#222 Grief, pleasure and radical relating with Darshana Avila

In this episode, I’m in conversation with trauma-informed somatic practitioner and educator Darshana Avila about the relationship between grief, pleasure, and aliveness.We explore how pain and joy are not opposites, but part of the same spectrum of being human. Darshana shares how her work has evolved from sacred sexuality and body-based healing into a broader exploration of what she calls “erotic wholeness” — not limited to sex, but rooted in life force, creativity, grief, connection and presence.We talk about:How grief and pleasure can coexistThe idea of eros as aliveness rather than performanceThe role of community and ritual in griefMoving beyond binary ideas of “good” and “bad” emotionsTrauma-informed ways of relating to ourselvesDarshana 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.darshanaavila.com instagram.com/darshana_avilayoutube.com/@darshana-avilalinkedin.com/in/darshana-avilaYou can join monthly Spark sessions with Yarrow over here: https://griefmagic.com/free-monthly-spark-sessions/Thank you for listening!Love,Yarrow