Bringing the Orgasm to Life.

Photo: floralikescandy via www.imgspark.com

How can we bring the orgasm to life both in and outside the bedroom?

What holds us back from living life as one whole being without guilt, without shame, without suffering?

How can we life our lives “orgasmically whole” (as I call it)?

We incarnate into physical bodies. Love and sex are part of the same whole—orgasm is intrinsic to the cycle of life. We all came into being via orgasm, via procreation. Subconsciously this is imprinted in our DNA. That’s why the orgasm is so life-affirming and energizing as it brings us back to our roots, our physical creation.

Sensuality is ideally brought into life outside the bedroom, as well as inside—there doesn’t need to be a separate space for love or lovemaking.

I also believe in living consciously, bringing the orgasm into one’s life and not suppressing its life force and closeting its feeling only for the bedroom—connecting the sensuality, expressiveness, spaciousness and passion one feels in the bedroom with what one feels outside the bedroom.

Too many people are living in fear, and that is holding them back even from experiencing an orgasm. Dogma that controls and imprisons people is still around. This is all illusion.

Behind most behavior, all we seek is to give or receive love. When fear penetrates and suppresses the natural flow of life, we are left scared and numb (lifeless).

I believe we can live life with all our human capacities of experience—joyfully, passionately, expressively.

via Tara on Pinterest.

 There is hope to live and experience life orgasmically whole, to be happy as you are, and to follow your natural inclinations with self-acceptance, love and peace.

Five Ways to Bring the Orgasm to Life:

1. Put your awareness and being-ness in the present moment of time, all that is now.

If you’re truly present, then you can bring your full life force into the moment of bliss—where male-female energies caress, intermingle, play and unite, where polarities and barriers fall in the moment of completion, where time is exhausted, and the world ceases to exist as a coherent entity within consciousness.

There, that is the space where boundaries no longer exist, and all there is…is one moment, one essence, one sex, one life.

I believe we come to this point, and then fall back into habitual patterns again; we tell ourselves the same old stories, and repeat the same old excuses.

Then we perpetually seek to get back that no-thing-ness (completion) that occurred when we ceased to exist (in the orgasm). This is the assemblage point we always have to come back to—to find ourselves again.

2. Find peace with feeling uncomfortable.

How much does fear obstruct our love lives, and how can we embrace love for the sake of love despite our fears and past experiences?

Fear is denial of life. Allowing yourself to let go and surrender is the bravest and most important way for you to find yourself as a person. When a person fears getting close to another, he has detached himself from his own heart consciousness.

I believe on the other side of this fear is love, waiting. The moment when we become uncomfortable is exactly the moment when we start to grow.

3. Forget past hurts.

Feeling hurt over a relationship that ended should not negate the exhilaration of the orgasmic experience. It’s time to move on from the past, by all means, learning its lessons, yet also leaving it there—in history.

4. Let go of the guilt and shame.

There is nothing you need to suppress—there is nothing more natural than sexuality.

Ask yourself, “Who would I be without my story of guilt over sexuality?”

5. If you fly solo, keep flying!

One can continue to have orgasms without a partner and although it may be challenging to reach the same pinnacle of creative exuberance as expressed through a partnered orgasm, it can be fulfilling nevertheless.

Keep supporting life processes particularly sexual energy within your body.

Stay in a vibration of joy and gratitude. You won’t be left unpartnered for long.

Avocado Health Benefits: The World's Most Perfect Food?

Did you know that the avocado has been called the world's most perfect food and has many health benefits? It has achieved this distinction because many nutritionists claim it not only contains everything a person needs to survive — but it has also been found to contribute to the prevention and control of Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other health conditions.

The avocado (Persea gratissima or P. americana) originated in Puebla, Mexico and its earliest use dates back to 10,000 years B.C. Since AD 900, the avocado tree has been cultivated and grown in Central and South America. In the 19th century, the avocado made its entry into California, and has since become a very successful commercial crop. Ninety-five percent (95%) of U.S. avocados are gown in Southern California.
The avocado, also called the alligator pear, is a high-fiber, sodium- and cholesterol-free food that provides nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, is rich in healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (such as omega-3 fatty acids), vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate) — as well as potassium.

Foods naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as avocados, are widely acknowledged as the secret to a healthy heart, a brilliant brain and eagle eyes.

Dr. Daniel G. Amen, a clinical neuroscientist, psychiatrist, brain-imaging expert and author of the New York Times bestseller Change Your Brain, Change Your Life counts avocados as one of the top brain-healthy foods that can help prevent Alzheimer's Disease.

