Yoga For Love & Textationships

Hello Lovers, Happy #NationalYogaAwarenessMonth!

This week Rebecca Benenati joins us to co-host a special episode dedicated to Yoga Awareness Month. Rebecca is a certified doula and yoga instructor who is Damona’s teacher and was also her doula in childbirth. Rebecca’s created a large community through Wellborn Lifestyles which offers birth support and soon also yoga classes in Los Angeles. Today Damona and Rebecca discuss how yoga can shift the way you date and improve your relationship:

D’S DATING DISH (2:21)

Does your partner have the seven qualities relationship experts say you need for a lasting relationship?

This week relationship experts told us the 7 Qualities Your Partner Should Have By The Time They’re 30. Do you really need to have these qualities by 30? How does your partner measure up? Damona and Rebecca have thoughts. 

Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose give great co-parenting advice

Have you seen this video of Wiz brushing Sebastian’s hair? Great Parenting! Amber and Wiz’s relationship goes to show that you can co-parent after an ugly breakup. Damona and Rebecca discuss Amber Rose’s surprisingly simple co-parenting tip.

via GIPHY

Could your job be hurting your chances at finding love on Tinder?

Tinder has released the most right swiped professions in the US and the UK! Does Tinder think your job is sexy? Find out on today’s show.

YOGA FOR LOVE (17:46)

Damona and Rebecca give us an in depth look at the benefits of yoga for your love life:

  • How yoga can benefit your relationship
  • Getting started with couple yoga
  • Having Grace in a challenging situation
  • How to navigate finding love after divorce
  • How yoga helps women communicate with their partners

TECHNICALLY DATING (33:26)

Submit your questions Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and hear our answers live on the show! Here are the topics we answered this week:

  • How to stop going for unavailable men and long-distance relationships?
  • How to meet someone special if you’re always working?
  • How to tell if someone likes you in a romantic way?

 

DAMONA’S DIATRIBE (41:50)

Are you stuck in a “textationship”? A textationship is a relationship that is essentially text only. Here’s the bad news: Textationships rarely move forward and actually hurt your chances of finding a real relationship. Damona gives us us some much needed tough love and honesty about how to move past your textationship.

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The Mind of Men & Dating App Stats

Hello Lovers, ever wonder what single men are thinking? We’re back this week and we brought answers!

Brett McGinn, hopeless (read: hopeful??) romantic and relationships guru of Love F*cking Sucks returns to co-host this week’s episode of Dates & Mates. Today Damona and Brett sit down with a panel of single men to get some REAL answers on what men want and we get one step closer to demystifying modern romance. Here’s the rundown:

D’S DATING DISH

Get a match with the help of statistics

It’s statistics season for the dating apps! OkCupid and Plenty of Fish took a peek at your profile and conversations and gave us the statistics on who gets the most matches. Today we explain what this means for you. Do you know that profiles with the OkCupid ACLU badge have 10% more conversations? How should you craft the perfect first DM? What emojis should you NEVER use in a DM?

The WORST kind of relationship for your health

Maybe Carrie & Mr. Big shouldn’t be your #relationshipgoals? Science Daily wants you to know that on again off again relationships are BAD for your mental health. Damona and Brett explain why.

John Krasinski is the best dad ever

This week, John Krasinski made headlines for parenting and working at the same time. Does he deserve all the praise he’s getting? We have thoughts.

WHAT SINGLE MEN WANT

This week we invited a panel of single men to give us insight into what they’re looking for. Today we covered:

  • The best dating platforms
  • How is the dating different after weight loss transformations?
  • Why is everyone so bad at flirting?
  • What qualities are attractive to men?
  • Should you have a type?
  • What is an automatic swipe left?
  • Sex Parties & “Bill Clinton Intimacy”
  • How do you know if a woman is different?
  • Who pays for dates?

Ladies, they’re single, ready to mingle, and open for DMs. So slide away.

TECHNICALLY DATING  

Here are the questions we answered:

  • What are the best dating apps for men?
  • Are premium memberships worth it?
  • Should a lady have sex with her man – even if she’s not in the mood?
  • How can you get your woman in the mood?

