Pleasure has power. To understand this concept, think broadly about pleasure. Moments of pleasure—like a pausing for a cup of tea or holding a purring cat—can offer enjoyment and comfort. Sensate pleasures can sooth anxiety, discharge energy, and shift emotional states. Pleasure can offer a pathway to greater resilience.
During periods of overwhelm, fear, grief, or anxiety, pleasure can feel far away and inaccessible. The conscious application of pleasure can balance and ground and open us to a deeper sense support. During challenging times: use pleasure practices.
Begin by making a list of pleasure activities that nourish or are creative. If you can’t figure out what is pleasurable, have someone else suggest three different pleasure activities. Pick one of them then do the activity. If that feels impossible, get help from someone, engage your sensory body, and practice.
This spring, I spend time each day with my hands in the garden soil—even if it is only for ten minutes—connecting, creating, watching the worms and bees move. This pleasure washes the numbness out of my body, and makes my fingers dirty.
— Alex
PS: Don’t forget about Portals of Pleasure! Registration is now open. It happens July 19-23, 2017 near Albuquerque, New Mexico, and women and non-binary folks with some experience in erotic embodiment circles are invited.
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