032 - The Power of Pleasure

What if pleasure wasn’t a luxury, but a vital part of your wellbeing, confidence and leadership?

In this solo episode, Lorraine Crookes dives deep into the transformative power of sexual energy and pleasure - not just in the bedroom, but in every part of your life and business. From physical health and stress reduction to emotional resilience and communication, Lorraine unpacks why pleasure is your birthright and how to reclaim it without shame.

You’ll also hear practical tips for connecting with your body, scheduling pleasure, and nurturing authentic relationships. Whether you’re a visionary leader or just starting to explore your sexual self, this episode is a powerful reminder: pleasure isn’t extra. It’s essential.

🎧 Listen now and start leading from the inside out.

Visit the Orgasmic Life website for more information

Proudly edited by Mike at Making Digital Real

Transcript

Hello and welcome to Business Success, the podcast where sexual empowerment meets embodied leadership. I'm your host Lorraine Crookes, sexual empowerment liberator, international speaker, author and CEO of Orgasmic Life. This podcast is for leaders, change makers and those visionaries who are ready to harness the power of sexual energy, not just in the bedroom but in business. 

Together we'll explore how this potent life force can fuel your purpose, ignite your passion, elevate your performance and expand your profit. We're talking real conversations, radical embodiment and a professional approach that's playful, powerful and unapologetically you. So if you're ready to lead from the inside out with confidence, clarity and a whole lot of pleasure, you are in the right place.

Let's dive in to Business Success. Welcome to Business Success and in today's episode we are talking about the power of pleasure. How many of us really connect to pleasure and understand that a healthy sex life not only is amazing to have but also boosts our body and our mind and has so many health benefits. 

That's what we're going to discuss today. So beyond the bedroom and the amazingness that sex intimacy and pleasure can bring us, we often forget that a fulfilling sex life can improve our physical health, can reduce stress, can deepen our emotional bond to ourself as well as to our partner and even sharpen our cognitive function. Beyond the bedroom sex intimacy and pleasure really can help us in so many different ways and we are here today to explore the benefits of intimacy and why prioritising pleasure is an absolutely essential component to our overall well-being. 

I know in the work I do when I'm having conversations with people, when I'm discussing about personal health and well-being, we often hear about the importance of nutrition, movement, rest, mindfulness, there's like a huge list of things and all of those 100% are really important. Nutrition we know is important, movement is definitely important, rest is definitely important, mindfulness, there's so many other elements to looking after ourselves that can really support our personal health and well-being. But rarely, if not never, do we talk about the role of pleasure. 

We don't hear about the role that pleasure can play in our lives and particularly sexual pleasure and how it can have an integral part of helping us with our mind and our body. And it is an integral part of a conversation that we really, really, really should be having. Sex intimacy and pleasure isn't just about a relationship with ourselves with someone else, this is about our whole well-being. 

Our sexual well-being significantly influences how we feel, it significantly influences how we function and it significantly influences how we connect to ourselves, to others and to the world. It's a really vital part of who we are. Now as you know, I'm someone who supports individuals to really build their connection to pleasure and to confidently embrace their sexual energy. 

And I've seen firsthand the profound impact that a healthy relationship with pleasure can have. When we really connect to pleasure, we can cultivate so many different new experiences. And when we cultivate intimacy without shame, without fear, without judgment, we can open a door to so many beautiful things. 

We can open a door to vitality, resilience and to just be connected to a more authentic life. Now what I'm going to discuss today is literally an overview of the layers and it may be at a later date I go into you know the the real physical side and the emotional side and the different aspects. But let's just take a moment really just to think about, okay Lorraine we get it there is probably going to be some physical, mental, emotional benefits. 

But what are they? So the physical benefits of pleasure are really around the sexual activity and how it can be incredibly beneficial to our physical well-being. Regular intimacy contributes to our cardiovascular well-being, it improves our circulation, it supports hormonal balance and encourages better sleep. In fact the act of sexual connection, whether partnered or on your own, triggers the release of natural chemicals in the body. 