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Super Mamas & Relationship Standards

Super Mamas Podcast host Paulina Lopez and guest co-host psychotherapist Rhonda Richards-Smith join Damona to discuss how moms can still be sexy to their husbands. Rhonda takes on the headlines including: How dating apps have affected the rate of STDs, Aziz Ansari’s comedy in the #MeToo era, and how your relationship standards change once you’re couple up. Questions from listeners include: how to avoid strange requests on dating apps, should you see your ex again, and is it ok for your man to DM an instagram model?

 

D’S DATING DISH (4:21)

Dating apps blamed for rise in STDs

STDs are on the rise, with five times as many cases seen in the past four months when compared with the same time period last year. Apps such as Tinder and Bumble are facing blame, with syphilis being the STD increasing the most rapidly. You can read more via NY Post here.

Aziz Ansari returns to standup with dating routine

Both Aziz Ansari and Louis C.K. returned to standup this week after being implicated in the #MeToo movement. Ansari avoided mention of the accusations against him, despite the fact the set was structured around dating. Is this tasteless? Can he make a comeback? You can read more via NME here.

How your relationship standards change

A new study proves that your relationship expectations change before and after you enter a relationship. It proved that those who took the survey while in a relationship ranked their current partner closer to their ideal than those who took the survey single and entered into a relationship a few months later. You can read more via Bustle here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (38:35)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App, including:

  • How to avoid strange messages on dating apps
  • If it’s OK to see your ex again

And many more . . .

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Join the list to get invited to Damona’s private coaching calls at DatesandMates.com. Register for your free dating or relationship e-course Relationship Bootcamp or The Texting 10 Commandments to subscribe.

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Bossip TV & The Tinder Trick

We TV’s Bossip TV hosts Danielle ‘Dani’ Canada & Alana Danielle Gatling hit the headlines with Damona including the Tinder social experiment that swept NYC, Bumble Bizz & Bumble BFF, and the engagement of Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas (which Dates & Mates predicted back in episode 220). Questions from listeners include how to Facebook sleuth on your man and how much makeup a woman should wear to a date.

 

D’S DATING DISH (2:30)

Dozens of men tricked into a dating competition

Last week, a Tinder user named Natasha Aponte coordinated a massive meeting of those she matched with on Tinder in Union Square. Those men that stayed participated in a literal competition where the winner allegedly got to go on a date with her. Apparently done as a commentary on modern dating, do you think this went too far? You can read more via CBS News here.

You can now turn off dating mode on Bumble

Bumble Biz and Bumble BFF have been around for a minute now, but you can now elect to turn off the dating portion of the app entirely, making it clear you’re only there for professional or platonic connection. You can read more via PopSugar here.

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra confirm engagement

We called it! Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra have officially announced their engagement, rumored to have sealed the deal sometime last month. You can read more via NJ.com here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (31:35)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App, including:

  • What to do if your fiance was messaging another woman
  • If you should wear makeup when meeting a guy for the first time

And many more . . .

DATING DOT DOT DOT (47:36)

We got Monique’s lightning fast love advice in another installment of Dating Dot Dot

  1. _________ is always sexy
  2. _________ is never sexy
  3. The biggest red flag on a dating profile is_________
  4. The most common first date mistake is _________
  5. The most important quality in a wife is_________
  6. The most important quality in a husband is _________

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Marriage Secrets & Out of Your League

On this episode, storyteller Shannon Cason (Homemade Stories & WBEZ Chicago’s The Trouble with Shannon Cason) joins with his wife Cindy to share the secrets that almost tore their marriage apart and how they’ve weathered the relationship storms. Plus, Relationship Scientist Ryeal Simms handles the headlines with Damona including how dating apps can score you a job, the impact of working from home on your relationship, and Iggy Azalea’s whiplash dating week. Questions from listeners include how long your engagement should last and how to get a guy who is out of your league.

D’S DATING DISH (3:36)

Can dating apps help you land a job?

Many millennials are turning to dating apps to find a job these days, with it not being too uncommon for freelancers to get hired after two dates, or at least recommended. And honestly, why not! As long as you’re transparent that you’re looking for professional connections, it seems like an interesting way to boost your chances of finding work. You can read more via ABC News here.

