How to Create a Weekly Pleasure Practice Ritual That Reclaims Your Radiance

Reclaim your radiance, one ritual at a time.

Welcome, Love. Whether you’re a longtime listener of the Unapologetic with Jannine MacKinnon podcast or you’ve landed here through a nudge from the universe (or a friend who just knew you needed this), I’m so glad you’re here.

This blog post is rooted in one of the most personal, powerful practices I’ve ever committed to: a weekly devotional pleasure practice.

This isn’t just a self-care tip or a cute idea to try once. This is a rhythm. A reclamation. A sacred ritual that changed my life—and continues to change the lives of so many women I work with.

This practice is how I went from feeling disconnected, depleted, and unsure of who I was… to feeling deeply rooted, creatively alive, and turned on by life itself.

It started simply. A weekly date night with myself.
Just one evening a week to be with me—my body, my truth, my pleasure.
Over time, it evolved into something devotional. Something alive.
Now, it’s the heartbeat of my sensual embodiment.

And I want that for you, too.

Whether you’re already on a healing path, navigating the nuances of motherhood or entrepreneurship, or simply craving more—more presence, more magic, more depth—this pleasure practice ritual is your invitation to return home to yourself.

Because pleasure isn’t something we earn.
Radiance isn’t something we hustle for.
They’re both right here—waiting to be remembered, through the soft and steady act of devotion.

If this topic speaks to you, I also recommend reading Why Every Woman Needs a Pleasure Practice (It’s Not Just About Sex), which explores why pleasure is essential—not extra.

In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how to create a weekly pleasure practice ritual that feels sacred, sustainable, and uniquely yours. No pressure. No perfection. Just a spacious return to your body, your sensuality, and your power.

Let’s begin.

Why a Weekly Pleasure Practice Ritual? 

You’ve done the work.
The therapy sessions, the journaling prompts, the breathwork, the spiritual events.
You’re self-aware, grateful, growing.

Life is good.

And yet…
There’s a quiet ache. A subtle whisper.
A feeling that something’s still missing.

Not in a way that means something’s wrong—but in the way that reminds you there’s more.

More aliveness.
More intimacy with yourself.
More depth.
More pleasure.

That “more” isn’t going to be found in another mindset shift or productivity tool. It’s not about doing more.
It’s about coming home.

And that’s where your weekly pleasure practice ritual comes in.

The Missing Piece: Devotion

A weekly pleasure practice ritual isn’t about fixing or healing what’s broken.
It’s not another “task” on your personal growth to-do list.

It’s about devotion.

A gentle, nourishing rhythm that brings you back to yourself—again and again.
It’s an intimate date with your body, your soul, your sensuality.
A sacred window of time where you don’t have to perform or produce—only feel, receive, and remember.

Because you don’t need to become more worthy.
You simply need time and space to remember how worthy you already are.

What It Gives You

• A reliable rhythm of return
  You no longer have to wait for the perfect moment to reconnect with yourself. Your ritual becomes the anchor. A weekly moment of “me first, no matter what.” 
• A consistent space to drop in
  This isn’t about rearranging your entire week or squeezing in self-care. Your pleasure practice becomes part of your natural rhythm. Predictable. Sacred. Yours. 
• A portal to presence and aliveness
  The more you come back to this space, the more you soften into your senses. You become more aware of your desires. More open to life. More magnetic in your being. 
• Spaciousness that’s sacred
  Especially as women, caregivers, creators—it’s easy to lose ourselves in everything we hold. This ritual becomes the place where you are held. 

For more on what this ritual can awaken, explore Why Every Woman Needs a Pleasure Practice (It’s Not Just About Sex).

What Happens When You Skip It

At first, it might not seem like a big deal.

But slowly, subtly, disconnection creeps in.

You start going through the motions.
Your body feels a little dull.
Your creativity flattens.
Your turn-on fades into the background.
That longing for “more” becomes a low hum you can’t quite shake.

Not because you’re broken.
But because your soul is asking for a space to be seen.

