Top Ten "A" Possibilities of Opening to Pleasure

Have you noticed how complicated and confused is the subject of pleasure? There are two opposite factions, one saying pleasures are to be monitored or shunned, the other that pleasure is everything. Popular wisdom assesses that "giving" pleasure is valuable implying that receiving is not, "that the most delicate, the most sensible of all pleasures, consists in promoting the pleasure of others." Is that truly the ultimate generosity? If we were to all follow that advice, there would be no "others" to pleasure! How therefore can we make the receiving pleasure more acceptable, that is, more pleasing?

1. Awareness
Awareness is always a good start. And a good end, as a matter of fact! Could it be that you and I have been indoctrinated into thinking that what matters is the mind, and thus that pleasure, which is often thought as connected to body senses, is disallowed? Could it be that you and I have been taught to be SERIOUS, and to WORK hard, and conditioned to welcome strife, rather than ease, the EASE of plEASE?

2. Animal
My little Ma-Zu teaches me so much on that subject. If you recall, Ma-Zu is my baby cat, and yes, she came back home! She has no problems staying on my lap, purring her way through hours of petting, receiving love, unabashedly. Just the word "unabashedly": it has courageous candor to it, and a radical totality that is totally satisfying! It is matter of fact, present time, just like my anima-Zu tutor!

3. Ambiguity
Pleasure gets a bad rap because it enters in polarity with pain. "Pleasures of love only last a moment", says the French song. "Chagrins of love however last a lifetime…" What a bummer that is! Yet, have you ever known such exquisite pleasure it almost transforms into pain?

4. Art
Most decisively, pleasure teaches satiety, which is Art. The knowing when the piece is complete, when to put down the brush is what gives artists their mastery! Ask yourself: can you hear when it is enough? Can you hear your heART? The mind always wants more, convincing you the food is delicious… The stomach is filled, and you still want another serving. You still want dessert!

5. Accident
Pursuing pleasure is a sure way to avoid it, which does not mean that you cannot ready yourself to receive pleasure… For the guest to come, you have to send an invitation. Similarly, allow pleasure to come to you unexpected. Be ready for the unknown, be ready for the accidental laughter: that is where the deliciousness is!

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6. Aesthetics
We all appreciate beauty differently. For some, it is listening to a Beethoven's symphony under the rain, for others it is the sight of an awe-inspiring sunset. At times, it may be the caress of a silk shirt on your bare skin. On occasions, it is the savoring of a sublime lemon pie. Possibly, the whiff of jasmine might just send you to heaven… or the nourishing sounds of silence… It is a privilege to be in human form, to be given to feel acutely: this feeling ability is how mystics call senses "the gates of the soul"!

7. Alphabet
Compare making sense and the sense of smell. The word "sense" has the same letters, yet its "sense" is opposite, one being directed to the mind (the sensible), while the other addresses the body (the sensual). Isn't that the biggest clue that there is a connection between the two? Could you create a bridge in between the mind and the body with your sixth sense, your sense of humor, or again your common sense?

8. Aquarian
Isn't it amazing how many suitable "A's" are rushing to help me write this piece? I am taking great pleasure in witnessing this appening, I mean this happening! There is indeed a flowing quality about pleasure, a fluidity that has its own rules, its own momentum, which you either resist or embrace: your decision! What we call pleasure may be just that: being in the flow of life!

9. Appreciation
How do I do that, I hear you ask? How do I embrace the flow? Would it be easier to do something you don't like, if you were to look at the benefits you derive from it? For example, if you hate paying bills, can you feel the satisfaction to be in integrity with your commitments, can you appreciate the people involved in the transaction, can you open to the joy to have received a valuable service? Who is the decider?

10. Abyss
In many ways, it is a quantum jump to accept pleasure eternally when it is said to be so ephemeral. It is quite a leap to drop judgment, and "make your business a pleasure and pleasure your business"… Impossible? Contemplate: wouldn't it be highly pleasurable to open to possibilities? Imagine the possibility to greatly enjoy writing this piece for you, and the trust that it was your pleasure to read it also.

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Mahalene Louis is an Inspiration Anchor, a Futurist, an Artist, an Author and the President of Soulvision Axis, Inc., a company assisting the Leader, Officer, Visionary and Engineer in Self (or L.O.V.E. as the four primordial archetypes) to unleash their creativity and awaken their spirit by collaborating as one. She recently authored “CraQKing the QKabbalah QKode: How Healing the Jewish Agenda Connects (Your) Life!”

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