LoveWELL

Human behaviour is a complex and often confusing subject ' how is it that two people brought up in the same family can turn out so differently? What motivates certain choices in life that lead to certain pathways? Everyone's family has some sort of skeleton in the closet, or some underlying issue that's either ignored or simply not mentioned ' and even if it's something that happened generations ago, it can still affect us today.

Imagine giving birth in your own home surrounded by smells you are familiar with, soft lighting, people you love and access to all the comforts you require.

I was browsing Pinterest and came across a poster that said: 'You haven't lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you'. This sentence stuck with me for months until I discovered what it was I felt compelled to do, something that changed my life.

Direction, learning and mentorship are much needed in the formation of healthy masculinity. Craig Wilkinson, author of Dad, the Power and Beauty of Authentic Fatherhood highlights the need for a revival among men and their perceptions of masculinity.

Teething can be a confusing time for parents as it's often difficult to know if baby is irritable from teething or something else. We look at gentle remedies to ease the symptoms and help baby stay comfortable through the teething period.

Little children are exquisite creatures, their soft skin, bright eyes, and dazzling smiles are irresistable.

For many people, the idea of Tantric sex conjures images of sexual marathons and almost acrobatic-type movement. But, it's far more spiritual and meaningful than that.

Meet the two sisters behind this successful brand.

Sleep is important for your little one because it is healing for his body and mind.

Yawn by Kathy Br'ggemann editor of www.mommymatters.co.za

New parents often struggle to balance the all-consuming needs of a newborn with their own and have difficulty responding to them effectively with little time to recharge their own batteries.

It's not easy dealing with a hyperactive child ' but there are behavioral and natural treatments to slow the hyperactivity down.

Setting your children up with a healthy sense of self isn't difficult, and it's an important factor to their future success and emotional wellbeing.

Breast feeding isn't just the very best nature can offer for your baby, it's also good for you ' assisting in weight loss, reducing breast and ovarian cancer risk and further concreting the mom-baby bond.

Pregnancy heralds the beginning of a journey of lifelong nurture. It also brings about some extraordinary changes in your body, affecting every part of you from hormones and emotions to physical shape and ability. Learn to nurture yourself along this journey by indulging your body and mind in a care-filled and healthy way

The law of abundance involves tithing a certain amount of your energy on a monthly basis. This could be giving your time, resources or money to people that need it. Wellness Warehouse's charity of choice is the Goedgedacht 'Path out of Poverty' programme. If you feel compelled to join us in helping them, you can do this in many different ways. They have charity shops you can volunteer your services, donate goods to them or shop at.

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DID YOU KNOW? As human beings, we cannot not communicate (This was the first of Paul Wazlawick's five axioms of communication (1967). Unless you are living in complete isolation from other human beings, you are communicating all the time, whether you want to or not. Words provide neutral data. Body language and tone of voice add information about attitude and emotion.

Bring your child in touch with the earth; with nature, gardens and with growing. Send them out into the garden or park with a host of challenges, discoveries, adventures and ideas and see them overcome with excitement and joy. Here are some ideas to begin their love of nature.

Expressing emotion is a vital part of being human, but sometimes emotions get out of control, especially in children ' leading to over excitement, aggression or hysteria

Choosing a holiday with an  opportunity to be active will boost your fitness and leave you feeling restored and alive

Love is in the air and romance is on the menu for February. If you are not feeling very romantic and choosing a Valentines activity seems more of a chore than a desire, then perhaps you need to take a deeper look at your relationship. Here are 5 useful relationship guidelines to start with.

We couldn't think of anyone more appropriate to feature on our February cover than Dr Leila Sadien and being our Valentine issue we were delighted to have her partner, the talented designer Yaaseen Kader featured with her. Dr Leila is a remarkable woman, not only has she qualified as a medical doctor but she has an integrated approach to healing that incorporates all aspects of body, mind and soul. She's also not a sissy when it comes to aesthetic medicine, something she speaks about with passion and ease. When I asked Leila what attracted her to healing and medicine as a career she answered, 'It was in my bones, I'm a healer by nature and couldn't have escaped if I tried.'

Before birth, babies are in the womb surrounded by water, they're swimming for nine months and have a natural affinity for water. Swimming with your child from birth has many special benefits. Besides making them feel relaxed and one in the water it's also a lovely way for parents to learn how to handle their little one's with confidence.

The non-profit arm of holistic natural spa and wellness brand Healing Earth, the Healing Earth Foundation aims to nurture and develop conscious, healthy earth children of all ages through opportunities that allow for connecting with the self, the environment, and all beings.

We speak to Suzette Bester-Cloete, a natural birthing expert about the possibility of pain free birth and an empowered and beautiful approach to pregnancy.

Create more love in your life. This article looks at the benefit of hugs, healing from heartbreak and different forms of love from altruism to agape.

While tantrums are a good argument for birth control, they're essentially a biological response to anger and frustration, just the same as a yawn is a biological response to being sleepy.

For years, it's been known that an excess of alcohol during pregnancy will almost certainly lead to foetal alcohol syndrome, which causes facial and nervous system abnormalities and growth problems. There is no cure for foetal alcohol syndrome.

Packing an exciting and nutritious lunchbox for your little ones every day can be a challenge at best. But when they have food allergies and intolerances, finding healthy snacks can be a really hard task. Wellness Warehouse's dietitian Melissa Gomes is on hand to help.

A happy baby doing the Happy Baby pose? When Hilaria Baldwin (yoga teacher and wife of Alec) posted a picture of herself doing the yoga position with her little one on Instagram this January moms across the world exhaled a collective sigh of '#Looooooove'. Yoga for baby and moms has since started exploding in popularity. So what's behind the craze? And is it safe?

