The Yoga of Sexuality
Remember the first time you walked in to yoga class? The uncertainty, the strange smell, the uncomfortableness of the postures, other people looking like they knew what they were doing and effortlessly moving from one posture to another. Then trying to keep up with what the teacher was doing and then maybe the class included your first Om or meditation? And the busy mind telling you, you weren’t doing it right and a bit of embarrassment or shyness.
And yet there was something that made you go back.
And then each class, you relaxed a bit more, began to notice new sensations, enjoyed your breath and could use your breathing to enhance a posture or quieten your mind. And gradually you noticed your movement smoothing and your Om becoming more confident. And as the time went on the benefits of yoga became more apparent in your life and now you love it.
In many ways once we begin to see pleasure and natural sensuality as a practice like yoga, we can begin to approach it with a whole new level of interest. Admitting we’re not sure how to do it and need some guidance, is where it can begin. After all, none of us have learned how to do this. And neither have our partners and there’s not many studios around to sign up for sexuality classes. But what if it was just as widespread and natural as yoga?
As in yoga, focus on breath, movement and sound, have parallels in pleasure. We can begin to slow down and notice more. With focus on the breath we can learn how to use it to heighten excitement or to find peace. Moving our bodies allows us to let our energy build and flow. And we can get more confident about touch, changing poses and trying new things with a little more confidence and bravery. And once we begin to use sound and our voice we can communicate more about what we’re feeling and wanting, which builds trust and connection with a partner.
So, just like yoga, its sometimes taking the first brave step that can lead us into a whole new world of awareness. And once we’ve taken that step, a world of possibility, permission, expansion and pleasure await. Mindfulness and intention matter as much in the bedroom as the yoga class and are best explored with an open beginners mind.
Admitting you have an earthly body with desires is important - your body is you. Your genitals are just as much a part of you as your toes. It’s all part of the divine in you and to ignore a part of you or to be self critical is missing the point of self acceptance and forgiveness. Pushing our bodies can be interesting for a while but what if you could love your animal body in your practice, making an exploration and acceptance of your sensuality and eroticism your exploration.
It may seem an unusual focus when often we want to be spiritually connected and the body can be a place of fear or loathing. Exploring your sexuality is also part of your wholeness. Accepting your shadow, the seemingly unacceptable side of our human nature is as much a spiritual practice, as connecting with the higher realms. The power of sexuality for healing is vast. We learn a lot about compassion through heartbreak and loss in relationships. We can blame others for our repeated mistakes or losses or we can choose to see them as a gift, guiding us to a fuller expression of love.
Keeping our hearts open to love again is simply a choice. We’re here on the earth to let life flow through us. The way we connect with kindness, passion and love to ourselves and others is just as important as how we connect to the angels. It’s all yoga and mindfulness of a fascinating rewarding subject. Your body is you. Your sexuality is you. Enjoy it in all it’s divine and earthly aspects