Sensuality Is Not Shame.
It is intangible, though hit by stones.
It is natural, though been severely programmed with shame.
It is curious and mysterious, though ridden with imposed guilt.
It is harmonic with our very nature, though indoctrinated with negativity.
It is the purest essence, though called lewd.
It is feeling and pleasure, though bashed in connotation with crudeness and salacious.
Sensuality (n.) pronunciation: /ˌsen(t)SHəˈwalədē/
1. The enjoyment, expression, or pursuit of pleasure.
1.1 The condition of being pleasing or fulfilling to the senses.
Sensuality has been shamed, crucified, defamed, suppressed and repressed. It has been shackled with a tight clasp of psychological enslavement barred with a societal embodiment of guilt and abashment.
Sensuality has been blatantly associated with lewdness, lust, sex, irreligious and immoral behavior. It has been called and labeled many derogatory descriptors with massive attempt through societal contempt and suppression. Sensuality has been pushed down, suffocated and inebriated with imposed shame. It has been pervaded and bashed, though in truth it is greatly feared.
Sensuality is the key liberator from perceived mundane into perceived wonder.
It is filled with mysticism, wonder and miracles. It is gentle yet strong, vulnerable yet unbreakable.
To become sensually immersed in the pure presence and experience of a moment is to dance with the omniscient, the wordless. It is one thing to say you have been to the Grand Canyon, but have you stood on the canyon, screamed your name out at the top of your lungs, felt the cold wind sharply blow through your hair, and simply soaked yourself in luscious saturation of the pure moment’s essence?
To come alive is to be sensual. To be sensual is to become aware. You do not need to wait for your next planned vacation, you can choose deep sensuality right now. Here are five tips to help you do just that:
1. Feel into the moment.
Become aware of your surroundings. Notice the colors and objects in the room. Bring awareness to your senses. Any aroma you notice? Is there a song playing? What sounds do you hear in the background? What do the textures of the clothes you are wearing feel like? What colors do you see around you?
2. Breathe.
If feeling into the moment seems too much all at once, you can start with simply bringing awareness to your breath and see what arises to your senses. To help get out of your mind-chatter, you can say to yourself, “I am breathing in. I am breathing out.” As you repeatedly say this in sync with your breathing, begin to notice what your senses want to share.
3. Apply your imagination.
As you begin to notice and become aware of your senses, play with the energies and use your imagination to amplify what feels good. If you walk by a pastry shop and smell an aroma of freshly baked cake, imagine the cake is for a big party just to celebrate you!
Our minds can worry and take us in all sorts of directions, but through our senses we can help trigger remembrance of our innate abilities to become playful and joyful with our imagination rather than fearful and anxious.
4. Take your time.
In a world telling us to rush rush rush, it is time to simply slow down. Be present with yourself as much as you can throughout your day. If you walk to work, can you use perception to notice what is different about your walk each day? If you drive to work, wake up a few minutes earlier and take a different route from the normal one. What do you see that you have not seen before?
Set 10 minutes aside each day just for you, to enjoy something you love with the intention of full presence and honoring your own sensual pleasure.
5. Appoint a sensuality reminder.
It can be difficult to remember to be mindful and sensually perceptive in the moment with the pace of life. Set a sensuality reminder for yourself! Setting a daily reminder on your phone such as: “Notice something blue in the room” or “Feel into what my body is telling me right now.” This will help trigger you back into the moment. Get creative with the reminders!
You can also give meaning to an accessory or object you see daily such as a bracelet that triggers you to be alert to the sensuality of the moment.
Sensuality is the bridge to wonder and sacred mystery in our lives. As your perceptional reality becomes more alive and heightened, you will begin to perceive freshness and new discoveries never noticed in your world before.
Focus on the deep savor of sensuality and authentic expression, the lushness of your own joy and pleasure await you. Let us claim back our greatest passions and pleasures in our lives, not hide or shame what makes our hearts sing.
It is time to celebrate and express our deepest joy in life, not fear it.
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Melissa Edwards is a heart scribe. She tries her best to get better and better at this ‘life thing’ every day. Follow her heart behavior on Instagram, Etsy, or Twitter.
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