That's not only because of the avocado's health benefits omega-3 fatty acid content but also its…

Vitamin E content — An international journal called Alzheimer's Disease and Associated Disorders, reported its findings from years of clinical trials — high doses of Vitamin E can neutralize free radicals and the buildup of proteins to reverse the memory loss in Alzheimer's patients; reverse symptoms of Alzheimer's in the early stages and retard the progression of the disease;

Folate content — helps to prevent the formation of tangled nerve fibers associated with Alzheimer's.

The virtues and benefits of the avocado are too numerous to mention.

But Here Are Just a Few More Avocado Health Benefits That Its Nutritional Profile Provides:

• Monounsaturated Fats — These types of fats help control triglycerides in the bloodstream, lower blood cholesterol and control diabetes.
• Folate — This water-soluble B vitamin promotes healthy cell and tissue development. According to the National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, “This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is also essential for metabolism of homocysteine and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.”
• Lutein — This is a carotenoid (a natural pigment) that protects against cataracts and certain types of cancer, and reduces the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years of age and older. Avocados contain 3 or more times as much lutein as found in other common vegetables and fruits.
• Oleic acid and Potassium — Both of these nutrients also help in lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of high blood pressure.

You can add these avocado benefits to your diet in many ways:

1) The easiest way is to cut the avocado in half and sprinkle it with herbal seasoning or maple syrup.
2) Chop the avocado and add it to a salad, or use it as a topping or side garnish for soup.
3) Mash an avocado and spread it on bread or a bagel (in place of butter or cream cheese).
4) Cut an avocado in half and fill the little hollow (left after you remove the pit) with your favorite healthy topping such as herbed rice or couscous.
5) Make an avocado dressing or the crowd-pleasing guacamole dip to add flavor to raw or steamed vegetables. You can easily find many avocado recipes online.

Blended with fruit, avocados make a rich and delicious snack, side dish or dessert — and produces highly-nutritious baby food which delivers “good fat” for baby's brain and physical development.

Before you indulge in avocados to your heart's content, however, remember that they have lots of calories because of their fat content. According to WebMD, “A medium-sized avocado contains 30 grams of fat, as much as a quarter-pound burger”.

That's why diet experts have long urged Americans to go easy on avocados in favor of less fatty fruits and vegetables. But now nutritionists are taking another look.

They're finding that most of the fat in an avocado is monounsaturated — the “good” kind that actually lowers cholesterol levels. Thanks to this new understanding, the U.S. government recently revised its official nutrition guidelines to urge Americans to eat more avocados.

Source: undergroundhealthreporter.com

Scientists create 'sixth sense' brain implant to detect infrared light

A brain implant which could allow humans to detect invisible infrared light has been developed by scientists in America.

A brain implant which could allow humans to detect invisible infrared light has been developed by scientists in America. Photo: ALAMY

By Nick Collins

2:58PM GMT 17 Feb 2013

Scientists have created a "sixth sense" by creating a brain implant through which infrared light can be detected.

Although the light could not be seen lab rats were able to detect it via electrodes in the part of the brain responsible for their sense of touch.

Similar devices have previously been used to make up for lost capabilities, for example giving paralysed patients the ability to move a cursor around the screen with their thoughts.

But the new study, by researchers from Duke University in North Carolina, is the first case in which such devices have been used to give an animal a completely new sense.

Dr Miguel Nicolelis said the advance, reported in the Nature Communications journal this week, was just a prelude to a major breakthrough on a "brain-to-brain interface" which will be announced in another paper next month.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science in Boston on Sunday, he described the mystery work as something "no one has dreamed could be done".

The second paper is being kept secret until it is published but Dr Nicolelis's comments raise the prospect of an implant which could allow one animal's brain to interact directly with another.

In the first study, rats wore an infrared detector on their head which was connected to electrodes in the part of their brain which governs touch.

When one of three ultraviolet light sources in their cage was switched on, the rats initially began rubbing their whiskers, indicating that they felt as if they were touching the invisible light.

After a month of training, they learned to link the new sensation with the light sources and were able to find which one was switched on with 100 per cent accuracy. A monkey has since been taught to perform the same task.

The study demonstrates that a part of the brain which is designed to process one sense can interpret other types of sensory information, researchers said.

It means that in theory, someone who is blind because of damage to their visual cortex could regain their sight using an implant in another part of the brain.

Dr Nicolelis said: "What we did here was to demonstrate that we could create a new sense in rats by allowing them to "touch" infrared light that mammals cannot detect.

