You might want to stop calling it masturbation because the word masturbation literally means “to disturb with the hand.” Devi Ward calls it “the art of self pleasure.” What’s wrong with touching your own pleasure parts? Absolutely nothing, as long as it’s private or consensual, and it’s good for you. In fact, not only does pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, have a number of physiological benefits, but it can heal emotional trauma as well! In her book, “Shake Your Soul-Song!: A Woman’s Guide To Self-Empowerment Through The Art Of Self-Pleasure” Devi Ward describes how taking time for pleasure every day can transform your life. Also, the amount of time you take is important too, this is not about “getting it over with.” She’ll describe the difference between climax and orgasm, and why it’s essential to more pleasure. Also, we’ll talk about the importance of relaxation and the parasympathetic nervous system in health and well-being. (Thanks to Fields of Heather for this photo of Devi.) What about those “guilty pleasures” like ice cream? Is there a way to transform the experience to make it both more pleasurable and not “guilty?” There’s a simple key here, and if you want to guess it starts with an “A.” Learn how pleasure can be a path to healing and empowerment on this episode of Sexploration with Monika.