EFR 964: The Neuroscience of Pleasure and How to Feel SAFE in Your Body Again with Regena Thomashauer

What if pleasure isn't a luxury, but a biological signal that your nervous system finally feels safe? Regena Thomashauer, aka Mama Gena, is here to explore the powerful connection between pleasure, nervous system regulation, trauma, grief, desire, and our ability to feel fully alive. Regena challenges the idea that pleasure is purely sexual or indulgent and instead reframes it as a daily practice for reconnecting with the body, processing difficult emotions, cultivating creativity, and breaking free from a culture obsessed with productivity and struggle. She shares how her own journey through childhood trauma led her to discover the transformative power of pleasure and is here to help you explore how to move emotions through the body, bring more pleasure into relationships and everyday life, and ultimately learn to love your life—even when you hate what's happening. Follow Regena @ Follow Chase @chase_chewning -----   00:00 – Is Pleasure a Measure of Nervous System Safety? 01:13 – Why Pleasure Is a Necessity, Not a Luxury 03:08 – Redefining Pleasure Beyond Sex 05:08 – Unlearning Our Cultural Conditioning Around Pleasure 06:42 – Why a Pleasurable Life Requires Discipline 09:18 – What Pleasure Does to the Brain and Body 15:23 – The Connection Between Pleasure and Relaxation 17:11 – Making Pleasure a Daily Practice 19:20 – The Divine Feminine and Reconnecting With the Body 20:23 – Navigating Heartbreak, Worry, and Difficult Emotions 27:17 – A 3–5 Minute Practice for Processing Difficult Emotions 31:10 – Combining Grief With Life Force and Pleasure 34:02 – Moving From Victim to Victor 35:05 – Loving Your Life Even When You Hate What's Happening 35:44 – How "Ever Forward" Helped Chase Survive Grief 38:41 – How Regena Used Pleasure to Heal From Trauma 41:25 – The Pleasure Exercise That Changed Regena's Life 45:37 – How to Build a Consistent Pleasure Practice 48:15 – What If Your Partner Isn't on the Same Journey? 52:15 – Are We Actually Afraid of Who We'll Become? 54:40 – Why We're Conditioned to Resist Pleasure 56:35 – Rapid Fire: Safety, Burnout, Desire & Success 58:43 – What Your Inability to Feel Pleasure Is Teaching You 59:26 – What "Ever Forward" Means to Regena ----- Episode resources: FREE 30-day trial of Audible Watch and subscribe on YouTube