"The nerves were responding to both touch and infrared light at the same time. This shows that the adult brain can acquire new capabilities that have never been experienced by the animal before.

"This suggests that, in the future, you could use prosthetic devices to restore sensory modalities that have been lost, such as vision, using a different part of the brain."

The study is part of an international effort to build a whole-body suit which allows paralysed people to walk again using their brain to control the device's movement.

Infrared sensing could be built into the suit to inform the person inside about where their limbs are and to help them "feel" objects.

Dr Nicolelis and his collaborators on the project hope to unveil the "exoskeleton" at the opening ceremony of the football World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

Inside the wit and work of Clive Barker

April 25, 2009 | 11:55 pm

Clive BarkerL.A. Times Book Festivalpaintingwriting

Those who know Clive Barker primarily for his horror fiction might fear peering into the creative mind of this British author, director and visual artist,.

However, the Saturday afternoon chat with the closely shorn Barker at the L.A. Times Festival of Books, guided by LAT’s Gina McIntyre, was a lot like his popular and growing series of books “Abarat,” -- an inspired but ultimately unscripted collection of strokes of color and texture that, together, inform his storytelling.

Before he got to the Festival of Books for the panel discussion, he told the group, he had managed to eke out 15 handwritten pages as he finished up his fifth and final draft of the third in the "Abarat" series. Apparently, this particular book has been rather taxing -- the most difficult thing he’s ever written, he says.  “God knows what Book 5 will be like," he said. "I may go mad.”

When he came up with the basis for the books -- that “where is when” – he said it felt like “plugging into something that was so obvious -- and that was exciting.”

One of the challenges with this series, he said, is that speed is important to a younger audience. “You can’t linger for those delicious footnotes.” But he understands the impatience of youth. “As a kid, I didn’t like description … big gray paragraphs full of adjectives.” (McIntyre reminded him that his works do include many of those pesky adjectives.)

Young readers often ask him pointed questions about his books, which occasionally give him pause. Not because he has been so prolific that he’s forgotten the specifics of any one book. It’s primarily because he has likely written that scene or situation several times in his head or in a draft. “I always put in only a tiny proportion of what I’ve conceived.” Writing to him is a “process of very delicately selecting the one thing that is right from the 2,500 things that are almost right.”

Throughout the conversation, he spoke of his writing as a mystical blessing or gift. “I’m going to sound like Shirley MacLaine,” he joked. Writing for him has been more of a transcendent process. “It’s always been a sense there was a secret Barker solving things.”

An interesting twist is that Barker seemed intrigued by the notion that another writer might pick up where his final book in the “Abarat” series left off, constructing them from this “foundation on which you can build an endless series of mythologies.”

The conversation focused primarily on his writing in the fantasy genre. “Fantasy is a way to introduce ourselves to our own dream lives” and to the villainous side of our culture, Barker said. He pointed to examples of corporate greed in today’s society and how he would explore it. “What is the dream life of the corporate bastard like? Was that man ever a child – ever?”

The worlds in Barker’s novels are often multi-layered and complex. He defies the notions of black and white, good and bad as an oversimplification of reality. “All those dichotomies are phony, aren’t they?” he said.

“When writing for kids, it’s important to celebrate ambiguity,” he said, noting the shades of gray along moral, racial and sexual landscapes.

Two really cool insights we got at the FOB panel were a glimpse at one of his dream journals – replete with scribblings, scrawls and drawings that he later deciphers – and a breakdown of his work schedule.

He told us that if he weren't at the festival, his day would probably look like this:

8 a.m.: He’d be at his desk writing until about 6.

6 p.m.: Painting until 11

11 p.m.: Put the birds, dogs, fish – and himself – to bed

Bedtime: Keep the dream journal handy.

He also chooses to write everything longhand. “I’m a technophobe,” Barker said. “Things break when I get close to them…. So I feel as though my relationship with technological things is not good.”

Author and actress Jackie Collins also writes her manuscripts longhand. “Jackie Collins and I have many things in common,” he said. “So I said, 'What do you do to preserve them?' She said, ‘I put them in the freezer, darling.’ … I asked is it because they’re so hot? She said, no, because that’s the last place that will burn in a fire.”

The first question this technophobe was asked came from two representatives of the Reading Rights Coalition, imploring him to encourage Amazon not to turn off the text-to-audio function.

When asked by an audience member about how he overcomes creative block, he said as a practice he is a secretive worker. That way, “I can fail quietly on my own.”