Natural chemicals that really promote relaxation, reduce pain and help regulate our nervous system. When we connect to physical pleasure it stimulates our immune function, it supports our body's natural healing processes. All those beautiful things that come as part of pleasure and intimacy like touch, arousal, orgasm are not only just for pleasure but they deeply nourish our body. 

They deeply help us connect to our body's internal systems. I think many people think that sexual well-being and pleasure is dependent on age or gender or relationship status. It is so not. 

Everyone has access to this healing power, this potential power of our own sexuality and it's down to us to really work out how we can connect to that, what's good for us, what makes us happy, what gives us pleasure and really tapping into that energy knowing how our body can feel and benefit from it. When we really get the body pumping and the juices flowing it builds our immune system, it helps us de-stress, it helps us sleep. There's just so many so many so many amazing things.

It really does help our body on a physical physical level. So as well as physical there are also other benefits. Benefits of sexual intimacy go way beyond the physical. 

A fulfilling sex life also supports mental clarity, improves focus, enhances emotional regulation. How? I hear you say. Well that's really due to the brain's responses to pleasure and connection.

Just take a moment to think about like when was the last time that you really experienced pleasure? Now this doesn't have to be in the bedroom, this could be like at the gym, it could be going for a walk, it could be sitting in the park, it could be spending time with family. How did it make you feel? It really encourages that release of hormones that can foster calmness, trust, motivation, the happy chemicals, the happy hormones. It can help us tap into that energy that really supports us and helps us to feel more secure, more connected. 

When we're in the space of sex intimacy and pleasure, whether it's loving relationships, solar exploration, whatever it might be, we become so much better equipped to manage stress, to navigate the changes of daily life because we're kind of topping up those feel-good chemicals which means that those challenges just don't seem to sit the same because we've got a balance. Many people find that embracing their sexuality also helps improve their self-esteem, their confidence, the greater overall life satisfaction and I've seen this time and time again. I've seen this in Tantra, the work I do with Tantra, I've seen this in workshops, I've seen this in talks where people, when they realise how they can connect to their sexual energy, when they realise and give themselves permission to explore and express their sexual energy in a healthy empowering way, they break through so many layers of life. 

They break through layers of confidence, they break through layers of self-esteem and just ooze a bit more of their natural self and I've seen them have crazy huge breakthroughs in other areas of their life, not just in the bedroom but in their careers, in creativity, in other relationships because when we're connected to who we are, when we're connected to our most powerful sexual self, when we're connected to pleasure, we expand in our energy, we expand in our confidence, we've got that little bit of sass in our step and a little bit of swag that just means we show up so much differently in the world and I know I've talked about this in many other podcasts but it is so important. Sex, intimacy and pleasure helps us step into our energy, it helps us create this yumminess which ripples through our body, ripples through our energy, ripples through who we are. So the other thing that I find as well when we're connected to the power of pleasure is that we do have much better connection and communication. 

So one of the things that benefits sex, intimacy and pleasure is communication and I think most of us would agree that that is pretty much a core aspect of it. Sexual intimacy when we approach with openness, communication, respect really deepens emotional connection and can really strengthen communication and when we build that communication it encourages that vulnerability, that honesty, that greater awareness of personal and relationship needs. Pleasure really helps create a real beautiful space that helps people to develop a not just a physical closeness but an emotional safety and trust. 

Whether it's a long-term partnership, new connection, the ability to engage in honest respectful conversations is about that desire, that boundary. It enriches both the sexual experience and the overall quality of any relationship. Oh I love this stuff so much, like the pleasure can help us in so many different ways. 

That pleasure can help us connect to not only our physical well-being or emotional well-being, it can develop our communication skills, it can enrich our lives in so many ways and it's such an important aspect to understand that our sexual well-being is not solely defined by how often we have it, the type we have, the performance, like whatever it might look like, whether it's intercourse, whether it's just foreplay, like whatever it is, pleasure is pleasure. Pleasure exists in so many forms, gentle touch, sensual movement, breath work, massage, even just the simple act of being present with someone and having a connection. It doesn't have to be swinging off the chandeliers, it doesn't have to be every day of the week, it doesn't have to be something kinky or outrageous. 

