Slow Pleasure: Explore Your Pleasure Spectrum

by Euphemia Russell

Slow Pleasure is a guide to sex and pleasure, teaching people of all genders and sexualities how to claim, prioritize, and integrate pleasure into their daily lives.

We live in a world of breakneck speed. It can be intimidating and nearly impossible to slow down. In this crisis of pace, we are often disembodied, disconnected, and forget that we even live in a body! Slow Pleasure is here to show you how to relish pleasure instead of rushing like it's a task on a to-do list.

In Slow Pleasure, sex and pleasure educator Euphemia Russell teaches us that slowing down allows us to be available to our bodies, and from this place of mindfulness we can increase our ability to feel pleasure. Embodiment and pleasure are practices that need to be cultivated, guided and supported. Sex is a social skill. Slow Pleasure teaches you how to explore new touch and how building curiosity will increase your capacity to feel a range of new sensations. Being slow can even help cultivate desire, manage pelvic pain and sexual "dysfunction".

Pleasure is an essential practice to support us in the modern world, and Slow Pleasure is here to teach us how to feel it deeply.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Sexuality, Psychology, Personal Development

224 pages, Hardcover

Published July 5, 2022

Reviews

[Romany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with all the arguments made in this book. There are some very useful techniques and points of reflection suggested. However! I hated this book and just dragged myself through it. The quotes from other authors were introduced but not discussed or analysed. There were so many cliches used instead of more interesting personal examples. Perhaps it wasn’t really enough content to make a book, and it was padded out? Oh well.

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting. It explored more than just sexual pleasure which came as a little shock to me when I first looked at it, but it gave me more to think about that I thought it would.

I'm not ashamed to admit that quite a few concepts went over my head, especially in regards to the "pleasure dial". It was explained but I think it was a concept that translate better with in person discussions than through text.

Overall, it wasn't bad. It explored more than I thought, gave me things to actually think about, and introduced a better understanding of how to connect with my body and mind in regards to pleasure. (As a bonus, those teachings have also helped me to better connect my body and mind during sexual pleasure as well.)

[Ellen Forster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a truly beautiful and intentional experience. Both, in the stunning physical design but also the content. I feel so nourished and hopeful. I will read and re-read this book, until it falls apart.

There is a lot of theory available out there on sex but it would be a diservice to yourselves to categorise this book with the rest. Euphemia's pleasure practice is about savouring and nurturing pleasure in the everyday minor, mundane and manic experiences. These not simple musings but a journey of guided reflections and pleasure practices for integration in your life.

[Mentai · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little on the light weight side, and mostly self evident points skimmed through. But some nice suggestions.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book about somatics and finding your way back to yourself.

[Sam Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book spends a lot of time virtue signalling about accessibility (among other things) but isn't actually a very accessible read.
It doesn't use examples to illustrate points and uses impenetrable 'wellness' language that it doesn't bother to explain properly.

It feels like the author doesn't know if they're trying to convince new people to try something or if they're just preaching to their established audience who already understand these concepts. And the result is that they do a surface level job of explaining things that really need a deep dive if you're not familiar with them.

If you're already really familiar with embodiment and that kind of stuff, then you might get something out of it. But if you're picking this up hoping to learn something new, it's not necessarily going to be a great explainer.

[Sydney Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found the worst book I read all year, or maybe ever!
Way too wordy, references scientific things but doesn't present them in a scientific way. Also too much woke vocabulary, which is extremely annoying. I had high hopes for this!

She basically just borrowed a bunch of stuff from a bunch of other books but didn't elaborate. The entire book was vague and didn't offer anything new.

The only positive thing I can think to say is that the book is visually pleasing- the cover, the pages.

Otherwise, a waste of paper. I thought about donating it but I'm just going to recycle it so no one else has to waste their time.

Update April 2025: This book was so bad I still think about it and still wonder how it got published.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book through my Feminist Book Club subscription. It is to be enjoyed slowly, ideally in the bathtub. Examining opportunities to bring pleasures big and small into daily life, Slow Pleasure includes thought-provoking questions and exercises to bring you back into your body. The applied practices are balanced by philosophies such as meditation and yogic principles, and academic social research including Brene Brown, Emily and Amelia Nagoski, and others - which makes this an instant win for me. And if you need another reason to appreciate them and their work, the author uses radically inclusive language, making the book highly accessible and applicable for people of all ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities, races, etc.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came to this book through book club, and while I didn’t love it, that’s one of the things I appreciate most about book club, that it leads me to books I wouldn’t pick up on my own. Personally, this book was too self-help for me, I just don’t respond well to the language of that genre. And though there are some interesting ideas in here, it’s not one that I will read again or use in my daily life. However, many people don’t dislike the language/style of self-help like I do, so if you enjoy that kind of thing, this might be worth giving a try.