Checking emails after work harms a relationship

We all have some anxiety, but even opening up an email to glance at after work can create the sense of “work without boundaries” and increase our stress tenfold. This can effect partners, children, and friends as they see the psychological effects of never “turning off.” You can read more via the Independent here.

Iggy Azalea’s whirlwind week

Last week Iggy Azalea confirmed she was dating Texans wide receive DeAndre Hopkins, only to Tweet out she was single again the next day. Both seemed a little affected, Azalea sharing Tweets about how she’ll always be single and Hopkins getting into a fight in his game the next day, but Azalea is already rumored to have been spotted with Tyga. You can read more via USA today here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (32:19)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App and those emailed to Damona, including:

  • The appropriate length of time to wait to get married
  • What to do if your child finds a sex toy in your room

And more . . .

DAMONA’S DIATRIBE (47:28)

Damona got a little serious on this week’s diatribe, but she’s been seeing a lot of people putting all of their emotional weight behind relationships lately, so much so that they saying they want to die when a relationship ends. She took to the mic to give some words of encouragement and offer resources for those who are truly depressed.

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If you or anyone you know is facing feelings of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255

To get your question answered on a future show, download the Textpert App, email Damona or leave us a voicemail at 424-246-6255

Summer Date Ideas & FWB Feelings

We’re so excited to be back! On our return episode, International Matchmaker Jessica Fass joined Damona in studio along with Producer J to share great summer date ideas to heat things up in love while the weather is still warm. Headlines include: harsh criticism for The Bachelor and dating shows in the era of #MeToo, what your date’s texting habits mean, and Facebook’s new dating app. Plus questions from listeners like what do you do if you are catching feelings for a friend with benefits (FWB) and how you can get a $1000 loan back from someone you broke up with.

 

D’S DATING DISH (3:36)

What can you tell about your date from their texting habits?

On average, millennials reach out to their date within two days after a date ends if they’re interested in pursuing things further. This checks out, as 89% of single women say they want to be contacted within that time frame. That age-old adage of the three-day rule has fallen by the wayside, with only six percent of single ladies still holding by it. You can read more via Elite Daily here.

Is it time to retire dating shows in the #MeToo era?

The Bachelor and Bachelorette have changed, with unceremonious dumping and accusations of contestants being sex offenders; that’s not even to mention the mess that is the recent show The Proposal. In the #MeToo era, are these examples of entertainment outdated? Perhaps the combination of alcohol, producer pressure, and exploitation should no longer be considered viable. You can read more via USA Today here.

Facebook has started internal testing of its dating app

Two months after announcing its launch, Facebook has begun testing its dating app among its employees. US Facebook employees currently have access to the beta, although the company has asked them to make fake profiles that will be deleted upon public launch. You can read more via The Verge here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (33:46)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App and those emailed to Damona, including:

  • How to handle a friends with benefits situation
  • How to deal with an ex who owes you a sizable sum of money

And more . . .

HOLLYWOOD HOOKUP (46:51)

In this segment, we brainstorm as to who would best fit a celebrity looking for love. Up this week was Selena Gomez. Tune in to see who we think she should be looking out for!

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Leave us a voicemail with feedback or questions 424-246-6255

Game Dating & Hookup Culture

We had an extra jam-packed farewell show before we go on a one-month hiatus. Andrew Lee Miller of Match.com was first to join us, discussing the new dating app Crown. Then we got a chance to speak with Lea Rose Emery from Bustle, who shared her thoughts on dating, feminism, and hookup culture, in addition to answering listeners’ questions.

 

D’S DATING DISH (2:44)

The differences between how men and women fall in love

A recent study looked at how men and women fall in love, and there were some surprising results. For example, men typically say “I love you first,” but women tend to say it more often. You can find out about all the rest of what the study found out via Bustle here.

Another new dating trend

We like to keep you up to speed here at Dates & Mates, and we’ve got another slice of dating lingo to add to your vocabulary: Gatsbying. Gatsbying occurs when you put on a show on social media, but with only one special someone in mind. You can read more about it via Elite Daily here.

