biological need to reproduce, but our attitude to sex is influenced by much more than that. Our sexual attitude is a melting pot of our backgrounds – including our family’s attitudes to sex and our past experiences.
AM I NORMAL?
Despite potentially being the most fantastic, pleasurable and freeing experience, sex makes many people feel insecure. It doesn’t come with an instruction manual, which can leave you wondering whether the things you think, or do, on your own or with a partner, are ‘normal’ behaviour.
But, while you may have things in common with others, we are all different as sexual beings; your sexual relationships are as unique as you are and therefore cannot be normalised.
LOVE YOUR GENITALS
Men’s genitals are ‘front and centre’ and guys make size comparisons from a young age – so size can become an issue early on.
Women’s genitals are concealed (and often under-explored), so sight and smell can also become an issue.
Accepting the size, shape and smell of your genitals will stand you in good stead when it comes to your comfort levels with partners.
FIND YOUR BALANCE
A little homework can work wonders
1. BE MINDFUL
Being aware and mindful of your own body is a good way of increasing sensuality and building sexual awareness.
Touching and caressing your skin while in the bath or shower, or by applying a body lotion, can form a sensual connection with yourself. Also, pay attention to the tensing and releasing of your muscles during physical activity, such as yoga or pilates.
2. GET INFORMED
Reading books such as Becoming Orgasmic by Julia Heiman or The New Male Sexuality by Bernie Zilbergeld might be useful for both men and women in learning more about yourself and the opposite sex.
3. LOVE YOUR BODY
It’s important you accept your body and learn to love all its lumps and bumps. When you cherish it, you’ll feel more sexually confident.
4. EXPERIMENT
Introducing food between the sheets can be a highly erotic experience. Whether it’s a squirt of whipped cream or feeding each other succulent strawberries, there’s no sweeter way to get frisky during foreplay – so try experimenting.
5. GOOD TO TALK
Brits are famous for being bashful about sex. But talking honestly about it helps you understand your needs. Open up dialogue with friends – it will be eye-opening.
This offer is open to all UK residents only.
Strictly you must be aged 18 and over
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your full and correct email
address and follow all steps above
The winner will be informed via email and will receive our newsletters which you can unsubscribe from at any time.
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your email address via the form as we email the winners
The prize cannot be transferred to a third party nor can it be redeemed for a cash
alternative.
We observe the right to withdraw this offer if needed
Booking dates are subject to availability
Country and value of price may be changed
Closing date June 25th 2023
Win a box of delicious, plant-based dishes from Planty
Today we have teamed up with Planty to give 3 lucky readers the opportunity to win a box of x6 ready meals and x3 extras of your choice. Delicious food first, also totally plant-based. That’s why Planty is here. They bring you multi-award-winning, like really, really, delicious food, crafted by Michelin-trained chefs, delivered sustainably straight to your door. There’s also something for everyone – want something high-protein? High-fibre? Starting from 281kcal? With up to 4 of your 5-a-day? They got you. You pick your chef-made food, and they take care of the rest. No cooking. No washing up. No hassle. Simply heat and eat straight from the freezer in just a few minutes.
Put the takeaway menu down. A better option is here. Enter today for the chance to win.
To enter simply fill in the form below and for Planty on the following instagram link
Win a box of delicious, plant-based dishes from Planty
This offer is open to all UK residents only.
Strictly you must be aged 18 and over
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your full and correct email
address and follow all steps above
The winner will be informed via email and will receive our newsletters which you can unsubscribe from at any time.
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your email address via the form as we email the winners
The prize cannot be transferred to a third party nor can it be redeemed for a cash
alternative.
We observe the right to withdraw this offer if needed
Booking dates are subject to availability
Country and value of price may be changed
Closing date June 25th 2023
When you see new posts from us please keep up with liking our posts.
Fill in the below form so we can email you if you win.
WIN! Delonghi Automatic Coffee Machine
This offer is open to all UK residents only.
Strictly you must be aged 18 and over
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your full and correct email
address and follow all steps above
We cannot guarantee the exact product or value you receive
We cannot guarantee delivery date
The winner will be informed via email and will receive our newsletters which you can unsubscribe from at any time.
