Pleasure for One: The Ultimate Form of #SelfCare
In this day and age, there’s a lot of talk about the importance of self-care to counteract our 24/7 high-stress lives.
Yoga.
Meditation.
A walk in the park sans cell phone to “unplug.”
But what about self-love?
This #TiaTalk, I’m diving into pleasure-for-one, breaking down the physical, mental and emotional benefits of masturbation to give you a new recipe for your ultimate #selfcaresunday.
Oh solo sex how do we love thee?!
Or, in other words:
For real though, research shows that those full body “O” tingles are as good for your mind as they are for your vagina.
Here’s why: having an orgasm is correlated with a release of oxytocin & prolactin in the brain, which are hormones associated with love, bonding and most importantly DE-STRESSING!
All those feelings of warmth and relaxation can make for a better night of sleep.
That’s right, the keys to a more chill (and well-rested) you are, quite literally, in your hands 😘
Pain relief au natural
Some research shows that these hormones released after an orgasm can relieve different kinds of pain, most notably PMS and period cramps.
During an orgasm, the uterus contracts and increases blood flow to the pelvic region so that blood comes out faster and may ease those knives-in-your-uterus feels.
For this reason many women use self-love as their personal au natural Midol, which is especially great if partnered period sex isn’t your cup of tea.
Solo sex can also help us feel more confident in our bodies.
Once we see and experience how truly amazing our bodies are and what they’re capable of, it can help us feel more powerful in any aspect of our lives outside of the sheets.
It also really helps in terms of interrupting those monkey mind thoughts 🙉 where we just keep going over and over something in our head.
Self-love brings us back to ourselves and tunes out all that outside noise. It can be a meditative practice for some people! Putting the “om” in orgasm, am I right?
Why solo sex is key to partnered sex.
The first rule of orgasming is that if you are able to go 💥 yourself, you’re more likely to be able to do it with a partner.
Exploring the ways you like to touch yourself can help you play show & tell with your partners and most importantly, communicate what you like and don’t like!
Furthermore, masturbation can enhance partnered sex, and make those hot and heavy sessions even hotter 🔥🔥🔥
If you’re lookin’ to spice things up, consider bringing self-pleasure into your partnered sex life by doing it together.
While there’s no right or wrong way to practice self-lovin’, here are a few #TiaTips to get you going:
#1: Set the mood by lighting candles, soaking in a bath or playing your fave sexy-time music.
If fantasies are your thing, watch a movie/show with your celebrity crush and imagine yourself with them.
#2: Try not to obsess over reaching orgasm. Self-loving isn’t about getting somewhere, it’s about the journey.
You’ll feel those feel-good vibes with the spectrum of pleasure not JUST orgasm!
#3: If you’re feeling stuck on technique, check out my friends at O.school and OMGYes for safe, instructional resources and cutting edge research on self-pleasure.
If like me, you’re on team #scienceissexy, you’ll dig these guys.
And lastly, remember that whether you’re single, partnered, casually dating or anything else, self-loving is a great way to more deeply understand your own pleasure and reap the full mind, body, soul benefits that come with it — so give it a whirl!
Confidently yours,
Tia ❤️
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Tia is a personal, private women’s health advisor you message with about birth control, sexual health, periods and more. Made by a team of women’s health experts, Tia knows you, learns you, and is your go-to for all those “ugh!” , “oops…”, and “huh?” moments. On Tuesdays, we surface the top *anonymous* questions from the community and report back with the answer. Have a burning q you want us to tackle? Leave it in the comments below or email info@asktia.com.
