Pleasure is something that we seek in all that we do.
We seek it in food,
Sex,
Music,
And in a whole lot else.
What if we explored being with,
Rather than doing things,
For pleasure?
I have learned that we can experience pleasure through the senses,
Through touch,
Smell,
Temperature,
And pleasure is not limited to sex.
With mindfulness,
We can deepen our pleasure practice by slowing things down and experiencing the fullness and richness of our lives,
Even in the mundane.
In our meditation today,
We'll explore what it's like to have a pleasure practice by being with the senses and flowing with the breath.
In today's practice,
You may wish to be seated upright,
With your legs crossed or feet rooted into the floor.
Or you could explore lying down,
Just doing what feels good for the body today.
When you've landed in a place that feels supportive,
See if you can come into your surroundings.
If there are any colors around you,
Noticing the beauty of their shades.
If there's any textures around you,
Noticing the details of their design.
You may wish to notice how your clothes feel on your skin,
Feeling into the fabrics that adorn you.
Release any tension in the face,
Drawing the chin in towards the chest.
Allow your shoulders to soften.
Let's move inwards.
Feeling the breath move in and out through both nostrils.
Enjoying each breath.
And as we explore the senses and the possibility of pleasure,
Our mind may wander.
This is a normal part of the practice and we can guide it back,
Bringing yourself back into the body.
And what's it like to explore a little deeper?
Are there any emotions here with you in this moment?
Not moving too much into story,
Just noticing any feelings that are present with you.
And can you become aware of what feels good in the body?
Once you've found somewhere that feels good,
Can you send your attention into that area?
Telling it,
I'm with you.
And being with the body may feel painful.
I welcome you to stay with this pain too.
You could breathe into this pain and tell it,
I'm with you.
If your mind moves away,
Saying I'm with you and moving back into any sensations in the body.
Noticing the fullness and richness of exploring the body's senses.
Letting go of this technique,
Allowing the breath to clear the body.
Cherishing this next breath.
Letting your ears find pleasure in the sounds around you.
When you're ready,
You can allow your eyes to gently open.
Moving back into the space that holds your body.
Moments of pleasure can be found throughout our day-to-day lives.
These moments may be fleeting,
But as we move into them,
We can experience the wonder of the senses.
Practicing pleasure can be as simple as slowing down and bringing in your awareness into what you're doing.
So as you move through your day,
I welcome you to bring in a pleasure practice.
This could be sexual or non-sexual,
And for me it just looks like taking time to dress myself.
Slowing down when putting lotion on my skin,
Or taking time to do my skincare in a way that feels good.
Find something that works for you,
And lean into it.
I'll see you soon for our sixth session.
