Pleasure & Women's Wellness: Why It Actually Matters More Than All the Health Things You 'Do'
“What lights us up leads us home.”
I LOVE this important topic of pleasure and women’s wellness! 🧡
There are many many things you can do for your health and energy as a woman. I believe prioritizing pleasure has the most far-reaching, potent ripple.
In a world where many/most women have grown up learning to engage their overall wellness in a way that is more honoring of a masculine physiology, pleasure is one lovely (!) gateway to turn this around and include the wisdom of our unique feminine energy, hormonal rhythms and physiology.
Pleasure and women’s wellness are deeply interconnected, particularly from a naturopathic perspective, where we emphasize a holistic approach to health. Naturopathy recognizes that pleasure—whether derived from physical, emotional, or sensory experiences—is essential for hormonal balance, mental health, and overall vitality.
Here's an overview of pleasure’s benefits, ways to bring more in your life and permission to prioritize it and orient to your life with it in mind.🥳
1. The Science of Pleasure and Hormonal Health
Stress Reduction: Pleasure activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping reduce cortisol levels and stress. Chronic stress is linked to hormonal imbalances like adrenal fatigue, PMS, and irregular cycles.
DOSE - Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphins. Engaging in pleasurable activities or consciously bringing more pleasure and enjoyment to any moment boosts the amount of DOSE in your body. Oxytocin (the "love hormone") and dopamine (the "reward chemical") enhance mood, foster connection (root of women’s vitality and a thriving vs surviving physiology), and support reproductive health.
Sexual Pleasure: Connection to our God-given, beautiful sexual energy opens an often not accessed portal of energy, vitality and radiance. Transforming the blocks that have us feel held back or disconnected or at some level shy/ashamed of our natural, sacred sexual essence is one of the biggest shifts a woman can make for her overall health. It impacts what’s possible in all areas of our lives and regular sex and/or orgasm is key for our pelvic floor health, optimizing blood flow and tissue health and hormonal health.
2. Mealtime Nourishment and Pleasure
Sensory Eating: Eating with mindfulness enhances digestion and nutrient absorption. Enjoying meals slowly and with gratitude creates a pleasurable eating experience. Through spices and textures that awaken your senses or maybe adding something to your mealtime environment (a candle or music you love) being in exploration and curiosity as to how you can increase pleasure and enjoyment of how you fuel and nourish your body is incredible beneficial for women’s health.
Nutritional Support: Foods rich in magnesium, omega-3s, and B vitamins (e.g., dark chocolate, ceremonial cacao as a healthy coffee substitute, salmon, nuts, and leafy greens) support neurotransmitters linked to mood and pleasure.
3. Movement as a Source of Joy
Dance and Play: Incorporating movement that feels good—like dance or yoga—releases endorphins and supports lymphatic flow.
Intuitive Exercise: Listening to your body and engaging in movement that sparks joy prevents burnout and fosters sustainability in fitness routines.
4. Connection to Nature and Self
Grounding Practices: Spending time in nature is a pleasurable way to reduce inflammation, balance cortisol, and experience greater calm and mental clarity.
Self-Care Rituals: rituals like dry brushing, self-massage, aromatherapy, and warm epsom salt baths enhance sensory pleasure and as a bonus support our natural detoxification pathways.
5. Emotional Pleasure and Creativity
Journaling and Art: Creative outlets provide emotional catharsis and joy, which naturopathy views as vital for emotional and physical health.
Mindfulness and Gratitude: Practices like meditation and gratitude journaling foster a sense of abundance and joy, helping rewire the brain for positivity.
6. Supporting Sexual Wellness
Herbal Remedies: Adaptogens like ashwagandha and maca root can enhance libido and energy.
Pelvic Floor Health: Regular engagement in pelvic floor exercises and addressing tension is key. A pelvic floor physiotherapist can be a great support. Yoni herbal steams are gaining popularity again to support sexual wellness.
Somatic Yoga Therapy with myself, Dr. Monika is a gentle, effective way to release past, stuck energy in the pelvis and allow healing energy to move freely there, optimizing wellness and sense of connection and empowerment. If your hips or low back are tight your sexual energy is likely stuck and this is impacting the quality of your life whether you are aware of this or not. Often what is to be released is not even personal - tied to genetic, ancestral imprints that science is now discovering has biological markers. Bonuses of freeing stuck energy are not only vitality and a return/increase of a women’s juush and natural joy for life but also a deeper more palpable connection to Spirit/higher Power, her inner knowing and an unleashing of her creativity —— it’s all related I’ve discovered.
I hope this was ignitng and brings you into inspired action around this today.❤️
I am here as your wingwoman to support you in feeling healthy, empowered, happy and free … to be truly thriving in your life so you can live a rich, fulfilling life of connection, meaningful impact and joy.
Much love and warmth to you. Join me if you can in the warm sun and sand of Xinalani, Mexico for a woman’s wellness retreat like no other! xo, Dr. Monika😊
Understanding what our bodies truly need to support us live out our highest potentials is foundational to moving off a path of burnout/surviving and into your birthright of thriving! 💕 (And isn’t it nice that the biggest shift isn’t really about another thing to do as much as a shift in being, sensing and our experiencing,)
