Dr. Patti and the SCU team recently published an article, “A Fresh Start: Using Pleasure as a Source for Healing in 2021” in the January 2021 issue of SHE Magazine. The article discusses a new way of prioritizing pleasure and healing in 2021. Last year was traumatizing for all of us. Some of the effects of that trauma are long-lasting and likely will continue into 2021, so prioritizing healing is more vital now than ever. 

Lasting Effects

This article discusses some of the many lasting effects we are all experiencing after living through 2020. Touch hunger from isolation, anxiety from the intense election, and living through a global pandemic are just a few. 

This stress stores itself in our bodies. Developing coping mechanisms to release or process it can help us go into this next year clear and refreshed. Multiple options exist to clear this stress, including yoga, meditation, or mindfulness practices. We suggest a different route in this article—pleasure!

Masturbation Ritual

Pleasure can be a fantastic tool for healing, relaxation, and ridding your body of the trauma brought on by 2020. Bringing mindfulness and intention to a practice just makes it that much more powerful. Due to the different hormones released during sex and masturbation, this article makes the case that a masturbation ritual is a beautiful way of self healing as we move into this year.

We go on to explain that it doesn’t matter how you masturbate. What’s important is the intention behind the ritual. This is a time to devote to YOU. It’s a time to commit yourself to feeling good, and taking care of your body and mind. 

Pleasure with a Partner

The article also discusses ways to use pleasure for healing while in a relationship. We suggest being more mindful of touch and the ways we can use it for healing. Touch, kissing, and other forms of affection release a feel good hormone—we suggest you and your partner use this to your advantage and be more intentional with your affection. 

Take the pressure off by releasing the expectation of sex, and just focus on the pleasure that comes from touch and foreplay. 

Pleasure as a Resolution

This article ultimately encourages the use of pleasure as a New Year Resolution in order to facilitate more care and love to your body and mind. We often focus on things like fitness or financial success when writing our yearly goals. These are great, but when was the last time you truly prioritized pleasure in your life? It can be transforming and magical, and we suggest you try it. 

Read the full article on SHE Magazine here.

Curious about training to become a Certified Sex Coach™? Join the next live Info Session to meet the SCU team and participate in a live Q&A!