Episode 166: People Pleasing Is Ruining Your Sex Life (and what to do about it) with Darshana Avila
In this episode, I am joined by special guest Darshana Avila for a deeply honest and expansive conversation about people pleasing, the nervous system, and how safety in the body is the foundation for true intimacy.
Together, they explore how people pleasing shows up in our sex lives and relationships, often disconnecting us from our desires, boundaries, and authentic self-expression. Darshana shares powerful insights on nervous system regulation, somatic awareness, and what it really takes to create deeper intimacy with yourself and others.
This episode invites you to soften performance, release obligation, and reconnect with your body as a place of truth, pleasure, and power. If you’ve ever found yourself saying “yes” when your body meant “no,” or struggling to access desire, presence, or aliveness in intimacy, this conversation will meet you right where you are — with compassion and clarity.
✨ Expect grounded wisdom, embodied practices, and liberating reframes that support you in releasing people pleasing and coming home to your authentic desires.
About Darshana Avila
Darshana Avila is a trauma-informed somatic educator, practitioner, and international speaker who helps people reconnect with the most essential aspects of themselves — their truth, their desires, and their capacity for profound pleasure and power.
Known for her grounded, candid, and relational approach, she bridges the worlds of erotic embodiment, trauma healing, and self-actualization.
Darshana’s work has been featured on Netflix’s Sex, Love & goop, The Guardian, The New Yorker, and numerous leading podcasts.
Resource Mentioned: The Wheel of Consent
A powerful framework for understanding boundaries, desire, and relational dynamics
🔗 theintermodalspirit.com/wheel-of-consent
Free Gift from Darshana: Galgasm!
A free online community hub for women and AFAB folks ready to live, love, and lead from their deepest pleasure and power. Inside you’ll find a rich library of resources, along with live workshops and Q&A sessions taught by Darshana — a beautiful entry point into Erotic Wholeness.
🌐 Website: darshanaavila.com
📸 Instagram: @darshana_avila
▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@darshana-avila
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/darshana-avila
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