[Hannah Meszaros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very intriguing read that has brought a lot of new perspectives into my life that I would have never thought of. Some of the information was as expected, but over all makes you see pleasure in a different light. My morning tea is now always how I start my day.
Savour your tea, think about the pleasures in life.

[Hannah Demerise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and engaging writing. Practical and thought-provoking exercises. Relatable and extremely eye-opening. I've been walking around the world differently since the first chapter! I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to appreciate this wonderful, sensory life more.

[Miles · Rating 2 out of 5]

i had so much hope for this for literally years .. i love the writer as a person and internet personality... but euphemia........ yikes
read like a series of instagram therapist posts and so i gave up ! dnf ! oopsies!!!!
just go to therapy and talk a hike, i dont think you need to buy this book

[Monique Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book gifted to me by a friend, and it turned out to be a really good read. It offered thoughtful insights and interesting techniques for building safety and trust—with myself and with others. A meaningful and helpful book overall.

[Tessa Facey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super informative and nuanced view on pleasure in all forms. This book highlights the importance of understanding our desires, boundaries and how to slow down.
Euphemia reminds us to take a moment and consciously prioritise feeling good in everyday life 💖

[ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trying to get through this and every page has me rolling my eyes. Don’t waste your time on this one. Had high hopes but Im giving up on this one.

[Rebecca Critters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun book to take on solo dates 🌸

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book that covers the surface level of a lot of somatic/ embodiment practices. Good for reference.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by Angela Elle. Easy to read and helpful. One question the author asks that sticks with me is, “What’s one thing you can do to make this moment more pleasurable?”

[leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

if you want to read a book about things available for free on russell’s website, you’ve come to the right place. raised interesting questions i guess

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a sex manual--and that's a good thing! This is a much broader meditation, or even manifesto, about the nature of pleasure, connectedness (to ourselves and others), and joy. The author makes a strong case for rejecting our pervasive culture of "busy" and instead slowing way down and really examining ourselves and our desires in order to explore the full range of pleasure available to us as humans, both by/within ourselves and with others.

Of course, sex is a relevant topic and is discussed in a respectful and affirming tone (I especially appreciated the acknowledgment of the good that can come from mindfully chosen porn, as it's so typically demonized) but just as much time is devoted to how to intentionally create a life that leaves space for as much pleasure as possible, in all its wonderful forms. There are lots of useful exercises and reflection questions to help the reader really think through the concepts discussed. This would be a great read for new adults, but really anyone could benefit from thinking about how pleasure fits into their life and how to court more of it!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instructive and interrogative. Considerations on pleasure and somatic therapy/theories of the body. Helpful and informative to forming a pleasure practice.

Part of my pleasure research

[Meena H · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Slow Pleasure" is an exquisite exploration of self-understanding, and indulgence. The book serves as a guide to connect with one's own sense of pleasure, emphasizing individual exploration, introspection, and strengthening personal agency through guiding the reader on becoming more embodied. With exercises, reflection questions, and thoughtful commentary, it encourages readers to delve deeply into their own desires and preferences.

The presentation is luxurious, with each element—from the cover, breakdown of concepts, and the imagery—evoking a sense of sensual pleasure. It stands as a perfect counter to relentless hustle culture, promoting well-being and the art of savouring life's moments. Indeed, many of the exercises and prompts focused on attuning to your Body and Self for guidance and understanding, not external expectations. I found it particularly satisfying that it focuses primarily on self-pleasure, with a smaller section on shared experiences that was always underlined by the importance of consent and awareness. This is definitely a book I will be revisiting in those moments I need a bit more self-care.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The February Feminist Book Club Pick. While parts of this were a little bit too out there for my tastes, it really helped me refocus into my body, and learn to pay attention to its wants and needs throughout the day. I think it’s a bit more basic knowledge in this area of thought, but for that reason - it would be a good place to start if you’re interested in grounding yourself more and learning about the pleasure spectrum and somatic. I will say, I’ve been more in tune with pleasure and taking in small moments since reading.