What makes men more attractive to women

Recently, a huge study about what women find attractive in men was conducted. Among the most desirable traits were presenting yourself as high status, growing a light beard, and playing complex music. You can read more via Science Alert here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (38:25)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App and those emailed to Damona, including:

  • How to feel about your parents giving your boyfriend money
  • The best way to get busy at work

And many more . . .

We’ll see you in August!

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Single Moms & Summer Solstice

This week Damona got the chance to interview Rachel DeAlto, the relationship expert from the hit show Married at First Sight. She shared tips on flirting, dating after divorce, and more.

 

D’S DATING DISH (2:12)

Chris Pratt is dating The Governator’s daughter

Chris Pratt was recently spotted picking up Katherine Schwarzenegger for a romantic picnic, snapping shots of them all the while. The oldest daughter of Arnold and Maria Shriver, Katherine is an author and lifestyle blogger. Pratt split from wife Anna Faris in 2017, but seems to be ready to give love another shot. You can read more via Insider here.

Another new dating term for the summer

You know we like to keep our readers up-to-speed on the hottest new lingo, and we’ve got another one to keep your ears out for: freckling. Describing when you get involved with someone over the long, lazy summer nights but cut them out when it’s time to bring out the jackets come fall, you can read more via Independent here.

ABC’s creepy new dating show

The internet is a-blazin’ over The Proposal, ABC’s new reality dating show. A strange mix between The Dating Game and The Bachelor, contestants compete in “challenges” to “win” a proposal from an eligible bachelor or bachelorette live on air. The catch? They don’t meet them until the very end . . . You can read more via The Outline here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (32:40)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App and those emailed to Damona, including:

  • The best way to go about long-distance love
  • If you can fall in love after a traumatic divorce

And many more . . .

HOLLYWOOD HOOKUP (44:54)

It’s Mary J. Blige’s turn for the Hollywood Hookup, as her divorce was finalized just last week. With a seeming preference for those in showbiz, we think she needs someone respectful, established, and mature. Listen to find out who Damona and Producer Thomas picked.

 

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Dating While Disabled & Pride Month

Our guest co-host this week was Christy Goldstein. The author of the new book Dating While Disabled, Christy stopped by to share her tips for dating with a disability or mental illness.

 

D’S DATING DISH (6:32)

Superstore and Survivor stars are dating

Superstore’s Nico Santos was recently confirmed to be dating Zeke Smith of Survivor! The cute couple posted a photo of them celebrating Pride just last week, and they’ve been photographed together at the GLAAD Awards and in Palm Springs earlier this year. You can read more via US Magazine.

Another roundup of dating terms

We like to keep you on the front-edge of new dating lingo, so we’ve got another collection of terms to report on, from “shaveducking” to “drafting” to “dationship.” You can read more via Mama Mia here.

The value of “sober dating”

Studies are in, and they confirm that nearly 37% of people drink before going on a date, with 50% enjoying two-to-three drinks while on the actual date itself. The long story short? This is a lot of booze, and you may be better off getting to know someone while in full control of your faculties. You can read more via Psychology Today here.

Women cheat to save their relationships

In a new study on women who cheat, it was determined that the vast majority do so in order to stay married, having certain needs met elsewhere while still acting as a wife and mother. You can read more via The Sun here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (33:45)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App and those emailed to Damona, including:

  • How to handle feeling stuck with a narcissist fiance
  • How to approach a timid person when wanting to take a friendship to the next level
  • How to feel when your significant other says they’ll watch porn if you don’t send them nudes

And many more . . .

ROMANCE ROLLBACK (45:12)

In honor of Pride Month, we thought we’d use the Romance Rollback to explore the history of Pride and LGBTQIA rights in America.

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Breaking Up & Bouncing Back

Our guest co-host this week was Samantha Burns, the Millennial Love Expert. She discussed strategies from her upcoming book, Breaking Up & Bouncing Back, for overcoming the loss of a relationship and learning to love again.

 

D’S DATING DISH (2:16)

A Bustle study on the most frustrating parts of being single

Female Bustle readers aged 18 to 35 were asked about love and the biggest frustrations related to their relationship status. With surprising data on everything from what single women are focused on to how often they go on dates, you can read more via Bustle here.

