Product Review: The Diva Cup

Sorry gents, but for just one post I need to review a product that is sure to benefit the happiness and wellness of the ladies out there! Last December, I purchased The Diva Cup from an online company. It has forever eased the annoyances of ‘being ready’ when your little friend comes to visit each month, and has forever changed the way I see that monthly occurance. Intrigued? Read on.

So much of the ‘problem’ with our monthly period, ladies, is that you aren’t always ready for it. The PMS aside, we can become frustrated over having to keep a watchful eye on what’s happening down there when we’re playing sports, wearing certain clothes, travelling, or in a place where we are unable to get to a washroom when we need it.

The Diva Cup is a latex-free menstrual cup that is made from non-absorbant materials. It simply collects the flow of your period, and depending on the weight of your period, can be worn up to 12 hours before being washed and re-inserted. You can use it again and again, up to 2 years, and, I promise, you will never, ever use another tampon again. The cup comes in various sizes, and once it’s in you don’t even know it’s there. To find out more about it, go to http://www.divacup.com.

I write about this on a wellness blog because I have found that the Diva Cup has made my overall monthly experience a much more pleasant one. I don’t need to go rummaging through my bag for supplies when the time comes, nor awkwardly ask a friend. It’s that easy to carry with you when you suspect the time is coming. I recently travelled for three weeks in Costa Rica and brought the Diva Cup with me, where previously I would have brought a whole box of tampons. All I needed was a bit of potable/clean water to rinse it with and I was on my way. I also wore it on a 65 km hiking trip this past weekend, and couldn’t have been happier with it’s performance. Any hiker would know that space is precious in your hiking pack and you don’t have space for things that you aren’t even sure if you’ll need. I carried the wee Diva Cup and a few panty liners (just in case – it leaks when it’s full the way a tampon would), and that was entirely sufficient.

Finally, one of the best parts for me is that it is eco-friendly. I will no longer be throwing out huge amounts of plastic and cardboard that served such a temporary purpose. And it is healthier for me, too. My body feels better without these potentially dangerous products. Now I can simply enjoy my period for what it is, without the hassle and annoyance of keeping up with it.

La Paz y la Amistad

I have been travelling through Costa Rica this June, and have been writing entries for another website throughout the trip. I thought this entry was especially fitting for ‘return to breath,’ and so I also posted it here. Enjoy!

Step aside Oprah, Dr. Phil, and all you neo-yogic philosophers…these Ticos have definitely learned the secret to the simple and peaceful life of constant contentment.  My experience so far leads me to believe that either they have more than just coffee beans in their morning brew, or that as a people they have chosen a life of happiness.

I was reading yesterday about the history of Costa Rica, and how it was really only in the last century that this small country adopted the progressive mindset that has made it the peace-loving oasis of Central America. In the 1940s, Jose Figueres Ferrer, head of a temporary junta government, enacted nearly 1000 decrees – from taxing the wealthy to voting rights to women – and also laid the foundation for the disarmament of the national military, which still remains today. At the local level, Ticos know how to take care of each other and live in harmony. Obviously very family oriented, at times they almost seem like actors in a commercial for Disney World, walking hand-in-hand, mother, father and daughter to the pier to watch the sunset. They no doubt deal with their own difficulties in life, but they are also warm and friendly with visitors, and are proud to show off their country to those willing to travel to see it.

At times the juxtapositions are humorous, though. Sitting high up in the mountains on the edge of Parque Nacional Chirripo, I took a taxi from San Isidro down 10 km of paved roads to Rivas, and then down 12km of cobblestone roads clinging precariously against the steep slopes of the peaks blanketed in thick greenery. Just when you thought the road could go no further, it turned again, eventually revealing Albergue Uran nestled beautifully close to the trailhead that I plan on taking tomorrow morning, just outside the town of San Gerardo de Rivas. At the hostel, however, I am greeted by a local woman wearing 3-inch platform sandals, who walks her way down the cobblestone as if she was on 5-foot stilts. She is wearing capris and a tight tanktop, and obviously put a lot of time into her make-up. No matter where you go, the women are dressed to the nines, even if they have to swing on vines to get to work. They are all beautiful people with so much to give.

In 1502, when Christopher Columbus landed on the eastern coast of the country to make repairs to his ship, he ventured inland and made exchanges with the local people. When he returned from the encounter, he claimed to have seen more gold in two days than in his four years in Espanola. Hence, the name Costa Rica, or the Rich Coast, came to adorn this land of dense, unforgiving jungle, though his predecessors found no gold in the area. Eventually they would discover soil that was rich enough to grow coffee and bananas, which put Costa Rica on the map. Gold or no gold, these Ticos are wealthy beyond measure for they have found a secret so dear that an adventurous Canadian had to travel thousands of kilometres to discover it.

Nothing is worth more than peace, if only inside yourself. And friendliness goes a long, long way.

© Meghan J. Ward, 2009.

Experimenting

You may notice a new look to return to breath. I found the darkness of the last theme to be incongruent with the general vibe I wanted to send out with this site. So, I have been looking into some new options. Bear with me as I tweak the site! Feel free to comment and provide any feedback.