It doesn’t just mean what you like sexually. We experience pleasure in all areas of our life.
Illness and other stressors can change many aspects of our lives including how we experience pleasure and what we enjoy and appreciate. It forces us to face these changes so that we can move forward.
Mindful self-touch, like meditating can settle our mind and our body. Pleasure mapping solo or partnered can be a nonsexual to redefine pleasure. Pleasure mapping can also be used to start to explore pleasure in sexual touch.
This is an exercise for exploring what brings you pleasure at this point in time. It can be an ongoing exercise you use at any point you feel like you need to redefine what pleasure is for you, you can even use it just because it is fun. Find a comfortable spot where and when you will not be disturbed. You can do this exercise in front of a full-length mirror if you have one in your bedroom and can see your reflection from where you are comfortable. This is suggested because it helps with understanding how your body responds and changes during arousal, it is also an opportunity to do a health check on your vulva (like checking your breasts, checking your vulva is an opportunity to check for changes that can be discussed with your doctor). However, it is ok to work up to this if you find this to be an overwhelming concept (if you need someone to talk this through with, speak a sexologist).
You can access sexologists in your area by visiting the Australian Society of Sexologists
