Meet Abby, a pleasure positive sexuality professional from Pleasure & Peach
BY ALICIA POOLE
Anyone remember that article we did, Intimacy in Isolation? Well, if you were a fan and loved the tips and tricks we talked about, you’ll be excited to hear that Abby from Pleasure & Peach has launched her brand-SPANKING-new website!
What is Pleasure & Peach you ask?
It’s a place where art, education, self-care, and sex come together to celebrate women. At the helm of all of this, is the ever so lovely, Abby; a pleasure positive sexuality professional with a passion for bringing women nourishing and educational experiences in sexuality and self-care.
Originally from Port Stephens, Abby moved to Sydney after high school to study a Bachelor of Psychology with a focus in sexology. Cementing her passion for creating empowering and therapeutic experiences for women.
Why the focus on sexology?
“Firstly, I think human sexuality is absolutely fascinating. It’s both interesting and frustrating living in a society that shames and stigmatises sex yet is so sexual at the same time. This conservative cultural approach has meant most of us are robbed of a comprehensive sex education inclusive of consent and pleasure. For vulva owners, we also miss out on anatomically correct representation of our sexual organs including the clitoris, and vulva diversity.
“This lack of education paired with sexual shame and stigma has led many women to unnecessarily question themselves and their bodies.
“Education about sex, pleasure, and our bodies is empowering. If we understand our pleasure centres, we can better pleasure ourselves and others. Normalising sex and pleasure is also really important in making it easier to communicate wants and needs with sexual partners.
“This motivated me towards a career that could help bring a positive change towards the way we view, talk about, and experience sex. I am especially passionate about breaking down the stigma and shame society has needlessly placed around the female body, sexuality, and experience of pleasure. It is my absolute life’s passion!”
Bringing Pleasure & Peach to fruition through both her formal education as well as her own lived experience with mental health.
“In my early twenties, I lived with severe anxiety and an eating disorder. Through my own mental health journey, I learnt the huge importance of self-care and compassion in developing an ongoing relationship with myself and my body.
“Learning about my body, and my right to pleasure was hugely empowering. It was amazing to be rediscovering the joys of my body, and sexual self-care played a big role in this.”
With the concept taking hold in late 2018, it was in May 2019 that Pleasure & Peach really started to come to life.
“I want to use my business to show the importance of building connections and community among women and create opportunities to come together to raise each other up. I think that it’s incredibly powerful.”
The entire purpose of Pleasure & Peach is to empower women. Allowing opportunities for women to connect with themselves, their bodies, and their pleasure. Through understanding the need and benefits of self-care, Abby and Pleasure & Peach aim is to help women look at not only their psychological needs but a holistic approach to self-care; including your physical, social, emotional, spiritual and sexual needs.
“To me, Self-care isn’t just a trend or a buzzword. It is more than just luxurious indulgences we treat ourselves to from time to time. I believe practicing everyday acts of self-care has real, and significant benefits. This could look like journaling, taking time to enjoy a good cuppa, calling a friend, meditating, soaking in the tub, or gifting yourself a fabulous orgasm.
“What we don’t often talk about is the role of sexuality in our self-care routines and all its wonderful benefits. Examples of sexual self-care can include keeping up to date with pap smears and STI tests, choosing body-safe toys, lubricants, and period products, keeping on top of your chosen form of contraception/safe-sex barriers, making time for self-pleasure, making time for pleasure with a partner(s), plus so much more.
“There are so many wonderful ways to engage in sexual self-care. It’s important to choose what works best for you. To me, all the categories of self-care are important and valid, but a special mention to sexual self-care. It definitely deserves some time in the spotlight!”
To the name. Why did you choose Pleasure & Peach?
“I found my way to the name Pleasure & Peach after compiling a long list of words that came to mind when I imagined my business. I wanted something fun and sassy that represented my core beliefs. I was immediately drawn to the word pleasure. It perfectly summed up what my business is all about – female pleasure and self-care. I also loved peach because it’s such a fabulous euphemism! Yay vulvas, boobs and butts! It’s sensual, it’s happy, it’s juicy, it’s the perfect fit!”
As we now know, Pleasure & Peach is all about celebrating women, and with their website now live, you can find a bunch of glorious products available that encourage acts of self-care, connection, and pleasure!
“As well as our collection of body-safe pleasure products and lubricants, we also have a fabulous range of signature loose leaf, and blossoming drinking teas. We have a beautiful range of art prints and ceramics celebrating body diversity by the Tit Club, and a range of body-care products in the works! We are also working on stocking a range of educational literature, and lots of amazing goodies that we plan to add to our product range soon!”
Not only does Abby and her business, Pleasure & Peach have a huge online offering of information (and goodies to purchase), but she also has some carefully curated creative workshops as well as her Signature Sexual Self-Care class; inclusive of wine and grazing table of course! You’ll be able to choose from one of three workshops; tea blending, DIY body-care or everlasting floristry.
We’re sitting by waiting for COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted so we can book in with all of our girlfriends into one of Pleasure & Peach’s incredible self-care classes.