Being a “pleasure artist” is a natural human talent. Tantra teaches that the body is a temple. One of his gifts is the ability to feel pleasure through the senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. While it takes practice, pleasure is an art worth developing. Some of the skills that enhance pleasure are; a finely tuned sensory awareness, the ability to enjoy pleasure for extended periods of time and presence. How much pleasure do I allow in your life?
According to women’s health expert Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of Women’s bodies, women’s wisdom, pleasure is crucial. It is an essential nutrient that you need every day to maintain and / or regain your health. Pleasure releases hormones that promote health. She suggests that you can make the world a better place by giving yourself pleasure on a daily basis.
Pleasure like any art requires practice. Why? Because we live in a culture that rewards hard work and judges those who pursue pleasure. People often associate pleasure with guilt. That is why practicing pleasure can build resistance. You may wonder, “Am I being selfish or forgiving?” If resistance arises, be with it. Allow feelings to emerge and express them in healthy ways, such as through movement, art, or sharing them with a friend. As you release the resistance, you may find that you have an even greater capacity to experience pleasure than before. Integrate pleasure into your life. When you commit to practicing pleasure regularly, you will become an expert at it.
Here are 10 keys to practicing the art of pleasure:
1) Practice being present and aware in every moment, rather than living in the past or future. The present moment is the only place where pleasure can happen.
2) Open your body fully. Breathe in your belly, release the tension. Do this several times a day and you will start to notice if it starts to contract.
3) Take pleasure breaks frequently throughout the day. Discover the simple pleasures that you have been overlooking. Learn what gives you pleasure.
4) Perfect your sensory awareness. Focus on a particular sense and see how much you can engage and expand it. Keep a sensory awareness journal. See how much your awareness and capacity for pleasure can increase.
5) See with new eyes. Be curious and innocent, like a child. Children find wonders in the world. See the mystery around you.
6) Challenge yourself to take pleasure in unlikely situations, such as being stuck in traffic or sitting in a long meeting. If you notice negative thoughts, pause and make a conscious decision to refocus your attention. Focus on your breathing, release the resistance, and begin to circulate your breath throughout your body, expanding your vitality. Feel your energy begin to flow beyond your physical body. See how expansive it can be.
7) Be generous with yourself and with others. Give yourself a 3-5 minute mini-massage at least once a day. Recognize the power of touch and find a friend who wants to exchange massages. Hug often, share the contact with those who are open to receive it.
8) Eat slowly and allow yourself to savor each bite. Food can be erotic.
9) Look deeply into the eyes of your loved one, see beyond form and personality. Know that you are the Divine, in form. Let them be a mirror so that you can see the Divine in you as well.
10) Celebrate your body by giving yourself orgasms. Orgasms heal. They release tension and produce hormones that balance body-mind. They give you a feeling of well-being. When you have an orgasm regularly, you vibrate with pleasure. As you radiate pleasure, others feel it and begin to experience it as well. The world is hungry for joy and pleasure. You can’t make other people change, but you can change yourself. Through your willingness to practice pleasure, others will be inspired. Celebrate pleasure every day as you practice these 10 keys and watch your life change.