A few things for fans to note: He’s going to be working on a TV series of “Night Breed” and wants to revisit it as a text. He also wants to put out a third “Book of the Art.” "The book is waiting in the wings.… I wish I could clone myself sometimes…. That book is huge and very important in me. It will never get lost in the shuffle,” he said, though it might be three or four years off.

Sooner than that, though, fans can look forward to a book he describes as a sub-library – a book of books, “Journeyman.” He plans to deliver the book to his publisher this summer and include poems he said he was earlier afraid to publish. These, he said, will delve into the erotic, dark and metaphysical with diversity being key.

He treated us all to a reading of one of the poems to be included in the book. (You can click here to hear Clive Barker reading.) This poem he said he wrote just in a draft in the middle of the night as prose, initially a scrawl of sleepy words.

He said he loved the idea of the title describing him as being more like a mason or woodworker being taught these disciplines. “I’m a 56-year-old man, and I feel I’m a long way from learning my craft.”

-- Michelle Maltais

Click here for more photos of the Book Festival.

Photo: Barker with his paintings. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times 

It’s Not How They’re Raised, It’s How Dogs are Managed That Matters Most

by notesfromadogwalker on November 20, 2012

How many times have you heard someone say about a dog, “It’s all how they’re raised”?  Probably a lot. If you own a pit bull dog, probably a lot more.

I hear pit bull advocates saying it all the time, as a way to defend our dogs. I hear other saying it as a flippant remark about dogs in general.  This phrase gets tossed around all the time, but no one seems to be aware of what they’re really saying….and how damaging it can be.

This saying does have a kernel of truth  in it, of course, but ”how they’re raised” is just one of the factors that contributes to who our dogs are. It’s not the whole story. 

When people believe that “It’s All How They’re Raised”, there are some real-life consequences for the dogs. So we need to check ourselves. 

Here are a few ways our words hurt:

People refuse to adopt adult dogs. This idea, that how they’re raised determines who a dog is, makes adopting out adult and senior dogs a real challenge. Why would adopters take a chance on an adult dog, who has been raised by someone else, when they could adopt a puppy and raise it “right” themselves? Some folks really believe this. Seriously, shelter workers are constantly confronted by this way of thinking. It stinks.

Shelters won’t place victims of cruelty up for adoption. If a dog has survived an abusive or neglectful situation, such as dog fighting, animal hoarding, puppy mills, etc., then it is known they were “raised wrong”. Someorganizations use this as proof that the dogs aren’t safe or fit to be adopted out.The same thing goes for dogs that are suspected of surviving these situations. If the assumption is made that a dog with cropped ears has been fought, that assumption of their past may wind up costing the dog his life if policies dictate that fight bust dogs are not adoptable because they were obviously “raised wrong.”

Responsible dog owners feel like failures. People who have raised their dogs since puppyhood beat themselves up when they’ve done everything right, but despite their very best efforts, their dogs still have behavioral issues. I hear from a lot of you through DINOS because you feel ashamed and guilty about your dog’s issues, despite having raised your dogs right. Let me just say it now: it’s not all how a dog is raised that matters. You guys have to stop beating yourselves up (even if you’re a dog trainer).

Here’s the reality – dogs are who they are due to many factors: training, breeding, socialization, management, genetics, and environment. All of these things influence who our dogs are.

A dog’s past is a chapter, but it’s never the whole story. Let me show you:

“Raised Wrong”

Some dogs, neglected and abused their entire lives, are well-adjusted, social dogs. Anyone who has worked in rescue has met countless dogs who were not raised in the best circumstances, but despite this lack of early socialization or care (or worse) they turn out to be safe, family dogs. Many of us share our homes with dogs that were raised in less than ideal conditions, but are still wonderful pets.

One example of this scenario are the dogs rescued from fight busts or hoarding situations. Despite terrible beginnings, many of these victims of cruelty are ready to leave the past behind and enjoy family life. They may need training and structure to get used to living with a family in a house (what dog doesn’t?), but some of them are able to adjust to family life with relative ease. Their past didn’t help them do this, you dig?

Meet Jagger, the most handsome dog on Earth.
Click this photo to find him on Facebook.

“Raised Right”

Some dogs, purchased from responsible breeders and socialized properly from puppyhood, still wind up with behavioral problems. Many responsible dog owners, who have raised their dogs since they were puppies and did everything right, still find themselves with dogs who have a variety of behavioral issues. These dogs were “raised right”, but are still struggling, sometimes due to genetics.

