The Healing Power of Pleasure

When it comes to health and wellness, pleasure is not automatically what comes to mind. In fact, we keep close tabs on how much enjoyment we allow ourselves to have out of fear that too much gratification will be our downfall.

This conflicted relationship with pleasure is certainly played out in diet culture. The dieting mindset has you denying yourself the pleasure of food through low calorie or fun-free eating.

And certainly when it comes to moving your body, there’s often that same punishing, no-pain, no gain attitude.

Here’s the problem, like all creatures on the planet, our bodies are hard wired to to experience pleasure and joy. In fact, it’s the biochemistry of pleasure that creates the conditions in our bodies that optimize everything we want when it comes to great health.

The same chemicals naturally produced throughout the body that make us feel happy and satisfied, regulate our appetite, support digestion, boost immunity, enhance nutrient assimilation and stimulate metabolism.

The key to pleasure’s health promoting benefits is that it promotes a physiologic relaxation response.

When you’re stressed, your body produces more of the hormone cortisol which has so many health de-railing effects on our best intentions to eat better, feel better and take care of ourselves.

At the same time, receiving pleasure from food can sometimes take up too much focus causing us to short change ourselves in regard to experiencing pleasure in other key areas of our life.

Bottom line, opening up to more pleasure and relaxation returns the body to its natural state of balance.

On the level of the body, pleasure grants enhanced vitality, on the level of the mind and emotions, there’s a sense of well being and good old fun. And spiritually, pleasure’s reward is a connection to the sacred essence of life itself.

Now the secret to activating the healing power of pleasure is making feeling good in your life a priority, consciously tuning in to what delights you, allowing your body and soul what they require to heal and thrive.

We can feel our wholeness and perfection when we allow ourselves to really, truly, experience pleasure.

For a super deep dive on the healing power of pleasure, listen to this week’s podcast: Sex Is Medicine With Certified Tantric Healing Practitioner Devi Ward Erickson. – Oh yes – I’m going there folks! Join me 🙂