What if the secret to a more joyful birth and life isn’t about pushing harder, but about tuning in, letting go, and giving yourself permission to feel good? If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your body or doubted that pleasure belongs in pregnancy and parenting, you’re not alone—there’s a gentler, more powerful way forward. Consider this: your body already knows how to connect pleasure, rest, and birth, and it’s time to trust that wisdom.
This week, Debra sits with Lisa Strohdach, whose journey began with her own craving for self-pleasure and embodiment during pregnancy, which she later realized was key to her smooth breech home birth. This personal awakening inspired her to become a doula, yoga teacher, and retreat leader, now guiding others to cut through shame and confusion so that they can reconnect with their body and mind.
Hear real talk on embodiment, oxytocin, masturbation, radical rest, simple breathwork, and how to create a supportive community—plus, get tips you can use right now to make pleasure and rest part of your everyday routine in this episode. Tune in!
Episode Highlights:
00:50 Meet Lisa: From Breech Birth to Doula and Retreat Host
03:18 How Pleasure and Birth Physically, Hormonally, and Mentally Linked
10:02 Tools for Pleasure: Vibrator, Oxytocin, and Real Talk
16:13 What is Embodiment?
21:46 Easy Embodiment Practices for Pregnancy and Life
25:26 Radical Rest: Why It’s Revolutionary, Not Lazy
31:18 Wild Bloom Retreats
35:13 Reclaiming Pleasure and Power
Connect with Lisa:
Lisa Strohdach is a dedicated doula, prenatal and postnatal yoga instructor, and embodiment coach passionate about supporting women and families through pregnancy, birth, and beyond. As an orgasmic birth practitioner, Lisa integrates pleasure, radical rest, and holistic self-care into her work, empowering clients to reclaim intimacy and connection during the transformative journey of birth. She co-hosts “Wild and Bloom” retreats, offering restorative experiences focused on movement, rest, and community. Lisa provides both in-person and online sessions from her Aroha Studio, and is committed to creating safe, open spaces for conversations about sexuality, self-care, and personal growth.
Website: https://aroha-begleitung.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/aroha_begleitung?igshid=NGtudWF0M25xMXUy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisaslittletreasuresNZ
Retreats: https://www.instagram.com/wildandbloom_retreats?igsh=MWd5OXdkZXFyZ3Z0Zw%3D%3D
Pleasurable Birth Essentials is your toolkit for a birth that’s as safe as it is sensual, as evidence-based as it is soulful.
This is not your average childbirth class.
This is a revolution—a journey designed for mamas who trust their bodies and their minds.
Here, pleasure isn’t an afterthought – it’s foundational.
Evidence isn’t dry – it’s empowering.
Community isn’t optional – it’s essential.
You deserve a birth that honors your strength, your sensuality,
and your sovereignty.