This ritual is that space.

And if you’re reading this and thinking, Yes. I’ve felt that…
Know that you’re not alone.
This is why I created my weekly devotional pleasure practice ritual in the first place.

It was never about “getting it right.” It was about finding a way back to me—consistently, compassionately, and on my own terms.

And once I did?

Everything changed.

From Self-Care to Embodied Devotion

Let’s get one thing clear: this isn’t self-care.

At least, not in the way it’s often sold to us—bubble baths, checklists, or reminders to drink more water and finally book that massage.

While all of those things can be supportive, what I’m talking about here is something deeper. More sacred. More alive.

I’m talking about devotion.

Self-Care: The Maintenance Model

Let’s start with the traditional definitions of self-care:

“The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.”
“The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, particularly during periods of stress.”

Helpful? Yes.
Necessary? Absolutely.
But often… it’s about survival.

Self-care, in the way it’s often practiced, is rooted in doing—in trying to restore balance when we’re already running on empty. It’s the backup plan when burnout is around the corner.

And sometimes, it just feels like keeping your head above water.

Devotion: The Embodied Feminine

Now let’s look at devotion:

“Love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.”

Feel the difference?

Devotion has spark.
It carries presence.
It’s not about rescue—it’s about relationship.

Devotion is when you tend to yourself not because you’re depleted, but because you desire to.
Because you want to feel more.
Because you want to come alive.

It’s not just maintenance—it’s magnetism.

This is the difference between brushing your hair so you “look presentable”… and brushing your hair as a sensual act of love for the woman you’re becoming.

Devotion says:

• I feel what needs to be felt.
  
  
• I love what needs to be loved.
  
  
• I turn on what’s ready to be lit up. 

It’s not always soft. Sometimes devotion is fierce. Sometimes it’s fiery.
But it’s always rooted in presence, reverence, and self-trust.

Self-Care vs. Devotion in Practice

Self-Care	Embodied Devotion
A to-do list when you’re tired	A rhythm you crave because it nourishes you
Trying to “fix” your mood	Listening to what your body is truly asking for
A bubble bath to decompress	A pleasure ritual to come alive
Maintenance	Magnetic aliveness

And here’s the thing most people don’t talk about:
Feminine embodiment isn’t all yin and softness. Women have fire, too.

Devotion isn’t about being calm all the time. It’s about being real with yourself. Letting it move.
Letting yourself rage, weep, melt, moan, rise—all within the sacred safety of your ritual.

This is something we explore inside the Sensual Embodiment Collective with practices ranging from yin and softness, to sexual fire, and emotional alchemy. 

Why This Matters

Because depth matters.

Because wholeness requires all of you—including your sensuality, your erotic energy, and your unique pathways to pleasure.

Because you’ve spent enough time performing or proving. Now it’s time to remember.

In devotion:

• Your pleasure becomes a path of remembrance.
  
  
• Your ritual becomes your spiritual practice.
  
  
• Your senses become sacred messengers. 

And when you’re rooted in that?

You show up differently. In your body. In your relationships. In your business.
You don’t just think differently—you glow differently.

Creating Your Pleasure Practice Ritual: The Structure That Sets You Free

This is where the magic becomes tangible.

A weekly pleasure practice ritual doesn’t need to be long, elaborate, or perfect. It just needs to be yours.

It’s not about performing for the goddess or ticking off the “divine feminine” checklist. It’s about creating a rhythm you can relax into — a rhythm that signals to your body:
“You’re safe. You’re sacred. You’re home.”

And ironically?
The more structure you give it, the more freedom you’ll feel.

Let’s walk through what that might look like…

1. Set the Space

First, you need a container.

Not a pristine temple with silk curtains and a skylight (although if you’ve got that, amazing!).
But a familiar corner that you come back to again and again.
This consistency tells your body, this is where we soften.