One of the best ways to lay a foundation for your children's lasting health is to limit their exposure to chemicals in their environment and to go green, natural, and organic wherever possible.

 

All children love to create art and make things. In younger children, playing with arts and crafts inspires creativity while helping them to focus their mind and complete a set task. Older children can begin to gain an understanding of artistic and design skills that may affect their future educational choices.

Add more reading time into your child's life. You don't necessarily have to sit down and read to them; here are some tips to increase your kids literary skills through reading - especially if they are too restless to stay still.

Traditionally, Western babies are fed pretty flavourless plain food. Research shows that this isn't necessary and seasonings and spices will benefit early development. Breast milk is not necessarily bland either, it takes on the flavours of the food the mother eats. If you've just had a curry, your breastfed baby will be tasting something similar. Once you move your baby onto solids, feel free to add rosemary in with your gem squash, put paprika on your chicken and mix parsley in with your sweet potatoes. Even spicier options like ginger are good.

Here are some excellent food choices with suggestions for added flavour:

 

Running a family is a bit like running a business, there's a lot of admin and structure to put in place. We've put together a list of constructive things you can do to feel more organized and secure. We also look at security from an emotional point of view. Get all your family affairs in order and double check the connection and communication in your family ' see if it has a healthy basis.

A new interactive digital game allows players to become an avatar of their choice and act out as a character in an interactive novel, making either risky or safe lifestyle choices while dating and socialising ' virtually, that is. SwaziYolo is the brainchild of Bhekumusa Lukhele from Swaziland, a PhD candidate in medical science at the Kyoto University, Japan who developed it as part of HIV/AIDS education and prevention.

How do you create an environment that's conducive to love? We explore what you can do to turn your home into a love nest

In both body and mind, women are cyclical. Being aware of the different qualities and sensibilities associated with the different cycles and synchronising with them can bring greater wellbeing, sustainable energy, inner harmony and better time management.

Set up a New Year project you can do with your kids. It's a great way for them to learn about goal setting and will also stimulate them creatively. Being intentional is a practice that benefits from constant reminding and updating. Get each member of the family to do this together; you'll be surprised at what you learn about each other. 

Every parent wants the very best for their child, and education that leads to a good life is top of the list. But what if the schools available just aren't good enough? Or what if your lifestyle finds you living on a yacht, out in the hills or travelling frequently? Is homeschooling a viable option?

Just what are the keys to a happily-ever-after? Long-term relationships take work, but it doesn't have to be hard.

We all want the best for our children and work hard at achieving this. Clients often ask advice about how they can make their children happy and confident. Of course, choosing the right schooling that suits your child is important, but the biggest influence on a child's life and who they become as adults is their parents and wider family relationships. Use positive parenting skills to bring about a balanced and happy growing experience.

Get your kids off their screens and into the wild. Here are ten ways to inspire your little ones to enjoy going outdoors.

Feelings give you energy. Be in touch with them, express them and you'll feel more energetic.

Your gut is the starting point of your immune system and contains a plethora of nutrients, bacteria and sometimes pathogens.

On some level an adaptive adolescent brain can be seen as an exquisitely sensitive, highly adaptable creature wired almost perfectly to move from the safety of home into the wide open world outside.

We are what we think. This simple but powerful dictum summarizes the importance of affirmations. Affirmations are fundamental to the work we do at Earthchild Project teaching vulnerable children in under-resourced communities. Childhood can be a stressful and frightening experience in any household, and many of the children we work with face additional challenges including violence, substance abuse and poverty. The absence of a nurturing environment can impact on a child's self-confidence, as well as their ability to learn and grow.

While just about every parent aspires to teach their children great life lessons, it's also important to understand just what the results of those life lessons need to be. 

In control or under control?

Being in tune with our bodies, following the moon and noticing daily body changes can determine our fertility days. Here's how to do it.

Imago relationship therapy is making huge strides in healing and repairing relationships. Couples who thought they had no chance in recovering their relationships are finding a way to communicate and resolve hurts and disputes. We speak to an Imago relationship counselor about the intricacies of relating. 

Most studies on the brain look at the cognitive learning side - aspects like memory, recall, logic and reasoning. But, there is another side that involes consciousness. A growing body of interesting research and 'enlightened' studies are serving to understand the brains crucial role in creating our reality. 

Cheryl Stevens spent 10 years trying to find out what was making her son ill. From the age of five he'd suffered from a constant runny nose, persistent headaches, and a severe postnasal drip. When she finally discovered food allergies were the culprit, she began what turned out to be a life-changing journey.

Turn your holiday activities into wellness incentives and bring some fun filled goodness to the family. Here are 4 suggestions to keep kids engaged and give them an interest in wellbeing practices.

Raising a child as a single mom or with a disengaged man is one of the greatest challenges a woman can ever face.

With the hectic pace of the world, many children struggle to stay in a calm zone. By helping your children cultivate a sense of calm at an early age, you'll not only be a happier parent, but you'll be laying an important foundation as they grow older. Here are 15 ways to introduce more peace and calm into your children's lives. 

The Earthchild Project teach a wonderful practice to children that's pertinent and relevant to anyone. It includes finding a 'sit-spot' and tuning in... Earthchild explains.

Fast acting carbohydrates, sugar, preservatives and many additives in food can have concerning detrimental effects on children. But often we have no idea that foods we presume are good for us, are filled with additives. Monique le Roux Forslund, author of Healthy Food for a Healthy Baby (Struik Lifestyle) offers some guidelines to ensure kids get the best start in life.