Let’s talk about pleasure, shall we? How would you like a little more pleasure in your life? Or maybe ALOT?
Pleasure’s an interesting topic, and it brings up mixed feelings for most of us. Let me ask you, when you think about pleasure, what comes first to your mind? Is pleasure something that you strictly reserve for the bedroom? Or perhaps a yearly spa retreat?
Or maybe it’s something frivolous because you have more important things to do? I mean really, there are big problems in the world, and who has the luxury for pleasure, right?
Maybe you draw a blank when I say it. Are you having difficulty even remembering the last time you experienced it?
Or you might be saying “He*% YES, bring it on baby!” But then you pull back from receiving it because of the mixed messages you get around pleasure. You know what I mean. “Indulge in your guilty pleasure” or ” It was sinfully pleasurable.” You hear yourself silently saying “I’d better stay away from guilt or sin, so I’ll say no to that pleasure, thank you very much”.
It’s funny, this idea of pleasure. What it is. How we get it. If we deserve it. Can we trust it. Is it safe.
I feel that pleasure is often forgotten or misunderstood by most of us. To me, it’s one of the gifts that we experience from living in human bodies. It’s a physical experience that feels good on a cellular level. And if we choose it with consciousness and intent, we can make life in a body a lot more fun, healthy and enjoyable.
And it doesn’t have to only come from taking a vacation to some remote tropical island or investing in some pricey spa treatments to actually experience it.
These are great, don’t get me wrong. I love a yummy massage or relaxing beautiful vacation just as much as everyone else. If you’ve been disconnected from pleasure for quite some time, it’s an awesome way to “remind” yourself and your body of what it feels like. To indulge your senses in a very concentrated way.
But you don’t necessarily have to go to this level to begin cultivating and experiencing more pleasure in your life right away. And it doesn’t have to happen strictly in the bedroom (although that’s certainly a lovely choice as well).
What if you could experience more pleasure in your day-to-day life? In those moments that seem routine, or mundane? This is what I’d like to invite you into today.
Pleasure is available at all times to us, and we can experience it when we’re driving home from work, when we’re writing a blog to our community, when we’re doing the dishes, when we’re having a conversation with a client or colleague.
It’s merely a practice to focus or direct our energy toward pleasure, to set the intention that we experience it, open to receive it and be present with our bodies so that we can savor its delicious-ness.
It’s a practice. And for us to receive pleasure, it requires us to be present with our body. Pleasure is one of the gifts of being in physical form.
So what are some ways you can cultivate more pleasure in your everyday life?
• ª When you’re taking a shower in the morning, really be with the sensations of the water as it touches your body. Notice the fragrance of your soap or shampoo and really breathe it in. Be intentional as you dry yourself off and see how you can invite in more pleasure through sensation.
• ª Ask your body to help you choose clothing that feels yummy–maybe it’s a soft fluid top, or there’s a color that brightens your mood.
• ª If you’re spending time at the computer working on a project, stay connected with your breath and allow it to caress you from the inside out as your fingers touch the keys in a dance of inspiration.
• ª If you’re driving, let the scenery around you bring you pleasure. Notice colors, textures, and beauty with your eyes and let it fill you up. Or simply be present with the delicious life force energy that’s flowing through your body and savor the aliveness that’s pulsing within you. Soften your body, lower your barriers, and receive the gift of life flowing through you.
So why would you want to cultivate more pleasure on a daily basis?
First, it feels great in our body, which is an awesome reason all by itself. To be able to step out of autopilot and actually enjoy our physical experience, no matter what we’re doing, is HUGE.
Second, the more you consciously cultivate pleasure in ways that nourish your well-being, the less likely you are to fall into self-sabotaging & addictive tendencies to self-soothe.
And third, your overall state of happiness and joy in life will increase as you commit to the path of pleasure
A while back, I read an article written by Dr. Christiane Northrup called “Finding More Pleasure in Life”. In the article she states that the pursuit of pleasure is just as vital for a vibrant life as a healthy diet and exercise. She says
“You will not stick to a healthy diet and exercise plan unless you find pleasure in the pursuit of it. You must come to this by yourself and discover that the moment-to-moment way you live your life has to be pleasure, because there’s not a happy ending to an unhappy journey.”
I particularly love where she says “there’s not a happy ending to an unhappy journey.” I believe that an abundantly joyful and vibrant life is as much about how we experience the journey as it is where we’re headed. And for me, cultivating more pleasure in those moments that can seem mundane creates a beautifully rich experience of feeling fully alive, turning an ordinary journey into extraordinary!
Here’s some final tips to support you in adding pleasure to your life and your body:
• ª Say NO to even the most subtle discomfort
• ª Create a Desire List
• ª Become physically and energetically aligned to receiving it by connecting to your body’s sensations
• ª Notice what adds to your personal pleasure
• ª Choose to live in an estatic state
• ª Regularly ask the question, ” Body, how can you and I experience more pleasure today?”
Have fun playing with cultivating more pleasure in your life, and I’d love to hear what shows up for you when you do! Feel free to comment below,
send me an e-mail or hop over to my
Facebook page and share!