In this week's edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Laura Zam on:
Redefining Pleasure in Midlife
Laura shares how her personal journey with perimenopause and intimacy led to a deeper understanding of sensuality, eroticism, and pleasure. She introduces a four-part framework—sensuousness, sensuality, eroticism, and sexuality—to help women reconnect with their bodies and desires at every age.
Creative Confidence and Evolution
From theatre to writing to public speaking, Laura discusses her lifelong commitment to creativity and how midlife has brought greater urgency and clarity. With growing confidence, she embraces her evolving voice and sheds expectations to stay true to her purpose.
Everyday Rituals of Joy and Self-Care
Laura's daily "pleasure thoughts" practice weaves together sensory experience, gratitude, pride, and intention. She shows how even small delights—a warm drink, a good lamp, a sweet memory—can become powerful sources of tranquility and resilience.
Tranquility Through Proportional Pleasure
In times of overwhelm, Laura turns to what she calls "proportional pleasure," using beauty, nature, and simple rituals to balance emotional intensity. It's a gentle invitation to anchor in joy, even amid chaos.
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Grab your journal, a cuppa tea, and settle in for this week's inspiration.
Laura Zam is an award-winning writer, TEDx speaker, AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator, and Pleasure Empowerment Coach. Her work has been featured in many media outlets, including NBC-TV, The Washington Post,InStyle, and others. She's the author of THE PLEASURE PLAN, a bestselling memoir--about healing in the aftermath of childhood trauma--currently being shopped around as a television series. Often mixing pathos and hilarity in refreshing ways, Laura's writing has been featured in The New York Times, Salon, HuffPost and other publications. Her one-person play about finding pleasure after sexual violation was presented Off-Broadway. She's toured other plays about trauma healing all over the world. As a speaker, through her company Pleasure Literacy, LLC, Laura has presented at universities, conferences, and fortune 500 companies across the U.S. Pleasure Literacy helps people build resilience, and avoid harm, by better understanding, navigating, and cultivating everyday pleasure. Laura is the host of a new podcast called Zam On Pleasure, and she also loves working directly with people through pleasure-oriented courses and coaching. She's a graduate of the Institute for Sexuality Education & Enlightenment. She's also a Certified Trauma Professional (CTP) and Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT). Laura has a Bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College and a Master's from Brown University.
Freebie: Pleasure Thought Guide
Author, THE PLEASURE PLAN
Web: LauraZam.com
Twitter/X: @LauraZam
Instagram: @LauraZamPleasure
Facebook: @LauraZamAuthor
Previous Episodes: #167: Musings on Leaving Your Day Job, #489: The Pleasure Plan
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