• Choose your sacred space
  Your bedroom floor. A quiet bathroom. A cozy closet. It doesn’t need to be fancy — just consistent. 
• Set the ambiance
  Candles. Your favorite blanket or faux fur. A soft pillow to sit on. Lock the door if you need to. Light your incense. Dim the lights or switch on your sunset lamp (my fave sunset lamp is linked here).
  This is about texture, scent, sound — inviting your senses into the moment. 
• Create your altar
  This could be a few crystals, a tarot card pull, or sacred items that symbolize your energy. You might place your journal here. A yoni wand. A flower from the garden. Over time, this altar becomes a visual anchor for your transformation. 
• Gather your pleasure tools
  Oils, silk scarves, rose quartz yoni wands — whatever supports your pleasure and presence. I adore the tools from Waands and am proud to partner with them. Use the code UNAPOLOGETIC for 10% off your order. 

For more ideas on what to include in your toolkit, check out the Pleasure Toolkit Guide. 

2. Ground into Presence & Create the Ritual Container

Before diving into a practice, create an energetic threshold.
This is where the veil begins to thin — between the outer world and your inner temple.

Your ritual doesn’t need to start with anything fancy. A few deep breaths and the intention to arrive fully is more than enough. But if you’re feeling witchy (like me), you can layer in sacred elements that speak to your energy:

• Visualize a golden ring of light around you, sealing the space in love. 
• Envelop yourself in an iridescent bubble that filters out anything not aligned with your highest truth and deepest love. 
• Invite in your guides, ancestors, or divine feminine archetypes to witness and support you. 

This isn’t about right or wrong.
It’s about training your nervous system to feel safe in sacredness — to recognize, “this is where I can soften, express, and expand.”

3. Drop Into the Body

Once your space is set and sealed, it’s time to enter your body.

This can look a thousand different ways. Let this be your creative playground.

Some invitations:

• Sensual movement or embodied dance
  Put on one of my Spotify playlists and move however your body wants. Let your hips speak. Let your breath deepen. Let your curves lead the way. 
• Tarot or journaling
  This used to be a core anchor for me. I’d pull a card or journal to bring clarity to whatever I was feeling or moving through. These days, I use journaling more for intention-setting before I work with the body.
  If you’re a member of the Sensual Embodiment Collective, this is a beautiful place to work with your Queen’s Journey reflections each month. 
• Guided practice time
  Choose a sensual embodiment audio from the Sensual Embodiment Collective (or something else that calls to you). Breathwork, yoni breathing, sensual movement, or energy body connection are all powerful. If you’re exploring manifestation or sex magick, this is a potent window. 
• Free expression
  Maybe you color. Maybe you journal and cry. Maybe you dance to one song, lie on the floor, and feel the pulse in your womb. This is your space. There is no wrong way to be here. 

If you want to explore these different practice types more deeply, I recommend reading Slow Pleasure, Sacred Sexuality & Mindful Masturbation: Understanding the Spectrum of Self-Pleasure

4. Close the Ritual & Integrate with Aftercare

Once your practice feels complete, it’s time to close the space with the same reverence you opened it.

• Thank your body. 
• Thank your guides or the energy you connected with. 
• Visualize the bubble dissolving, your light gently sealing in. 

Then… tend to yourself.

• Sip tea 
• Sit in stillness 
• Read a poem 
• Step outside and breathe in the wind 

Let your body digest what she just received. Let the energy settle.

Think of your pleasure practice ritual as a sacred circuit:
Opening → Exploring → Integrating → Returning

What About Resistance?

If you’re thinking…

• “My partner’s home — this feels weird…” 
• “I don’t have time for this every week.” 
• “I don’t even know where to start.” 

…you’re not alone. These are so common.

Here’s what I’ll tell you:

• Communicate with your partner — “Hey, I’m carving out some sacred time for myself. I’ll let you know when I’m done.” That’s it. No need to over-explain. 
• Create a rhythm that works for you — Mine is Sunday evenings after my kids are in bed. It’s become non-negotiable, just like brushing my teeth or eating good food. 
• Start small — One candle. One playlist. One breath. Just begin. This is meant to nourish you, not overwhelm you. 