You are only entered into this competition if you follow all the above steps
The prize cannot be transferred to a third party nor can it be redeemed for a cash
alternative.
We observe the right to withdraw this offer if needed
Closing date June 26th 2023
If you’re wondering what the differences are between making love with someone and having sex, you’ve come to the right place.
You might not have slept with many people, or you may never have slept with someone you truly cared about before, so it may feel confusing!
There are some key questions you can ask yourself when it comes to your sex life and your partner of choice.
These will help you figure out if you’re having ‘just sex’ or if you’re sharing something more intimate and genuinely making love.
1. Are there feelings involved?
Many people will have slept with someone they don’t have romantic feelings for before – whether it’s a drunken thing, a hook-up with a ‘friend with benefits,’ or sex with someone they’ve only just started seeing.
It’s just sex – it’s something physical and you’re both there to enjoy yourselves.
Making love, however, is more to do with sharing your feelings for each other through the physical act.
It’s about bonding and feeling closer to your partner, and is a physical way of communicating those feelings with someone you really care about.
You might have spoken with them about how it’ll bring you closer, or it might be something you do to show that you really care.
2. Is it regular or a one-off?
If you’ve only slept with this person once, it’s likely that it was just sex.
Maybe it was something you were both in the mood for at the time; a quick-fix that was convenient!
It may be a one-night stand or a drunken thing with a close friend, but it’s something that happened without much prelude or thought.
If you’re regularly sleeping with someone, there’s a strong chance you’re actually making love to each other.
Essentially, you’re getting to know each other’s bodies and desires, and it’s about mutually enjoying learning more about what the other prefers in bed.
It’s less about a selfish one-off to get what you want, and more about intimately pleasing your partner.
3. Is it exclusive?
If you’re hooking up with various people, or the person you’re sleeping with is seeing other people, you’re probably just having sexual intercourse with each other.
It’s much easier to sleep around when you don’t have feelings for anyone. There’s no guilt or loyalty involved, so you can just enjoy yourself – safely, of course!
If you’re exclusive, it’s because you both feel like there’s something special between you; something you don’t want to share with anyone else.
If you hate the thought of them sharing that kind of intimacy or pleasure with someone else, chances are you’re making love and you’ve got feelings for them.
They probably feel the exact same way about you if they’re also making the active choice to share this experience with only you.
4. Is it one-sided or more tender?
If the sex you’re having is all about you both getting what you want, often as quickly as possible, it sounds like you’re just hooking up.
‘Just sex’ is often about getting what you want and solely enjoying the physical side of things. You might not be making sure the other person is also having a great time!
If you’re both taking the time to learn about each other and be more tender with each other, you’re making love.
It’s probably less rushed, there’s a lot more kissing and talking involved, and it’s a lot sweeter than having ‘just sex’ with someone you don’t have feelings for.
They’re probably more focused on making sure you have a great time, too, as opposed to just getting their own kicks!
5. Do you let your guard down?
When you’re having casual sex with someone, you might not be your true self with them.
You might have great sex, but you’re less likely to let yourself be vulnerable in front of them.
This could be because you don’t fully trust them or because you’re not willing to share that side of yourself with just anyone.
If you feel like you can explore certain aspects of your sexuality that you’ve not shared with anyone before, and you can let yourself just enjoy the moment, it’s more likely to be making love than just having sex.
You trust your partner and you feel safe and secure in terms of sharing your body and mind with them.
You might find that you feel more confident about your body in front of them, or you feel happier telling them what you want in bed.
Either way, you’ll be more yourself with them as you want them to get to know the real you.
6. Do you feel emotionally fulfilled?
If you leave them feeling like you’ve shared something special and let someone see a hidden side to you, you’ve probably just made love with someone you really care about.
That level of physical intimacy opens up so much more emotional fulfillment than a casual hook-up does. You might feel more secure in your relationship, more confident in yourself, and more loved.
If you’ve just had a great time and feel sexually satisfied, that’s probably all it is. You’ll walk away feeling content, but not in love!