One example of this is illustrated in an article written by a dog trainer who shared her problems with her own dog. Despite her very best professional efforts to train and socialize him, aka raise him right, he has significant behavior issues which may be caused by a medical condition. It’s not how he was raised that’s causing the problem. Read it here.

Puppies. It’s not just how you raise them.

In both of these cases, the common denominator that is actually determining the success of these dogs as family pets and their safety in the community isn’t how the dogs were raised: it’s responsible management.

Whether they were raised “right” or raised “wrong” in the past, no matter what behavioral problems a dog does or doesn’t have, when owners recognize their dog’s individual needs and provide them the right care and management tools, dogs have a chance to succeed in our crazy world.

More Present, Less Past

So, it’s not “how they’re raised” (what happened in the past) but rather, “how they’re managed” (what’s happening in the present) that needs to be our focus, if our goal is to help our dogs and  also create safe communities for us all to enjoy.

We can look to their past for clues and guidance, of course. I don’t mean ignore it all together. But we do more for our dogs when we look at them right now, without the haze of a bad (or good) past fogging up our thoughts.  Who are they right now? What do they need to succeed today?

Whoever they are, dogs always exists and act in the context of human beings. They don’t live in a vacuum. They live with us. We need to recognize dogs as individuals, then determine what they need from us in order to succeed in the world.

What this means is that when dogs are properly managed by a human, a dog with or without behavior problems has the opportunity to be a safe, family dog. Dogs may need a variety of management tools, depending on what behavioral issues (if any) they have.  Beyond training, various management tools might include: space management (crates, gates, etc.), muzzles, leashes, fences, proper supervision, etc. I’d also include medication in this category, if it’s necessary. When these tools are used, owners are setting dogs up to be successful.

This also means that any dog that is not managed properly can be a nuisance to the community or a danger to others. We see this often in the case of dogs that are running loose in neighborhoods. The dogs may be friendly (or not), but by allowing them to roam the streets or chase other dogs, their owners are setting these dogs up to get into trouble. They are not managing them. They are setting them up to fail.

side note:  This is why I’m such a stickler for obeying leash laws. It’s a management tool.  I just wish the laws were enforced.

I think that dogs are only as successful and safe as humans set them up to be – no matter what their past may be. When a dog gets in trouble or acts dangerously, somewhere along the line, a person has failed to make the right choice. But that’s not the same as “how they were raised”.

How they’re raised may be one factor that influences dogs, but it doesn’t determine the whole being of a dog. Perpetuating this idea only winds up hurting dogs with less than perfect pasts and shaming people who own dogs they’ve had since puppyhood.

The truth is that it’s how we currently manage dogs that determines how any dog interacts with the world. When we focus on managing them in the present, based on their individual needs, we can set dogs up for success despite what may have happened to them in the past.

So can we trash “its all how they’re raised” once and for all? It’s such a drag for dogs and their owners.

Let’s replace it with the truth:

It’s all how they’re managed. Dogs are only as successful as we set them up to be.

It's so warm even the dogs are in sunglasses! Beachgoers enjoy a spot of winter warmth as forecasters say it will be a rain-free half-term

• Mercury hits 11C in parts of the north west and mid Wales as Brits enjoyed the warm wintry weather
• Early morning cloud hung over River Thames obscuring the city's landmarks and reducing visibility to 15m
• Poor visibility due to fog also caused problems at Heathrow Airport where 63 flights were cancelled
• The Met Office said today's temperatures will reach up to 8C at the tip of Cornwall

By LEON WATSON

PUBLISHED: 10:51, 19 February 2013 | UPDATED: 17:12, 19 February 2013

Britain basked in a swathe of sunshine today as temperatures hit double figures and even dogs donned sunglasses.

As the mercury hit 11C in parts of the north west and mid Wales, Brits were out in force enjoying the warm wintry weather on the south coast.

And, while forecasters said temperatures will dip towards the end of the week, it is set to be a fine and dry half-term for most of the country.

A little terrier ready to hit the waves as it toddles along Portstewart Strand in County Londonderry

Walkies! These two dogs were out enjoying the sun today as Northern Ireland basked in warm temperatures

It's still only February, but day-trippers were enjoying the sunshine on Brighton Beach this afternoon

People took to the beach in Brighton today as the sun peeked out

However, from tomorrow, Britain will again be blighted by biting winds and frost, with an increasing chance of snow as icy gusts blow in from Scandinavia.

After the glorious weekend weather continued into yesterday, when much of the country was in sunshine, the mercury will plunge back towards freezing.

