Putting Pleasure In It’s Sacred Place
There was a time when I thought pleasure was indulgent… something you earned only after working hard enough, achieving enough, or proving yourself worthy enough. Pleasure was the dessert at the end of life’s long meal, not the nourishment in the middle of it. It was a luxury, not a birthright.
I also believed it was something to be hidden. If I enjoyed something too much, I worried others would see me as self-absorbed or lazy. I learned to dim my joy, to tone down my desires, to tuck away the sparkle of my own aliveness. If pleasure slipped through, I quickly wrapped it in apology: “Sorry, I’m just treating myself”… as if savoring life required justification.
But then, my body began to whisper to me.
At first, I ignored her, my body spoke in sensations I wasn’t used to paying attention to. A slight warmth in my chest when I lingered under the sun. A loosening in my belly when I heard music I loved. The way my breath slowed when someone touched me with tenderness. These were small things, subtle signals, and I brushed them aside, thinking they were insignificant.
It wasn’t until a season of deep burnout and disconnection that I finally listened. My nervous system was frayed, my emotions were brittle, and my spirit felt far from my body. I realized that in my quest for productivity, I had been starving myself of one of the most essential forms of nourishment: pleasure.
Pleasure as a Sacred Signal
When I began studying intimacy, sensuality, and nervous system regulation, something shifted. I learned that pleasure is not frivolous… it’s a biological compass. It is how the body communicates safety.
When we feel pleasure, whether from a sip of warm tea, a belly laugh with a friend, or the brush of silk against our skin… it sends a message through the nervous system: You are safe here. You can soften. You can receive.
That softening is not weakness. It is the doorway to deeper union, creativity, and intimacy. Pleasure became my meditation… not because it distracted me from the world, but because it tethered me more deeply to it.
Now, I seek pleasure the way I seek meditation: with reverence. Not to escape, but to arrive.
Then vs. Now
Old story: Pleasure is indulgent, selfish, or dangerous.
New story: Pleasure is holy, restorative, and necessary.
The old story taught me to distrust pleasure, to see it as a slippery slope toward laziness or temptation. The new story showed me that without pleasure, my body withers, my creativity dulls, and my relationships grow transactional instead of tender.
In sacred traditions across the world; whether in the poetry of ancients, the temple dances of India, or the earth-honoring rituals of indigenous cultures… pleasure has always had a place. It was celebrated, not shamed. It was understood as a way to honor the body as a divine vessel, to taste the gift of life fully.
How I Practice Sacred Pleasure Now
Sacred pleasure isn’t about extravagance or excess. It’s about mindful receiving. Allowing yourself to be present for beauty, sensation, and joy without guilt or rushing. Here are some of the ways I cultivate it:
* Slow Sensory Moments
: I take time each rising to savor my first sip of tea or cacao, breathing in the aroma, feeling the warmth in my hands, noticing the flavors unfold.
* Touch as Medicine
: Whether it’s self-massage with warm oil, the caress of my Beloved, or even the feel of wind across my skin, I let myself linger in the sensation instead of moving on quickly.
* Sound & Silence
: I listen to music that moves my body naturally, letting my hips sway in the kitchen. Other times, I let silence wash over me, savoring the stillness.
* Sacred Spaces
: I create small altars of beauty around my home; flowers, candles, objects that carry purpose. Each time I see them, I pause and take in the pleasure of their presence.
* Sentient Receiving in Relationships
: I practice letting love in fully… whether it’s a compliment, a gift, or a simple gesture. I breathe, receive, and allow it to be instead of brushing it off.
The Body is a Temple
When I treat my pleasure as sacred, I honor my body as a temple. This temple is not just a place for productivity or service, it is a sanctuary for beauty, rest, and delight.
The more I honor my pleasure, the more I notice it is unified to other forms of abundance. When I’m deeply nourished, I give more generously, love more fully, and create more vibrantly. My relationships deepen because I show up complete instead of depleted.
What About You?
~When was the last time you felt deep, unhurried pleasure? What were you doing?
~How would your days change if you treated pleasure as sacred instead of optional?
~What sensations does your body give you to signal safety and openness?
Gentle Suggestions: How To Begin Your Sacred Pleasure Practice
Step 1: Notice the Micro-Moments
: Start with five minutes a day. Sit with your tea, step outside to feel the sun, or place your hand on your heart. Pay attention to the small sensations.
Step 2: Void the Apology
: Practice receiving pleasure without explaining, justifying, or earning it. Say, “I deserve this because I am alive.”
Step 3: Build a Pleasure Ritual
: Create a daily or weekly practice devoted to pleasure… an evening bath with candles, a dance session in your living room, or a quiet moment with music.
Step 4: Unite Pleasure to Gratitude
: After a moment of pleasure, pause and thank your body for letting you feel it. This builds the union between pleasure and worthiness.
Step 5: Share the Innergy
: Let your pleasure overflow into the world. Cook for someone you love, bring flowers to a neighbor, or write a note of apprecilove.
The Sacred Invitation
Pleasure, for me, is no longer a guilty afterthought… it is a daily devotion. It is the way my body communes with the Divine, the way my spirit says, “I’m home.”
When we reframe pleasure as sacred, we shift our relationship with life itself. We stop living for the finish line and start honoring the richness of each moment.
So I invite you: Let pleasure be your compass, your ceremony, your gift. Let it remind you that you are not just here to survive… you are here to thrive.
Your Turn to Begin
Tonight, give yourself one moment of unapologetic pleasure. Feel it fully. Receive it deeply. And tomorrow, do it again. Not as a treat, but as a communion with the Divine.