There’ll be no butterflies, you won’t call your BFF to share the sweet things your partner said to you, and you won’t spend any time daydreaming about how cute they are.
7. Do you say ‘I love you’?
Unsurprisingly, part of making love to someone is sharing that feeling of being in love!
If you’ve said ‘I love you’ whilst sleeping with someone, that’s because you’re genuinely feeling that in the moment.
It could also be that saying those 3 magic little words leads you to making love with them – it doesn’t need to be said in the heat of the moment, it could be the sentence that shows you’re both ready to share that feeling physically with each other.
If the dialogue is more along the lines of dirty talk, it’s just sex!
8. Does it bring you closer together?
Casual sex normally doesn’t really meanmuch to either person involved, so it’s more about physical stimulation than anything else.
You might not feel any closer to them because you’ve not genuinely shared anything, other than your bodies, with each other.
Making love, however, is a way of feeling closer to your partner (physically, sure, but emotionally, too!) and is often a strong sign of a great, healthy relationship.
It might be a way of showing you both really care about each other after a fight, for example, or of making each other feel better after a bad day. Either way, it’s a way of solidifying both your bond and your relationship.
9. Are you in a rush or do you take your time?
Again, sex is often about feeling good, physically. It can be pretty rushed and basic – whatever it takes to get you both off, essentially!
Because you’re both there just for a hook-up, you don’t need to seduce each other or show that you really want to spend this time together.
You can just turn up, get what you both want, and be on your way…
If you’re spending longer in bed with someone and really taking your time to explore each other’s bodies and minds, it’s more likely that you’re making love.
By slowing down, you’re showing your partner that you want to commit your time to finding out what they really like!
It’s a way of letting them know that you’re here for them, with them, and that you want to share this moment rather than rush through it just so you can get what you want.
10. Does it feel romantic?
Sex is often just about convenience – you’re both attracted to each other and it feels good, so why not?
Neither of you will probably make much of an effort to make it feel special or sweet –it’s just physical, so why bother, right?
Making love is all about romance – maybe there are candles or sexy lingerie involved. Maybe you’ve been wined and dined in the build-up to sharing this moment with each other.
Either way, if you’re both setting the mood and building the passion, it’s about more than just sex. You care about how the other person feels and want them to feel good about themselves, to feel seduced and cared about.
This offer is open to all UK residents only.
Strictly you must be aged 18 and over
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your full and correct email
address and follow all steps above
The winner will be informed via email and will receive our newsletters which you can unsubscribe from at any time.
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your email address via the form as we email the winners
The prize cannot be transferred to a third party nor can it be redeemed for a cash
alternative.
We observe the right to withdraw this offer if needed
Booking dates are subject to availability
Country and value of price may be changed
Closing date June 19th 2023
#WIN natural cleaning and wellness hamper worth over £60
This offer is open to all UK residents only.
Strictly you must be aged 18 and over
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your full and correct email
address and follow all steps above
The winner will be informed via email and will receive our newsletters which you can unsubscribe from at any time.
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your email address via the form as we email the winners
The prize cannot be transferred to a third party nor can it be redeemed for a cash
alternative.
We observe the right to withdraw this offer if needed
Booking dates are subject to availability
Country and value of price may be changed
Closing date June 12th 2023
Little Rick had one mission. To make every single human being on the planet open their minds to CBD and become the most relaxed version of themselves. So relaxed that they just stop everything.
To enter this amazing giveaway simply fill in the form below and follow the below Instagram account
This offer is open to all UK residents only.
Strictly you must be aged 18 and over
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your full and correct email
address and follow all steps above
The winner will be informed via email and will receive our newsletters which you can unsubscribe from at any time.
You are only entered into this competition if you enter your email address via the form as we email the winners
The prize cannot be transferred to a third party nor can it be redeemed for a cash
alternative.
We observe the right to withdraw this offer if needed
Booking dates are subject to availability
Country and value of price may be changed
Closing date June 12th 2023
Continuing to browse or by clicking “Accept All Cookies,” you agree to the storing of first- and third-party cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts
