The deeper I’ve explored pleasure as a practice — a path, even — the more I’ve discovered that it can arise in the most unexpected places.
And that even when pain or discomfort is present, we can simultaneously orient to sensations of pleasure.
We’re exploring pleasure in my Shakti Yoga Teacher Training at the moment, so my practice has been pleasure-focussed lately.
And by intentionally orienting to pleasure, it is showing up in the most unexpected places.
Like at the dentist yesterday…
Much to my surprise, while I was in the chair and the needle was slowly penetrating my gum, entering the jaw, I felt the whole back surface back of my body melt into the chair.
It felt warm and I could soften deeply into a sensation of spreading out into the support behind me. My breath deepened.
I leant into the relaxation of that sensation – something I’ve practiced time and time again both in Shakti Yoga and Somatic Experiencing therapy sessions.
I felt grateful that my practice could give me something to focus on that wasn’t the needle!
This helped me to stay in my body, rather than check out.
The next experience surprised me even more – as the drilling was happening on my tooth, I experienced the vibrations as pleasurable! I could feel them all the way down to my feet!
So I savoured that sensation – not pleasurable like the scent of a rose or a warm bath, but pleasurable nonetheless (this is a very Tantric way of approaching pleasure!).
In Shakti Yoga we approach pleasure as an innate current that is always available – if we choose to orient towards it.
With training, we can detect and enjoy even its most subtle manifestations!!
P.S. If you’re curious to grow your capacity to receive pleasure… you’ll love what we explore in my upcoming Shakti Yoga course at Soul Space Brisbane, beginning May 26, 2025.
Otherwise, stay tuned for regular live online sessions, or start practisting Shakti Yoga anytime from the comfort of our own home in my online course!
