S Factor Poll
See the Sex Poll results below. This month's poll is all about Women's Intuition. Click here to participate.


S Factor on the Road:
The Westside of Los Angeles is calling and we just had to answer. We had our very first class at Creative Space… and it was phenomenal. Okay, the new pole Sheila was trying out sent her flying across the room but, hey, it was an adventure. And the Westside ladies loved the class, so we're gonna keep on makin' it happen. If you're interested in taking a Level 1 Westside class please contact Cheryl at 310-231-7600

We're seriously looking for some Orange County women for the Intensive Teacher Training program. Yes, that does mean we are getting closer to opening up our very own S Factor in the OC. We know you ladies don't want to commute if you don't have to, so we're coming to you! Hang on for more info! And let us know you are out there – if you are interested in teacher training or attending classes, contact us and we will keep you apprised of developments in the OC.


LA & SF STUDIO HAPPENINGS There's lots going on at the studios in Los Angeles and San Francisco this October.  

Stephanie and Stacey & S Factor LA

SF S Factor Studio

A TRIBUTE TO BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS:
Warrior Women in our Everyday Lives

I love October, and it has nothing to do with the fact that it is my birth month, although that helps. I love the coming of the dark half of the year. The pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, the cool briskness that takes over the air and the fact that I get to wear all my favorite sweaters and start the cuddling up in a warm chair and reading phase of the year. October has always been about anticipation of great times to come, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah and New Year's, the ski season and trips to visit family. October is also the month of magic and intuition. October 31st, All Hallow's Eve is said to be the time of year when the veil that separates our world from the 'spirit' or 'otherworld' is at it's thinnest. Enchantment and all things are possible in October. It is a feminine and insightful month and a great time to curve and swerve that body and soul of yours into body/mind bliss.

On a more sobering note, October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month. I'm getting a mammogram this month. October 27th to be exact. I hate them, but I've been told by my doc they're necessary. I've been hearing about a digital mammogram machine that is even more powerful and better at detecting breast cancer, especially for younger, pre-menopausal, and/or denser breasts. Unfortunately, only 7% of mammogram machines used today are digital because they are far more expensive than the traditional machines. Hmmmm.... The scariness is what I dread the most. What if they find something? What then? What will I do? How will I handle it? And that makes me think of all the extraordinary women who have come face-to-face with positive results. My empathic mind tells what they must have felt like. Scared, lump in the throat kind of panic. How does one come up against so great a villain? What in life prepares you for this war?

The true warrior is the woman who has fought the war against cancer -- one grueling battle at a time. I've seen it firsthand. My sister who is a Stage 4 breast cancer survivor is one of the greats of all time. I give her great respect, yet she doesn't act a hero. She's quite an unassuming warrior really, just a seemingly normal everyday woman, mother of two, a schoolteacher in Kingwood, WV. She wears her hair quite short these days in the aftermath. The scars across her chest are large and ragged. She wears them with indifference, they just happen to be there. I remember the days of no hair, the vomiting, the pain. Today she laughs and likes to drink red wine. She loves blue plaid and anything gingham. But I think of what she has been through. I remember when she was first diagnosed and I looked in her eyes -- there was confusion and fear. She didn't understand the what, the why of it all.

In the United States alone, more than one in eight women will suffer from breast cancer during their lifetime. Breast cancer continues to rob an estimated 40,000 women of their lives each year. Breast cancer strikes everywhere - it doesn't discriminate. Educated or illiterate, married or single, rich or poor... people of all ages, races, even genders, are attacked by this life-threatening disease. But we've come a long way towards eradicating it, and we will continue to do so, thanks to these fierce women who've faced breast cancer head on and forge new territories within research, treatment and recovery, both physical and emotional. Without them, where would be? We need to celebrate, pay tribute to these incredible, fierce women. They look fear straight in the eye and teach us so much every day, even if we do not realize it in the minutia of our daily lives.

This month is the time to celebrate these women who work to protect us all. We all know someone who has suffered from this disease, my beautiful sister being one of them. Proud survivors range from so many women in our everyday lives to those in the media, who thankfully use their celebrity stature to garner more attention and assistance for the disease. Two of my Music Picks this month are in honor of Melissa Etheridge, who recently faced breast cancer so vividly and is doing everything she can to raise awareness and increase funding for research. Who can forget her amazing performance on the Grammy Awards?

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we must take time to really, truly appreciate, celebrate... and, actually, exalt the warrior women in our lives who are soldiers representing us all. And then let's really do something this month (and the rest of the year)... there are multitudes of opportunities that are within reach in October -- fundraisers, 10K runs and walks. The S Factor community is made up of strong, wise, brave women... together, we can make a difference, and we've compiled a list of resources to help. So let's get on it... write me and tell me what you are all doing or give us info on any opportunities that you know of.

And while you're out there paying tribute to these brave women, don't forget the one in your mirror. Get a mammogram. It's important. Totally scary, yes, we know that. But we at the S Factor are here for you, your friends, your sisters, your mothers - we're all here for you.