Pleasure is about connecting to a feeling and an emotion, it's about how we relate to our bodies and what gives us pleasure. So why don't we do it? Why are so many of us not using this amazing tool to help us in our mind, in our body, in our communication, in our life? Now I believe that for most of us that's because we still carry a lot of shame or discomfort around sexuality due to past experiences, due to trauma, due to societal messages and conditioning. We see it often as something we have to do, something that is time consuming, something that is, I don't know, for so many people it's so many different things, but I think it gets left, in fact I know it gets left, it's almost the last thing on the to-do list. 

If you really believe that sex intimacy and pleasure is a tool for a better healthy body, a better healthy mind, then it should be within our everyday life. It's almost like if we make time for the gym and we make time to cook healthy food and we make time to go for a walk, why aren't we making time for intimacy and pleasure? Reclaiming our relationship with pleasure often means unlearning those narratives of social conditioning, of our own messages that we've convinced ourselves, of the way we were brought up, of our rubbish sex education, of all the things that we've learned about what sex intimacy and pleasure is. So what can we do about it? Well I guess really it's about returning to the place of curiosity, compassion, embodiment, playfulness. 

Play. When was the last time we had pleasure through play? Adults need to play. When did we get told? When did we learn? When did we lose the ability to have fun and play and connect to pleasure? I have so many clients that I support through emotional and physical healing and I have seen this time and time again. 

I always get so emotional when I'm talking about this. I've seen this time and time again. I know that when reconnecting with pleasure, when really reconnecting with pleasure, you can transform your whole life or goosebumps. 

Pleasure offers the opportunity to release old wounds, to restore trust in your body, to walk with more confidence. When you connect to your body and you become really at one with your body, you can't help but become more confident, to embrace life with greater joy and greater aliveness. So with all the things in your life that you make a priority, stick pleasure on the list. 

Add it to your daily rituals, your routines, your habits. In our fast-paced world that's goal-orientated, focused on things that are more about doing than being, prioritizing pleasure may seem self-indulgent, but in truth, it's not. Pleasure is a fundamental human need. 

In fact, pleasure is a birthright. That is our birthright, is to be here and enjoy the life we have, to seek pleasure, to have connection, to be intimate with ourselves and with someone else. It contributes to our physical health. 

It supports our mental resilience and it enriches every single relationship in our life. If you're enjoying this juicy conversation and ready to go deeper beyond the podcast, why not head over to orgasmiclife.me. Whether you want to book me as a speaker, step into embodied leadership or go all in with a one-to-one, your next level self is just one bold click away. Come on, let's get you empowered from the inside out. 

If you give yourself permission to experience joy and connection and cultivate a healthy, more balanced life, I can guarantee magic will happen. Think about where some of your priorities may lay. Do you think connecting to a bit of pleasure might help you get through some of that in a more connected, resilient, joyful way? Whether through physical intimacy, emotional connection or sensual self-care, pleasure is something that invites us all to slow down, to listen to our bodies, to honour what feels good and yummy. 

It really does help us show up more fully in our lives, personally, professionally and in our relationships. I know when I really started to connect to pleasure, when I really experienced pleasure in my body and in my relationships, my intimate relationships, I became more confident as a sexual human being. I became more confident as a woman.

I became more confident as a mum, as a daughter. When I took time to really let go of my shame, let go of my fears, let go of the judgment I had around sex, intimacy and pleasure. When I surrendered to the experience, when I allowed myself to tap into the experiences I wanted to have, I found layers of myself that had been locked away. 

I became a different person. I became more confident. I became more connected. 

And in truth, when I was having a tough week, knowing that I was making time for pleasure, some days just even on a head level got me through the week. You know, if I knew that at the weekend I would have that opportunity to really connect to myself, to a partner, whatever that may be, even on that level, it helped me manage my stress. But the endorphins and the serotonin and the dopamine, I mean, all of those beautiful love chemicals, all of that juicy stuff helps us on so many different levels. 

Honestly, I could talk about this for a week. I could talk about this for a week. And it is important. 

Pleasure is powerful. It's not something that should be earned or hidden. It's something that should be embraced as part of our everyday well-being, finding time in our day for pleasure, put it in the diary, get it on the calendar, schedule it in, whatever pleasure looks like for you. 

