02:12
02:12

You Haven't Lost Desire. You've Lost Presence

by Esther Perel

rating.1a6a70b7
Rated
4.7
Group
Type
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone
Plays
25.5k

Join world-renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel as she dismantles the myth that great intimacy is about technique or performance. The real ingredient, she explains, is something quieter and far more available: the ability to actually inhabit your own body and meet another person from there. Discover why she asks clients to slow down with something as simple as a morning drink or a piece of fruit, and how the five senses become a doorway back to aliveness. A short, transformative watch for anyone who wants to feel more, not do more.

Transcript

You want To experience connection,

You want to experience desire.

But way too often.

You just go through the motions and you're not present.

Or alive to the experience itself.

So why is that important?

Because many of us don't lose our desire.

What we lose is our presence.

We talk about sexuality in performance terms,

In technique,

In functioning,

But in fact,

What really creates a quality of experience,

What makes it pleasurable and meaningful is the quality of our presence.

Presence inside our body where we are grounded,

Where we actually feel.

Respond to what is happening in the body And also present.

Inter interpersonally to ourselves and to the other.

What I often do with people I work with is to help them slow down.

So that they can notice,

They can register,

They can internalize,

They can qualify the experience.

I started out by asking people what they drank for breakfast.

And then I made them take an egg timer and make them actually drink it slow.

Slow slow until the four minutes of the egg timer.

Why?

Because those were people who often just gobbled it down and have no idea what just went in.

Then I decided,

Let me work with the orange.

The orange the grapefruit.

Whichever fruit you want,

But the fruits are beautiful because you can deal with the five senses.

You can look at them,

You can experiment with touch,

You can experiment with smell,

You may not be able to listen much,

But you can when you're peeling,

When you're eating,

Listen to the sounds of savoring the food.

It's sensual.

It's erotic.

It demands presence.

It is pleasurable.

And it is embodied

4.7 (3 229)

Recent Reviews

Martha

June 3, 2026

Interesting

Pat

June 2, 2026

Very true and helpful

Valerie

May 30, 2026

My husband had just asked me if my therapist had ever asked me about my adhd affecting my sex life… and he said he heard it can so. When I saw your talks… I decided to tune in!! Help!!!

Corina

May 28, 2026

This quick two minute talk gave me so much insight into a few relationships in my life. Why I like or dislike a situation, how I can loose interest in things I once found joy in, and so on. Being mindully aware and embodying presence in pleasure are action tools that I need to use more often with myself, others, and even my hobbies! Thank you for this simple reminder 💜

Jesse

May 28, 2026

She’s amazing! Short and sweet! 🙏Thank you 🦋Jesse

Jocelyn

May 25, 2026

Thank you for the reminder to slow down!

Terry

May 25, 2026

Thank you for the reminder. Each moment deserves our presence. This is where my joyful life is experienced. Blessed be!

Seyi

May 25, 2026

Great video and talk about two leaving present and how that is foundational for connection. I love the example of feeding a piece of fruit and using that to connect with all five senses, as well as the concept of slowing down to take in the full experience. Overall, this is a great reminder and how to reconnect with what is essential for desire.

Annette

May 24, 2026

I needed the reminder to be more present with everyone and everything. 🙏🏾✨🫶🏽

Yolanda

May 24, 2026

Thank you for touching this subject with simple examples and tools❤

© 2026 Esther Perel. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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