By Thursday, temperature highs will fall significantly below average to just 4C, and will stay there throughout the weekend. Night time temperatures will fall as low as -4C.

Forecasters say that parts of the east coast will be hit by snow  flurries that will blow in over the North Sea.

John Lee, of MeteoGroup, said: 'There's only a risk of wintery flurries along the eastern side of England, where it will be windy and the temperature will be low.'

But there is at least one more day of the good weather to enjoy.

Lucy Rai, three, delights in the glory of thousands of crocuses which have finally, two weeks later than expected, come into bloom at The University of Leicester Botanic Garden in Oadby, Leicestershire

Anastasia the Amur Tigress sunbathes on a beautiful springlike day at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire

Meg, eight, and Morgan, 12, from Devon, looking at snowdrops at the Rococo Gardens, Nailsworth, Gloucestershire

Today most of the country had dry and sunny conditions with 9C in the North and 11C in the South.

The Met Office said today's temperatures reached up to 8C at the tip of Cornwall with around 6C in western coastal areas.

Temperatures will hover around freezing across most of the South tonight. While winds are expected to reach speeds of 25mph in South Western areas making it feel even colder.

Snowdrops cover the woodland floor at the Rococo Gardens, Nailsworth, Gloucestershire

People enjoy the sunny weather punting on the river in Cambridge

Enjoying the sun: A punt passes under a bridge over the River Cam in Cambridge

Barking Blondes: The Brits, SANE and Adam Ant

• By Joanne Good and Anna Webb
• Notebook, Opinion
• Sunday, 24 February 2013 at 4:00 am

We were invited to the coveted Brits after party on Wednesday night, not for our services to music, more for our enthusiasm for dogs. Regular readers of this blog will know that even the coolest crooner or pop princess is eager to discuss their canine’s antics with us and so, it seems, does the music industry by sending invites to the biggest thrash at a secret location.

Knowing we would have to fork out for a cab back in the early hours, we decided to walk there as an attempt to cut costs. Tottering through Soho Square, even amidst the lingering media types, we couldn’t miss the giant sculpture of a black dog, centre stage on the grass. It demands to be patted.

This stunning piece of dog art belongs to a pack celebrating ‘Year of the Black Dog’, a campaign launched by the mental health charity SANE to help reduce the stigma surrounding depression.

The striking Black Dog sculptures have become an icon or symbol for SANE’s campaign as black dogs have been used as a metaphor for depression for thousands of years. From Classical mythology through medieval folklore to modern times, black dogs have been associated with dark thoughts, moods and omen. Sir Winston Churchill famously used the phrase ‘Black Dog’ to describe his darker moods during World War 2.

SANE’s Black Dogs are not dotted just around London but nationally in all major cities. They offer an ironic view of man’s best friend. We are familiar with dogs that guide the blind or hearing dogs for the deaf, or dogs for the disabled, and Pets as Therapy dogs that calm and soothe residents in hospices and care homes. Now, by representing depression and mental health, these dog sculptures are helping to draw attention to an otherwise invisible problem, and indirectly help thousands of people in true ‘man’s best friend’ style.

Adam Ant is among the celebrities backing the project along with Joanna Lumley and many others. The pop star apparently took time out from his tour to unveil the coat he designed for a Black Dog sculpture that was named Elvis, after one of own pet dogs. Adam Ant’s enthusiasm for the Black Dog project mirrors SANE’s attempt to combat preconceptions surrounding mental health in a new exciting way with ‘man’s best friend’ symbolically leading the way.

Twice the size of a giant Great Dane, the Black Dogs are enormously tactile. Cutting a striking pose, every Black Dog wears a SANE ‘Collar of Hope’ and a coat designed by a celebrity, artist or someone who has experienced a mental health problem.

Just as the World Wildlife Fund’s ‘Elephant Parade’ used life-sized baby elephant sculptures around the capital to raise awareness of the endangered Asian Elephant, similarly SANE’s Black Dogs are individually marked and will also be auctioned to build the campaign fund. Let’s hope these stunning artworks get the homes they deserve.

Oh… and gossip from the Brits after party. It seems we are every muso’s confidantes when it comes to choosing a puppy. Being introduced as “the dog women” as opposed to representing a record label really did carry kudos. So watch this space. The kid you may have seen grabbing an award and djing at the after party is soon to get a Belgium Shepherd. After shouting the pros and cons of his choice across the seated Mumford and Sons, we pray it doesn’t destroy his trainers.

‘Barking at the Moon’ is on every Thursday from 3-4pm on BBC London 94.9fm