The Pleasure Principle: Part 1

I have been thinking about how we show up as sensitive beings at a time when it has become painfully obvious that all hell is breaking loose left and right. There appears to be a massive awakening taking place worldwide, which creates shifts that are both desirable and uncomfortable on a personal and collective level.

When we hear the call and it becomes too much to ignore, it can seem rather daunting to hold onto your sense of direction when overwhelm is just around the corner ready to tackle you and make you its bitch. The number of times a day I want to walk deep into the forest and allow birds to nest in my hair as I shed my clothing, becoming one with the sounds of nature, as I sing the mating song for my forest lover is pretty high up there.

It makes complete sense to head into nature in order to find some "me" time. And I wholly agree that this is necessary to keep one's sanity intact, especially as Medicine Path Walkers. Yet, turning a blind eye to the Earth crying out for us to walk with more integrity & passion is simply hard to disregard.

In Taoist medicine, there is a concept called "Dao Yin" which in essence is the pleasure principle. This is not necessarily the self-gratification and orgasmic rubbing-one-out kind of thing (although that is important too), rather it means moving toward balance and harmony through an instinctual connection. If pleasure is not involved, then whatever you are doing is ineffective to create any real transformation. And in fact, you will turn away from an upgrade, preferring to stay in what feels comfortable. This means that that you are unconsciously choosing pain over what is more pleasurable due to coding, circumstances, and old habits, rather than your innate true nature.

For sure, there is hard stuff to look at, and old grooves are hard to let go with so much story wrapped up in the emotional investment made, however, stepping back and consciously making a new choice that aligns oneself with pleasure is a viable solution. I do indeed understand that this can seem ludicrous and overly simplistic to the casual eye.

Obviously this is a huge topic with lots of slippery slopes taking place and I will be writing more on this topic in the weeks to come, but the basics are, does this feel good? Is what I am eating, drinking, and surrounding myself with bringing pain or pleasure? Would I benefit from a different course of action or non-action? And ultimately, what do I actually enjoy and find blissful? What makes me happy or turns me on? What lights up my life, so to speak?

Activating the sexual energetic body is about creativity, openness, and releasing held tension through blissful awareness and instinctual know-how that most of us have forgotten. Practices that bring pleasure create states of presence, joy, and relaxation that allow for more of the same to flow towards. Just look at any kiddo for an example of this in practice. Even when they are upset, they embrace what is happening until it releases and then move on to the next joyful experience. There is not (usually) a lot of overthinking as that comes later though conditioning.

Another example would be to look at "religious", "spiritual" or "medicine" paths as they are filled with some very serious and undernourished individuals. Play is just as important as deep inquiry, and will heal trauma faster. Overwhelm signals that you are moving in the wrong direction. Take a bliss break! Trust me ;)

With Wild Love,

Seven Crow

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