How marriage changes your personality

A new study asked married couples about personality changes during the first 18 months of marriage. Asking about extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism, you can read about the results via Huffington Post here.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas?

Though nobody thought to see this one coming, it would appear as if the Bollywood and boy band stars have a spark flying between them. You can read more via Channel News Asia here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (29:46)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App and those emailed to Damona, including:

  • What to do if you keep getting requests for full body pictures
  • How to handle a crush on someone who is taken
  • What to do if you and your significant other don’t click via text

And many more . . .

DAMONA’S DIATRIBE (45:49)

Damona has a lot of steam to blow off, and up this week in the crosshairs are those who continually ask why they’re single without doing anything to change . . .

Love Addiction & Dating Intuition

Our guest co-host this week was psychotherapist and life coach Sherry Gaba. She joined us to talk about her latest book, in addition to giving us tips on how to kick an addiction to love.

 

D’S DATING DISH (4:05)

Dating lowers self-esteem and increases depressions

In addition to the scientific fact that rejection stimulates the part of the brain that processes physical pain, online dating can also affect how we see ourselves. A recent study shows that individuals who use dating apps have lower self-esteem than those who don’t. Coupled with the fact that one in six participants admitted to being addicted to finding a date, 97% of men saying as much, and that 54% of women feel burned out by the whole thing, online dating and mental health may not be the best of friends. You can read more via CNN here.

Millennial couples are in no hurry to get hitched

If they millennial couples make it to the altar at all, they’re taking their sweet time! Nowadays it’s not uncommon to spend the better part of a decade dating before tying the knot, with the average time between 25-34-year-olds now at 6.5 years. The median age for men is now 29.5, with 27.4 for women. You can read more via Straits Times here.

Hip hop royalty dating rumors

Eminem and Nicki Minaj are looking like they may be an item, with a flirty Instagram comment making reference to the coupling, in addition to Em asking audiences at recent concerts how they’d feel about it. They’ve paired together in the studio before, do you think they can be a match in real life? You can read more via FOX News here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (30:08)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App and those emailed to Damona, including:

  • What to do if your dating pool has shrunk after 50
  • What to do if you find compromising photos on your husband’s phone
  • How to react if you find out your boyfriend was abusive to an ex

And many more . . .

DAMONA’S DIATRIBE (45:27)

Every once in awhile Damona gets a little riled up, and this week she saw fit to square up and face complainers head on.

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Feng Shui for Love & Flirting at Work

Our guest co-host this week was Inessa Freylekhman, a Feng Shui Master Trainer and licensed therapist. Inessa gave us tips on how to bring the energy of love into our homes and amplify the passion in a relationship using Feng Shui principles.

 

INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS (2:16)

In this new segment, Damona will be sharing some words of inspiration to start our show off on a positive foot and hopefully brighten your week. Up this week was synchronicity: notice what is coming up in your life repeatedly, and be sure to ask yourself why.

D’S DATING DISH (4:36)

Bad relationships are literally bad for your health

A new study from Keck at USC shows that the results of a bad relationship affect far more than your emotional state. With everything from weight gain to high blood pressure to literal heart attacks, it’s time to take care of any toxicity in your personal relationships before you feel the negative effects. You can read more via Forbes here.

The key to losing weight as a couple

If you’ve tried and failed at losing weight alongside your partner, a new study may shine some light as to why. The environment in which you’re losing weight is key, and partners can occasionally not be on the same page in terms of the best methods of support and encouragement. You can read more via Science Daily here.

Will Smith wasn’t single when he got with Jada Pinkett Smith

Waves rippled through the Hollywood world when Jada Pinkett Smith revealed in a recent interview that her husband Will Smith was married to another woman when they met. Although the relationship was effectively over, not everyone was a fan of Smith shacking up with a technically taken man. You can read more via Elite Daily here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (37:25)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App, including:

  • How to handle a co-worker that could be getting a little too flirty
  • How to tell your parents you’re bi
  • What to do if you can’t stop thinking about your ex with another man

And many more . . .

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