During my sister's last battle with cancer, I finally saw the fear go out of her eyes and it soothed and inspired me. In her last, most intense battle there was no more fear -- only conviction, fight, and unwavering strength. An "Okay, mother fucker, you want a fight?" kind of power. It made me see her not as a victim of fate but, and I don't use this word lightly, a warrior. Heroic with great shining light and an awesome hip-hop soundtrack, the kind of lighting reserved for Hollywood action movies.

I'm getting a mammogram and I'm going to think positive thoughts. I'm going to meditate the night before. Give my breasts a warm oiled massage to get the blood flowing and lymph cleansing. (I actually do this massage now daily.) Not knowing is not an option because not knowing is a death sentence. Don't think because you didn't get a mammogram and don't know that nothing's wrong, that everything will be OK. Get a mammogram. I don't care how young or old you are. Give yourself a fighting chance.

All my love and respect,

BODY CONSCIOUS

Massage promotes increased circulation of blood and lymph fluid (lymph is a milky white fluid that drains impurities and wastes away from tissue cells) - this is a very good thing. It exalts the immune system, reduces muscle tension, soothes the nervous system, increases the range of motion in the joints, improves the function of sebaceous and sweat glands keeping the skin clean, lubricated and cool, and increases the oxygen capacity in your blood by 10-15% (that means your muscles work better). I could go on and on. Better digestion, health and happiness is all right there with a simple massage. I know, I know you can't afford it. Sometimes you don't have to pay for a massage, sometimes you can trade massages with a friend or lover, or… and this is what I do a lot of the time… self-massage. I work on a particularly sore part of my body. A strained hip flexor, a tight shoulder, or… and this is particularly relevant this month… my breasts.

I've been working with my body and movement for years. I have had many massage therapists and almost every single one of them has delicately moved around my breasts. All with the exception of an older Russian masseuse in Toronto, who just blew my mind open. Hey, my breasts are a part of my body. I have strong pectoral muscles under them and until I came across this wonderful Russian woman, no one had ever massaged my chest area. No, it was not sexy or sexual or even sensual; it was healthy and happy. My breasts were like, "Wow, someone's moving all the fluids and stimulating us in a healthy way." Years later, I strained a pectoral muscle. Not one massage therapist in this country would massage the area fully. They were ever so delicate in moving lightly around the mounds of flesh that are my breasts. Damn, people, just because they're sexual for men they are not always sexual for me! My children nursed from them, they're stuck in a tight fitting bra almost every day so that I can move about without hurting them. So believe me when I say the greatest thing on earth is finding a masseuse who will work your chest area - breasts, pecs and all. I have finally found that. She is a massage therapist that I trust and who I've worked with for five years. Now if that is out of the question for you, then self-massaging your pecs and your breasts is an absolute must. If the only time you find yourself touching your breasts is during intimate moments and giving yourself a monthly breast exam looking for lumps, let's change the scenario here and not neglect them any longer! Please, do yourself the favor, click on the link below for a breast massage technique that will keep your babies healthy, happy and much touched!
http://www.hps-online.com/breast-cancer.htm#massage

For more information about the benefits of massage, please check out this link: http://www.massagetoday.com/archives/2001/09/03.html

BODY CHANGES POLL RESULTS

Wow… pretty interesting how we all feel about the changes in our bodies. This is how the rest of the S Factor feels about the evolution their luscious, ever-changing bodies go through.

I got my first period:
In grade school: 15.79%
In middle school/junior high: 47.37%
High school: 36.84%
In my 20s : 0%

When I got my first period, I was:
Bummed: 21.05%
Scared: 15.79%
Indifferent: 26.32%
Ecstatic! Thought I was never gonna get it! : 36.84%

The worst part of my PMS is/was:
Bloating: 15.79%
Irritability/Mood swings: 21.05%
Increased appetite: 0%
Fatigue: 26.32%
Migraines: 26.32%
Painful, swollen breasts: 5.26%

The worst part of my period is/was:
The cramps: 47.37%
Heavy bleeding: 15.79%
Fatigue: 36.84%
Physical sensitivity: 0%
Nothing! I love(d) every minute of it!: 0%

I control my period with:
Birth control pills: 21.05%
The Patch: 5.26%
The Ring: 0%
The Depro-Provera shot: 0%
Nothing - I let it run its own course: 63.16%

Having sex during my period is:
Great - my sex drive is better than ever: 15.79%
The same as always: 0%
Too messy: 42.11%
Uncomfortable: 26.32%
Something I never do: 5.26%

When I stop having my period, I think I will:
Rejoice: 52.63%
Be sad: 5.26%
Be indifferent: 31.58%
Not applicable: 0%

I stopped having my period. It makes me feel:
Sad: 10.53%
Indifferent: 0%
ECSTATIC!!!: 15.79%
Not applicable: 68.42%

Please tell us your age range:
18-25: 10.46%
26-34 : 11.11%
35-43 : 41.83%
44-52: 26.14%
53-61: 5.23%
61-70: 0%
71+: 5.23%