And over time? You won’t just want this practice — you’ll crave it.

Just like eating clean or moving your body, your ritual will become a way of life.
A rhythm that re-centers you in your radiance again and again.

What Shifts Over Time

Something beautiful happens when your weekly pleasure practice ritual becomes part of your life—not as a task or performance, but as a way of being.

It’s subtle at first.
But over time, your body starts to trust you.
Your nervous system softens.
Your pleasure deepens.
And without trying, you begin to radiate.

This is what I see with clients again and again.
It’s what I’ve lived myself, week after week, for years.

You Start to Feel More Sensual Without Trying

You’re not performing your sensuality—you’re embodying it.

• You notice the way wind feels on your skin. 
• You catch yourself moving slower, more intentionally. 
• You touch your own body with reverence, not critique. 

That magnetic, radiant “something” you’ve been chasing?
It starts to live in you, not outside of you.

One client recently told me, “I just feel sexier without needing to do anything. I’m not trying—I just… am.”

That’s the power of embodiment. It rewires your sense of self from the inside out.

Confidence Becomes Embodied, Not Performed

When you consistently meet yourself in devotion, you stop outsourcing your worth.
You don’t need external validation to feel solid.
You become the source of your own power.

“My confidence isn’t something I pep talk myself into anymore. It lives in my body now.”

This kind of confidence isn’t loud or forceful.
It’s grounded. Rooted. Alive.

You trust yourself more—your yes, your no, your intuitive nudges.
You feel clearer in your boundaries, your desires, your direction.

If this resonates, you might also enjoy Why Every Woman Needs a Pleasure Practice (It’s Not Just About Sex)

You Become Softer… and Stronger

One of the most beautiful paradoxes of this pleasure practice ritual is how it makes you both more tender and more powerful.

You stop bracing yourself against life.
You stop hardening to protect your heart.
And somehow, you feel stronger than ever.

Because softness isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom.
Because strength doesn’t have to mean tension—it can live in trust.

As one woman shared with me after a few months of ritual work:

“I didn’t realize how numb I was until I started feeling again. It’s like I got my soul back—and now I can actually hold myself through the hard things with so much more grace.”

The Resistance That Often Comes First

Let’s be honest. Most women don’t dive headfirst into devotional ritual.
They hesitate. They resist. They put it off.

They think…

• “I should be spending this time with my partner or kids.” 
• “I haven’t gotten enough done today to deserve this.” 
• “Maybe once the house is clean / the inbox is empty / the to-do list is finished…” 

This is the very conditioning we’re unraveling.

The belief that we have to earn rest.
That pleasure comes after productivity.
That self-devotion is selfish.

It’s not. It’s sacred.

This is why your ritual matters so much—because it gives you a lived experience of choosing yourself.

And once you feel the shift, there’s no going back.

Anchoring Through the Ecology of Thriving

One of the tools I use with clients in coaching is called the Ecology of Thriving.

On a somatic level we explore: Who is the woman you become when you’re thriving? What does she feel like? How does she move? What are her rhythms?

Almost every single time, the thriving version of them has one thing in common:

She’s living in rhythm.
She has devotional time for herself.
She prioritizes her embodiment.
Her ritual isn’t a luxury — it’s her foundation.

Because that is what creates true radiance.
Not doing more. But being more deeply with yourself.

If you want to deepen into this process of rewiring your relationship with inner pleasure and power, I’d love to discuss coaching with you over a Complimentary Connection Call. 

Why This Structure Supports You

Here’s the truth most self-led women eventually bump into:

Your intuition is powerful — but it thrives with structure.

We need space to follow our inner guidance, but without a rhythm or framework to hold us, it’s easy to drift.

We get overwhelmed with options.
We lose momentum.
We spiral into “What should I do today?” instead of dropping in and receiving.

And that’s where your weekly pleasure practice ritual becomes more than a nice idea.
It becomes a container for your magic.

