In her book, Stella Resnick, PhD identifies eight essential ways we need to enjoy life to feel fulfilled. She shows how pleasure-resistance can affect health and happiness, and how to use breath and body awareness exercises to give up old habits and chronic tensions and more fully embrace all of life’s joys. The eight core pleasures are:

• Primal Pleasures 
  Basic physical needs, such as food, water, and shelter. Letting go and “just being”.

• Pain Relief 
  The pleasure of being free from pain. Releasing and resolving old wounds.

• Elemental Pleasures 
  Derived from nature, such as the sun, the wind, and the rain. Play, humor, movement, and sound.

• Mental Pleasures 
  Derived from intellectual pursuits, such as learning, solving problems, and creating. It involves curiosity, learning, and positive thinking.

• Emotional Pleasures 
  Derived from relationships, such as love, friendship, and belonging. Includes gratitude, love, courage, and enthusiasm.

• Sensual Pleasures 
  Taking delight in the senses, such as taste, smell, sight, touch, and hearing.

• Sexual Pleasures 
  Derived from physical intimacy. Includes arousal, desire, romance, and abandon.

• Spiritual Pleasures 
  Derived from a sense of connection to something larger than oneself, such as a higher power or the universe. Being part of something good.

These eight core pleasures are not mutually exclusive. They can overlap and complement each other. For example, a hike in nature can provide both elemental and emotional pleasures. Or, a piece of music can provide both mental and sensual pleasures.

The importance of the eight core pleasures varies from person to person. Some people may find that they derive more pleasure from one type of pleasure than another. For example, some people may find that they get more pleasure from intellectual pursuits, while others may find that they get more pleasure from physical intimacy.

It is important to find a balance of the eight core pleasures in your life. This will help you to live a happy and fulfilling life. If you find that you are lacking in one or more of the eight core pleasures, there are things you can do to add more of them to your life. Connecting to a wider sense of pleasure in multiple areas of your life increases the sense of well-being and positive feelings. Pleasure is not a luxury, it is a necessity.

If you’d like help exploring these areas and connecting with your sense of pleasure, and what gets in your way from doing it, click here to request a session.