This is me reacting to @highstreetpictures growling at me. So the moral of this story is- Don’t tell me to smile. Just growl. And I will light up. It’s so interesting to me how I have a hard time generating delight or pleasure when looking into the camera, when being seen. I needed someone to do it for me. An intent that I use often in my practice and teaching is Generate and Feel for Pleasure. It’s such an important intent because so many of us rely on external things to feel pleasure, to validate ourselves. This isn’t bad. In fact, it’s normal to reach for things, people, experiences that can help us feel pleasure. We’re not meant to be isolated beings. We need each other. We are a part of each other. But these external things aren’t permanent. How do we call up pleasure for ourselves when they’re not around? It’s a practice. I rely on memories of pleasurable, joyful, delightful experiences playing with my childhood best friend, rubbing my cat’s ears, dancing and singing with my kiddo, laughing with my husband, waking up from a fool night’s sleep. When I call up these memories, unique sensations flood my body. I also rely on my deep breathing, yoga nidra meditation, and #forrestyoga practice. My love for the stars. My love for plantains. Life is so damn hard without pleasure. I would go so far as to say that pleasure is necessary for life, specifically for facing the challenges and obstacles. Pleasure is what softens us to broaden our perspective and be better problem-solvers. Pleasure is a powerful tool for linking, bonding, understanding. That being said, I will not object to you growling at me. What brings you pleasure? I would love to know. #pleasure #practiceispractice https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ROH88gz6y/?igshid=22kmxbeen4qi