A healthy sex life offers far more than momentary satisfaction. When you're really connected to it, it enhances your physical vitality, sharpens your mind, it nurtures your heart, it fosters deep connection with yourself and others. So, okay, we get it. 

We know where the benefits are. We can kind of see that. How do we do it? How do we integrate pleasure into our everyday life? So I'm now going to give you some tips. 

So if you're in a place where you can grab a pen and paper, if you've got time to even maybe go and try some of these now, that'd be awesome. That'd be getting the scheduled time straight away. These are beautiful practices that can really help. 

And I'm just going to give you like four or five because it's always a good place to start with some simple activities that can really just bring you home because many of us have become very disconnected over time. So when we can just have a few practices that we can start connecting back to ourselves and realizing that we can build on this, helping to connect to connection and presence and self awareness is a really good start. And that's what I'm focusing on on these few activities, ideas I'm going to share with you now. 

So the first one is about really coming home to your body and connecting to your body. So start each day with spending some time tuning into physical sensations. So this might be mindful movement. 

It might be just connecting to your body, touching your body. I don't know why I'm demonstrating it because you can't see me, but I was stretching, self massage. Just move, move your body without judgment.

Just move it. It could be skipping around the kitchen while you're getting ready. It could be just moving yourself in the shower and really moving your hips and being more conscious in moving your body. 

It could be doing a few stretches. Whatever it is, get moving, connect to your body, but not just do it. Feel the sensations, feel the stretch, feel the twitch, feel the heartbeat, feel all of it. 

And the goal is to build the awareness and appreciation of how your body feels and responds to movement. We, as a, as a, as an entity, as a, as a being, as a person are carried around in this beautiful physical space called our body. And often we just ignore what it's telling us. 

We ignore its physical presence. We ignore the aches and the pains, and we don't allow it to be part of our pleasure experience on a daily basis from, from moment to moment. So some self massage, but really be with that experience, massaging your hands, massaging your feet, tickling yourself, playing with your erogenous zones, whatever it might be. 

Come home to your home, to your body, be with your body. And when you've done that movement, just allow yourself a couple of minutes, just to stop and feel into what the sensations are. Where are the tingles? Where can you feel the energy moving? What are the pain points? Where are the aches? What's tingling? What's not tingling? What's hurting? Like whatever it might be, just be with the experience, connect back to your physical body. 

And that will also help improve sex intimacy and pleasure in the bedroom. Because when you're more in tune with your body and you understand your space, you're not just handing it over to somebody else as and when you connect with somebody. This is your body. 

Understand it, connect to it, reconnect to it, be with it. It's yours. And often many of us only experience our body at the hands of somebody else. 

Come home to it and really experience it. The next one is schedule the pleasure. So just as you would the gym, a meeting, a date, lunch, whatever it might be. 

You have times during the day where you do things. Most of us have a schedule of some description. Consciously make space for pleasure. 

Whether that's alone, intimacy with a partner, just enjoying something that makes you feel good. Whether it's time alone, intimacy with a partner, just simply something that you really enjoy. Prioritize it every day, which reinforces its value. 

Something that really makes you feel good. Now, don't be in a position where you think, I go walking every day and that's nice. So I'll just take that off as my pleasure thing.

Really, let's expand this. Self-pleasure connected to an experience that really, really gives you pleasure. And let's go for the physical pleasure. 

Not ticking the box because we feel like we might have done it. Schedule in physical pleasure to activate, stimulate, energize your body. So schedule it in. 

Five, 10, 15, 20, hour, however long you want. Schedule some time in. And actually, little and often is a great way to start. 

It's a great way to start. Another one would be about communicating with a partner if you're in a relationship. So really start building up those communications. 

Start having open dialogue. Now, open dialogue is essential if you're in a relationship. Find time to discuss desires, boundaries, talk about what makes you feel good without any pressure or expectation. 

This is what I enjoy. This is what I like. This is what makes my body feel good. 

Start having some of those conversations. Honest communication can really deepen connection and build trust. Now, many people find talking about intimacy and pleasure, boundaries, desires, very challenging.

