This week we have the pleasure, pun intended, of introducing our special guest blogger and Women’s Empowerment and

Pleasure Coach, Gabriella Espinosa. She was incredible to work with! Check her out….

 

“When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty

vessel.”

-Eleanor Brown

 

Prioritize Your Pleasure by Gabriella Espinosa

 

Do you know that amidst the stress, fatigue or overwhelm you may be feeling right now from your menopause symptoms it is still

possible to experience aliveness and pleasure? We often soldier on through our day to ensure that everyone else is happy,

sometimes at the expense of our own wellbeing. But, our bodies are wired to feel good just as they are without pushing, striving or

aiming for results.

Prioritizing pleasure is not selfish or indulgent – it is what makes you human. When you make space to invite pleasure you

expand your capacity to feel more of it and this has a beautiful rippling effect into other areas of your life.

 

Expanding the Concept of Pleasure

 

To begin, it’s really helpful to expand our concept of pleasure. Look for what brings you joy, what lights you up, puts a smile on

your face? Ask yourself: “what makes me feel alive and vibrant?” It could be pausing for a cup of your favorite tea, walks in nature,

dancing, good food – it doesn’t matter. What matters is bringing mindfulness to the things that bring you pleasure, so you can

consciously cultivate more of it. 

 

 

 

What is one thing you can do today to prioritize your pleasure? For some inspiration access a free copy of my Awaken Pleasure

Checklist HERE: 

This is not about making self-care a burdensome ticking exercise. It’s about creating a practice of making time to connect to your

body, your breath and opening yourself to sensation on every level so you can experience greater pleasure, joy, intimacy with

yourself and the world around you. It all starts with you taking time for yourself daily in small ways and basking in the simple

pleasure of what arises for you when you do this. Where in your body do you feel that softening or that spark? How can you keep

that feeling alive as you go about your day?

 

The Breath that Moves You

 

Regular breath work can be particularly transformative in soothing and relaxing your nervous system. Breath work tapers the

release of stress hormones, nurtures emotional wellbeing and presence. Being more present improves your focus and

concentration, and helps you feel confident and empowered. Noticing the sensations your body experiences when breathing can

also be a gateway to noticing other sensations of wellbeing or pleasure that you may have been numbing. Try the following Paced

Breathing practice to invite relaxation:

 

• Sit upright on a chair or your bed

 

• Begin to inhale deeply and softly through your nose on a count of 4.

 

• Exhale slowly and gradually releasing the breath through the nostrils on a count of 8. Slowing the pace of your breath: 1 breath for every 12 seconds. Making the out breath longer than the in breath.

 

• Repeat 5 to 7 breaths for the next minute staying with the practice for 5-10 minutes.

 

• At the end of your practice pause to notice how you feel.

 

• Repeat 2-3 times throughout your day.

 

 

 

 

Move Your Body

 

Navigating change and uncertainty can take its toll on our nervous system when we are being asked to hold so much for ourselves

and for others. Movement is a powerful way to release emotional and physical tension and bring aliveness to areas we have

ignored or forgotten. Moving, dancing, shaking liberates stuck energy and gets things moving to welcome in pleasure. 

 

Choose one song from my pleasure playlist HERE: Start with feeling your feet on the ground and observe how you are feeling in

the moment. Keeping your feet grounded, begin moving your body in an unstructured way, swaying your hips or moving them in

a circular pattern, undulating your spine or waist. Feel whether there are any other areas in your body that need some extra

movement, stretching or shaking out. See if you can gradually release tension from these areas by relaxing and imagining the

tension flowing through your body, down your legs and out your feet into the ground. 

 

Welcoming Rest & Relaxation

 

Welcoming rest is the reset button that returns you to the basics of pleasure allowing you to recover from poor sleep or a busy

week. It cultivates an inner environment of safety and self love – being present to what your needs are and tending to them. From

this place you can choose how to best use your energy. It can take up to 20 minutes for your nervous system to shift into rest and

restore mode. Make rest a muscle that you gradually nourish and strengthen creating small pockets of time – even 5 minutes at

the beginning, in the middle and end of your day

 

Simple Pleasures

 

When you choose to own your pleasure and make a habit of inviting pleasure into your daily life in simple ways this expands your

capacity to feel more of it, and this allows you to show up as a sensually and sexually confident woman. This in turn creates a

beautiful rippling effect in your fulfillment, your business, the money you earn, the intimacy you deepen with yourself and the

world around you.

 
The truth is when your pleasure matters to YOU everyone around you benefits. And everyone around you, from the boardroom to

the bedroom, will support you in prioritizing your pleasure however that feels and looks like to you. So in case you need to hear

this today, Your Pleasure Matters.

 

 

Gabriella Espinosa, is the founder of Women’s Body Wisdom, an Empowerment and Pleasure Coach, a yoga and somatic

movement teacher based in Austin, Texas. She is passionate about empowering women to own their pleasure, power and purpose

in midlife. Follow her on Instagram @gabriellaespinosa and find out more about her workshops, retreats and coaching programs

HERE.