upcoming mindfulness session: rituals of pleasure
i am choosing, everyday, to care for my heart and yours and yours and yours
poetics of pleasure
Allow me to begin with sharing parts of the poem ‘On Pleasure’ by Kahlil Gibran from his book, The Prophet.
And he answered, saying:Â
Pleasure is a freedom-song,Â
But it is not freedom.
It is the blossoming of your desires,Â
But it is not their fruit.
It is a depth of calling unto a height,
But it is not the deep nor the high.
It is the caged taking wing,
But it is not the space encompassed.
…
Oftentimes in denying yourself pleasure you do but store the desire in the recesses of your being.Â
Who knows but that which seems omitted today, waits for tomorrow?Â
Even your body knows its heritage and its rightful need and will not be deceived.
And your body is the harp of your soul,
And it is yours to bring forth sweet music from it or confused sounds.Â
about the session
The call to facilitate a session on ‘rituals of pleasure’ has been simmering in the recesses of my being. Recently, I felt a confirmation to proceed and bring it to life. I am curious to witness how the coming days and weeks will take form as I more intentionally engage with rituals of pleasure in my personal life. I invite you to be witnesses to your own definitions of, understandings of and relationships with pleasure.
Kindly mark your calendars for Saturday, March 23 at 11:00 am. This will be a 75 to 90-minute session where we will explore the stories we hold about our permission to access, experience, and exhibit pleasure. My hope is to hold space for those present to engage in a curiosity-led approach to defining pleasure, embodying pleasure and sharing (possibilities of) pleasure. What new pleasure-full stories will you tell/believe?
Kindly RSVP by sending me a direct message by Saturday, March 17.
I value being in a healthy space, I value being well, and I really value joy, and it wasn’t always like that. It’s a new thing for me. And I see now how joy and peace are weapons, particularly in a society that dispossesses Black bodies, and a world where Black people can only be these tragic stories or are only tragedies. Seeking and choosing joy and peace every day, and normalizing that is important for me.
Koleka Putuma