What if “safe and social” isn’t the highest expression of nervous system regulation?

In this episode of BodyJoy After Office Hours, Melissa D. sits down with entrepreneur, somatic pleasure artist, and product designer Josh Eros Ocean Rosenfield for a rich, embodied conversation about sacred touch, sensation play, pleasure without performance, and what it truly means to feel held, nourished, and safe in the body.

Broadcasting from his eco-village home in the Costa Rican jungle, Eros shares his personal journey into somatic work, the origins of sacred (non-sexual) touch, and how intentional sensation, tools, and affirmations can radically rewire the nervous system. Together, Melissa and Eros explore vagal nerve theory, islands of pleasure, boundary literacy, couples work, and why the body—not the intellect—is often the missing link in healing and intimacy.

This episode is a deep dive into pleasure as regulation, touch as language, and intimacy as a skill that can be practiced, learned, and embodied.

Whether you’re a practitioner, a curious human, or someone longing for more connection in your body or relationships—this conversation opens new worlds of possibility.

Topics We Explore

• Why “safe and social” may not be enough
• Sacred, sensual, non-sexual touch and nervous system healing
• Touch as our first language and its role in early development
• Islands of Pleasure™ and asking for what you want
• Re-learning consent, boundaries, and embodied yes/no
• Couples work beyond talk therapy
• Pleasure stacking, sensation play, and altered states
• Masculine presence, reverence, and repairing gendered wounds
• Using tools, ritual, and affirmations to deepen connection
• Creating containers for intimacy with integrity

Links & Resources

• Lit (Love & Intimacy Tools)
• Free Lit Ebook & Guided Practices
  (Available via QR codes included with Lit tools)
• Lit Workshops & Events
  Hosting opportunities available — reach out via the Lit website
• BodyJoy
  Somatic education, workshops, and private sessions