I recently attended a workshop around embodied intimacy. The facilitator said something that stuck out to me: pleasure is not just what I prefer to feel. He went on to say that pleasure is also about leaning into intimacy and deeper interactions / connections, which can feel challenging at times. Pleasure is choosing to be there with what is.
This immediately made me think of the spectrum of pleasure by Kai Cheng Thom:
Though I’m still reflecting on what all of this means to me, it has allowed me to appreciate the range of my pleasure. I’ve come to think of my pleasure as both proximate and widespread. When I feel a loss of self — or disconnected or reactionary — underneath I can sense the urgency to protect the larger landscape of my joy and pleasure. When I feel overwhelmed by the world, there’s a core desire within that for others to feel happy and at ease.
It’s easy to freeze or go numb when overwhelming feelings arise. This response is a brilliant survival mechanism of the body, aimed to keep us safe. And though there are times when this kind of disassociation is necessary, right now feels like a time to rise above the threshold of numbness so I can feel into our shared humanity.
Right now feels like a time to keep pausing to feel my own breath and aliveness, not only to care for myself but to continue to reach out, reflect, and give during such a heartbreaking time in our world.
“I think we are better to each other when we can be self-reflective. We are better to each other when we can look at our fear, our projections of others, and our own hypocrisies.” Fariha Róisín in How To Cure A Ghost
What I can’t offer in words, I’ll try and offer through movement and holding space. I want to share this free class with you so you can keep creating space and capacity; so you can be gentle with yourself; so you can refill your energy reserves. This slower, more mindful flow is focused on creating space for the breath. You can find the link below. I hope you enjoy ❤️
Splendor of Recognition begins tomorrow evening. This 6-week philosophy course is meant to cultivate community and combine big ideas with embodiment work to find more clarity, ease, and inspiration. Find out more and register here. Sessions will be recorded in case you can’t make it live.
Flow for the Breath [30 min]
