Permission for Pleasure – Details, episodes & analysis

Have you ever been curious to explore new ways to communicate through touch? Anne-Lorraine Selke, the creator of Touchcards, shares why she created a card deck that offers people ways to “rediscover the richness of touch with the people you love.” She gives us examples from intimate cards to playful ones, as we offer ways to bring more connection into your relationships through touch. 

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Mentioned in this episode:
Touch pleasure practice
Touch lexicon: What are you saying with your touch
Hillary McBride on embodiment
Bedroom Games

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Engage in flirty conversation to add some playful energy to your relationship. These “Would you rather” game questions offer you an easy way to play together and can spark meaningful discussion if something takes you by surprise! Use this episode on your next date night, long car ride or walk around the block.

Mentioned in this episode:
Bedroom Games
Permission for Pleasure: Tending Your Sexual Garden on GoodReads
Toys, Fantasy and Play in the Bedroom
24 Communication Starters and Questions
When a Partner Wants to Try Something New

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Self-touching or masturbation is one healthy way to be sexual, but certainly not the only way. From investigating your sexual ethics to creating your own sensual playlist, movement, and more - these ideas will help you explore being a sexual person outside of masturbation.

Mentioned in this episode:
10 Ideas - no masturbation required
My letter to young women
Questions to ask yourself with Cyndi Darnell
Sensuality on the blog
Using your senses for pleasure
Sexy playlist
Reconnecting to yourself and to your body
Mindfulness with Dr. Lori Brotto
Your body, mind and nervous system with Aurora

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Did you know your brain is your most important sex organ?! This quickie episode is an introduction to the roll your brain plays in sexual response. There is a two-part system, an accelerator and a brake. A lot of people think there might be something wrong with their ON or accelerator, but most often the issues are with your OFF or brake. Listen and learn about questions to ask yourself that will help you to investigate what might be turning you ON or OFF.

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“Attention training through mindfulness may be part of the recipe for cooking up sexual desire.” Dr. Lori Brotto and I continue our conversation about desire. Part Two gets practical, providing helpful tools to cultivate desire. Our discussion includes: the power of attention training and mindfulness, why sexual communication is essential, and the value of variety in encouraging arousal and desire in women.

Dr. Lori Brotto is a Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and a Registered Psychologist in Vancouver, Canada. She is the Executive Director of the Women's Health Research Institute of BC, director of the UBC Sexual Health Laboratory and author of Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire.

Read my book review of Dr. Brotto's book

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Do you want to know how sexual desire actually works and how to cultivate it? Dr. Lori Brotto shares the research-based truth about desire in this two-part episode. Part One includes the causes of low desire, and the things that affect it.  If you thought  it was all about the hormones,  Brotto says, “Mood, sense of well-being, body image, self-esteem, and how a woman feels about her partner turned out to be far stronger predictors of her level of sexual desire than a single hormone.” What you hear in this conversation might literally transform your sex life! 

Dr. Lori Brotto is a Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and a Registered Psychologist in Vancouver, Canada. She is the Executive Director of the Women's Health Research Institute of BC, director of the UBC Sexual Health Laboratory and author of Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire.

Read my  book review of Dr. Brotto's book

ORDER my Book: Permission for Pleasure: Tending Your Sexual Garden
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Silence is the enemy of sexual health education and most people go through life experiencing this silence. Join Dr. Kristen Mark and I for a discussion about why sex education really matters for our children, for adults, and for all of us throughout our lifespan. We can never truly have enough education about sexuality because we are constantly changing, as are our bodies and relationships. You’ll hear what the data shows about comprehensive sex education, how couples can navigate sexual difficulties, and the importance of pleasure as part of the conversation!

Kristen Mark, PhD, MPH, CSE  is the Joycelyn Elders endowed chair in sexual health education and tenured professor at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health in the University of Minnesota Medical School.
www.kristenmark.com
theabstinenceproject.com

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Welcome 2022 and Season Two! This podcast is designed to help women express, experience and enjoy their sexuality. We’ll be having more rich conversations with experts, plenty of sexual health education, and a whole lot of learning how to talk about sex. This community is a place where you will hear good education, gain confidence, and be prompted to open your own conversations about all things sexual health. Cheers to  giving ourselves permission for pleasure!

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A bonus episode all about orgasms! We have combined a few highlights of the many conversations we have had about the Big O in Season One. From faking them to ranking them, this remix is full of facts and healthy reframes for learning to experience more pleasure. Thank you for being a part of this podcast community, and please follow the show on your favorite listening platform. Cheers to the New Year and giving yourself more permission for pleasure!

Episodes 1, 2, 9, 11 & 19

Featured Guests:
Dr. Laurie Mintz -  Episode 2 (3:39)
Dr. Erica Marchand - Episode 9 (5:14)
Dr. Uchenna Ossai  Episode 11 (9:11)

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ORDER my Book: Permission for Pleasure: Tending Your Sexual Garden
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Just in time for holiday season, here is a quickie episode about sex and connection when you’re short on time. Listen for some reasons why quickies can be a valuable part of your sexy lineup, and a few ideas to try. Now, about those kisses. Are you hungry for kisses that mean something? Kisses that are more than a mere gesture? Here’s my thoughts on kisses that move you toward connection, the savoring kind!

Take the SURVEY

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ORDER my Book: Permission for Pleasure: Tending Your Sexual Garden
JOIN my Newsletter: Good Education for Good Sex
FOLLOW on Instagram @cindyscharkey
VISIT my website and blog