And if you don't know how to start that or you don't know how to instigate that conversation, you can always say that you were randomly listening to a podcast. And there was this bizarre woman called Lorraine that was just talking about this stuff. And you wondered, could you have a conversation about it? Could you make some time to discuss desires, boundaries, and what feels good? And asking your partner, what is it you really enjoy? What really turns you on? What really excites you? What makes you happy? What turns you on? And I think taking turns to share that information, being honest and open. 

Communication is a real foundation and the bricks and water of any relationship. And I think many relationships are very good at talking about the day-to-day stuff, but I think the bedroom stuff can become a little bit more challenging. And just being aware that it might be a challenge for both of you. 

It might only be a challenge for one of you. And obviously, there might be more than two people in the relationship, but however many people are in the relationship, but having that conversation can be difficult. So bringing it up with curiosity, sharing it with openness, not having it as a conversation of blame, taking responsibility for your own feelings, your own emotions, and your own needs without finger pointing, without creating a situation that becomes challenging, but a situation that becomes expanding. 

And things won't move forward in a relationship without that communication. So another thing to do is explore without pressure. I think pleasure often becomes a repetitive thing where you find you do the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. 

And you just stick to what you know. And pleasure's personal, but it is ever-changing. Our bodies change, our minds change, our partners might change, but things can change. 

So give yourself permission to explore and explore what works for you, whether that's through sensual touch, breathwork, erotic stories, my book, Google it, it might be. Let curiosity lead. Treat the bedroom as an exciting space, as a playground of opportunity, and focus less on the performance, but more on the exploration.

Pleasure is a practice. It takes practice. It is a practice. 

And the more you engage with it intentionally, the more it becomes a natural part of how you can nourish every part of your well-being. Pleasure is, I'm just sitting here with goosebumps, because it's just like pleasure is what we're all about. We were designed for pleasure. 

We have pleasure places. We have, you know, amazing skin. We have a creative mind. 

We were designed for this stuff. And we can reclaim pleasure without guilt or shame when we step into a more empowered, confident, fulfilled version of ourselves, when we can step up. And for some of us, this is going to be radical. 

It's going to be a challenge. It's going to be difficult. But when you get to the other side of it, OMG, like this is the most, most, most beautiful act of self-care. 

This is the ultimate self-care. To pleasure the body, which supports your physical health, your mental health, to create pleasure in your body, to connect to pleasure places, to excite, to orgasm, to just be buzzing with energy, is literally what we're here for. Surely that's what we're here for. 

So take some time, try those few things. I think there was three or four there, four maybe, different things to try. As I said, so that's really about connecting to your body, coming home to your body, experiencing your body, not ignoring your body, moving your body, scheduling time for pleasure, communicating, I think with yourself as well as with your partner, but partners can be sometimes a bit more challenging because of societal pressures and how we've been raised. 

And also to explore, don't stick to the same things, try other things, be connected to pleasure in a different way and keep pushing your personal boundaries and growing with it and trying new things and allowing the body to experience different things. There is so much more to this, so much more to this, but for now I'm going to leave you with that to ponder on, to be with, to play with, to pleasure with, on how really a healthy sex life, alone or with someone else, can so boost us in so many different ways and that does include on a physical, emotional and mental level. The serotonin, the dopamine, the endorphins, the adrenaline, all of that chemical stuff supports our body, reduces our stress and just has so many beautiful, beautiful, beautiful benefits. 

Get it scheduled in your life, make it part of what life is about because let's face it, life should be about pleasure because all of us are here to lead an orgasmic life. That's all for now, go and have some fun. Love what you've heard? Don't let that energy stop here. 

Head over to Orgasmic Life and book me as your speaker to light up your next event with power, pleasure and fuelled leadership or discover the Embodied Leadership Retreat that unlocks your charisma, confidence and cash flow or you can work with me one-to-one for a deep, delicious dive into your full turned-on potential. You were never meant to play small, you were made to lead boldly, brilliantly and unapologetically. So go on, take the next step and if you love this episode, why not share the vibe, rate, review or tag someone in who's ready to rise in their business success.