Pleasure is not only a sensory experience, but also an emotional and spiritual state of being. It’s integral to our well-being, allowing us to tap into our deepest desires and connect with our innermost selves. Pleasure is not just a luxury available to a select few, but a fundamental part of what it means to live a healthy and fulfilling life.
Our ability to feel good, perceive what is pleasurable and reside there is available to all of us. It’s our body’s natural state. Pleasure comes in many forms and is experienced differently by each one of us. It’s not something we need to earn or something we need to deserve.
At its core, pleasure is about allowing ourselves to fully experience our sensuality and the world around us. It’s about engaging with our senses, being present in the moment, and opening ourselves up to new possibilities. It’s a visceral experience of what we allow to flow through us; what enlivens, inspires, arouses and provides a sense of ease.
Whether it’s savouring a delicious meal, indulging in a massage, or exploring our sexuality in a safe and consensual way, pleasure allows us to tap into the richness and vibrancy of life, and experience all that it has to offer.
But pleasure is not just about indulgence or hedonism. It’s also about fostering a sense of connection and community. By allowing ourselves to experience pleasure, we can cultivate deeper relationships with others and create a sense of intimacy and trust. When we share what turns us on (and off) with those close to us, we create a space of openness and vulnerability that can lead to profound emotional and spiritual growth.
Moreover, pleasure is an essential component of our physical and emotional health. When we deny ourselves pleasure, we can become disconnected from our bodies and our desires, leading to feelings of anxiety, depression, and disconnection. We can all learn to return to a place of feeling relaxed, receptive and enjoy the sensuality our bodies have been designed to feel.
Of course, pleasure is not always easy to come by. In a society that often equates pleasure with sin or indulgence, it can be difficult to give ourselves permission to fully embrace our desires. It’s important to keep in mind that feeling good and connected is a natural and necessary part of our physiology and humanity; it’s our birthright. When we turn towards our pleasure, we access a wise and deeply nourishing inner resource, that guides us towards effortless abundance and joy.
By cultivating a sense of pleasure in our lives, we can tap into our deepest selves and create a sense of wellbeing that is truly transformative. We can do this by making small efforts to appreciate the world around us and prioritising self-care and following what feels good.
So let us embrace pleasure, not as a luxury, but as a fundamental part of what it means to live a fulfilling and meaningful life.
Here are some practical ways to add more
pleasure to your daily life:
1. Move your body: Choose a physical activity that makes you feel good, whether it’s dancing, yoga, martial arts, surfing, swimming or simply taking a walk in nature. Focus on how your body feels as you move, and the sense of vitality and energy this movement provides.
2. Engage your senses: Our senses are powerful tools for experiencing pleasure. Take a moment to tune into one sense and focus entirely on your experience through that sense, i.e. savour eating a piece of fruit. Take your time and really taste it.
3. Slow down: Slowing down the pace at which you move through your day can have a significant impact on the depth and range of pleasure available to you. Our fast-paced lives cause stress that numbs our senses and dulls perceptions.
4. Surround yourself with beauty: Beauty is pleasurable. Curate an environment around you that feels both attractive and inviting to all your senses. Perhaps it’s with art, textiles, lighting, fresh cut flowers or even rearranging the space to be more comfortable.
5. Practice savouring: Savouring intensifies and lengthens the positive emotions that come with doing something you love, while anchoring good feelings in the body. Once a day practice “catching” a moment of pleasure. Slow down the moment, and extend it if you can. Use all of your awareness to feel the pleasure as deeply as possible. What are you aware of? What do you feel? Where do you feel it?
6. Practice self-care: Self-care is a vital component of pleasure and well-being. Set aside time for activities that nourish your mind, body, heart and soul. Prioritise sleep, healthy nutrition, exercise and sacred practices that connect you to your essence.
7. Connect with others: We are social beings and our feeling of belonging can be a deeply pleasurable experience. Make time to connect with others in ways that bring joy and satisfaction, whether it’s sharing a meal with friends, having a stimulating conversation or engaging in a shared hobby.
8. Embrace sensuality: Sensuality is integral to pleasure and arises from our senses – touching, smelling, tasting, hearing and our felt sense, and creates a feeling of wellbeing. Take a moment to appreciate and amplify the sensation of massaging your skin, of tasting a piece of fruit, or listening to your favourite piece of music.
9. Connect with nature: Spending time in nature is grounding, restorative and revitalising. Take a walk in the forest (barefoot) or swim in the ocean. Immerse your senses in nature – listen to birdsong, observe water moving or sunlight playing through dappled leaves.
Prioritising pleasure in our lives can become yet another task to get through in a day, particularly if we treat it as yet another goal to be achieved. However, the reality is that pleasure doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. A warm bath after a long day or spending a few minutes to savour a cup of tea are simple ways to include pleasure in your day.