Structure Creates Safety

When you return to the same space, the same rhythm, the same touchpoints…
Your body starts to trust it.
Your nervous system settles.
You stop bracing, and you begin to bloom.

There’s a reason so many women feel blocked in their sensuality.
It’s not because they’re doing it wrong.
It’s because they don’t have a safe structure to surrender into.

That’s what this ritual provides.
And it’s exactly why I created the Sensual Embodiment Collective.

 

What Makes the Sensual Embodiment Collective Different

When I first began this journey, I was freestyling every week — pulling together playlists, journaling prompts, meditations, practices… It was beautiful, but also a lot.

Eventually, I craved something I didn’t have to think through — a space where I could just show up and hit play.

That’s when I created what used to be Unapologetic Practices.
It has since evolved — expanded — into something far more holistic and powerful.

The Sensual Embodiment Collective is a living space of devotion. It offers:

• ✨ Monthly themes tied to feminine archetypes and seasonal energy 
• 🔥 Guided practices (meditation, breathwork, sensual movement, energy body work) 
• 💫 Reflection prompts & playsheets to help you process, rewire, and integrate 
• 🌹 Live embodiment journeys and a private community for witnessing and support 
• 📚 An on-demand library organized by time, intention, and sensation 

It’s your sacred rhythm — with the gentle structure to keep you devoted to your glow.

No guessing. No overthinking.
Just a path that honors your body, your season, your soul.

If you’re curious how this fits into your journey, explore it here:
👉 Explore the Sensual Embodiment Collective

Why You Need More Than Inspiration

Inspiration is beautiful. But without a container, it fizzles.

You don’t need more information.
You need a rhythm that helps you embody what you already know.

Your pleasure doesn’t need to be spontaneous to be sacred.
In fact, the more you consistently return to it, the more it grows.

Think of your ritual like a garden.
The more often you tend to it, the more lush and abundant it becomes.

You deserve to be nourished regularly.
You deserve a practice that supports you in becoming the woman your soul already knows you are.

This isn’t about becoming someone new.

It’s about remembering.

Remembering the woman beneath the busyness.
Beneath the expectations.
Beneath the roles and the pressure to be everything to everyone.

She’s already there.
Radiant. Powerful. Sensual. Whole.

And your weekly pleasure practice ritual?
It’s how you reclaim her — one devotional moment at a time.

This isn’t just a practice.
It’s a frequency. A way of living.
A sacred rhythm that whispers, “Come home.”

Start This Week

Let this be the week you stop waiting.
To feel ready. To have more time. To be less tired.

You don’t need perfect conditions.
You just need a moment of willingness.

📍 Pick your ritual day (Sunday evenings are my anchor).
📍 Choose your space — no matter how small or imperfect.
📍 Set a simple intention. Light a candle. Press play on a playlist. Move. Breathe. Be.

That’s it.

The magic isn’t in how long it lasts or how “deep” it feels.
It’s in the act of choosing yourself. Over and over again.

Share the Journey

Ritual becomes even more powerful when it’s witnessed.

✨ Invite a friend or spiritual bestie to join you
✨ Send her this blog or the podcast episode
✨ Create an accountability thread: “What night are you doing your ritual this week?”
✨ Reflect together afterward — what did you feel, discover, release, reclaim?

We thrive in community. In sisterhood. In shared devotion.
That’s why the Sensual Embodiment Collective includes monthly community touchpoints — so you’re never alone in your glow.

Declare It

Let this be your declaration. In the comments below, share:

💬 What part of this ritual are you claiming first?
💬 What practice will you start with?
💬 What are you most excited to feel?

Or send me a DM on Instagram @jannine.mackinnon and let me witness you.
Let this moment of devotion be celebrated, amplified, held.

Because this is where everything begins to change.
Not with hustle. Not with “doing more.”
But with devotion.

You don’t need to earn your pleasure.
You are your pleasure.
And now, it’s time to return to her.

✨ Reclaim your radiance, one ritual at a time. ✨