When Constriction Feels More Comfortable Than Freedom

Dear Seekers,

Do you know sometimes I choose to do the dishes rather than have sex? I was raised to prioritize what I have to do, not want I want to do. Pleasure, for many of us, was either off limits, only granted after a considerable amount of pain (which is why so many of us wait for burnout before we take a vacation), or shamed (just think of the phrase "guilty pleasure," for instance). 

We live in a world that encourages disconnection from our bodies, rather than deep connection. As a result, instead of being in the pleasure of sex, we go into our heads: "Is my partner having a good time?" "Is my body being judged?" "How do I tell them I don't like what they are doing?" "How do I ask for what feels good without feeling shame?" (Questions inspired by Melissa Fulgieri).

In our next Seven Deadly Sins, we are going toward LUST. 

We will gather at Temple, a space aimed to explore the intersection of mind, body, spirit, and artistic practice. We will sip brewed tea and taste food that will help awaken our erotic minds. We will have 1.5 hours to: witness a Shibari, the Japanese art of rope-tying, performance by master Shibari partners, discuss consent practices for rope and beyond, practice negotiating touch and embodied check-ins for all types of intimacy and learn basic rope self-tying skills.

After our Shibari practice, we will have 1.5 hours for journaling and deep connection. In this time, you will reflect on what intimacy could be like if you honored where your body and mind was in the present moment, prioritizing connection to your deepest selves as a first step, while acknowledging all the things that get in the way of regularly practicing this. You will leave these 3 hours feeling connected to yourself, your desires, and to others who are on a journey towards centering play and pleasure. 

Do you want to come with us on this journey?

“Pleasure activism is the work we do to reclaim our whole, happy, and satisfiable selves from the impacts, delusions, and limitations of oppression and/or supremacy."

― Adrienne Maree Brown, Pleasure Activism