“Here in this body are the sacred rivers: here are the sun and moon as well as all the pilgrimage places… I have not encountered another temple as blissful as my own body.”
Saraha
Our earthly bodies are sacred. They are home to our minds, our souls, our very spirit… our bodies hold the essence of who we are in the flesh. Disconnection seems all too common, but tending to mind-body connection is where sensuality can flourish. Sensuality has the power to unlock immense healing but many of us feel like visitors in our own bodies. Too many of us have suffered sexual trauma or physical abuse – making our bodies not feel like “ours”. With healing, we must take back our power. We must reclaim our bodies, heal from the physical traumas and explore ways to express our sensual sides. Sensuality as a spiritual practice is where magic can be created and transformed to heal, grow + truly live.
my body. my home.
Over the past few years, I have been exploring what it means to view my body as my home and on this path, I have had to dedicate space for intense healing. As women, many of us grow up being sexualized, objectified, abused, taken advantage of, controlled… the list goes on. The negative emotions that are held in these blocks are debilitating. Instead of meeting our bodies with love/acceptance, we meet ourselves in the mirror with overwhelming grief, sadness, anger, stress, guilt, pain, etc.
In order to move forward & to overcome, we must realize that the healing energy of love is much stronger… & that our future is worth it. We no longer have to suffer, to fall victim to the trauma of the past, to live in the shell of our skeleton. I’ve been working to overcome many blocks in my own body, from disease to an eating disorder to sexual assault. It is not light work. It takes time. It will break you down but it will also build you up. I still have days where I touch my body feeling like it is not my own… but I see the light. I am learning to love each and every piece of who I am, including the entirety of my physical body.
“It takes imagination to transcend your sex. But it’s dangerous, like building a house on sand. If you don’t know your own identity, the real meaning your own experience, you can’t just jump up and ‘transcend’… If we as women do not return to the sources of our art and our experience before we attempt to transcend them in a newly humanized form, the results will be far less fertile.”
Lucy R. Lippard | From the Center: Feminist Essays on Women’s Art
Society holds so many rules on womanhood. We are constantly berated on what we should look like, what is “beautiful”, what is “desired”, what is “ugly”, what is accepted. Many women fall victim to these things that are forced and pushed upon us at a very young age. We are put in a box almost immediately upon birth, being told what a woman is and what a woman should be. All of these things are intertwined with both sensuality and sexuality. As human beings, we must sit in peace that our bodies are sacred. We do not exist as objects to be looked at, used, or borrowed. We do not exist purely to pleasure others, we are so much more than that.
“I want sexuality to be a source of self knowledge, creativity & communication despite it’s potential risks. I want them to revel in their bodies sensuality without being reduced to it”
Peggy Orenstein | Girls & Sex
Growth exists in overcoming and transcending… abundance lies in discovering who we are and expressing that in ways that make us comfortable + safe. Sensuality is ours to play with & explore & doing so can create a beautiful stream of personal freedom. Being in tune with the sensual sides of ourselves and taking ownership of our own sexuality opens the doors for positive change, higher vibrations & sweet, healing energy. Our power lies within & all we have to do is tap into it. Learn how to be vulnerable in new ways, explore different sensual practices, touch yourself with love / acceptance, allow yourself to be free, & have fun with it.
Ways to practice sacred sensuality & get in touch with your body:
- Practice mindfulness / mediation / get grounded in the present moment.
- Take a warm bath with epsom salt, candles & your favorite playlist.
- Experiment with different forms of dance to explore ways to move + feel your body.
- Give yourself a massage with natural oils! I love to use coconut, rosemary, frankincense & lavender oils.
- Work on healing any trauma or blocks you have in relation to your body.
- Practice a sensual shower mediation (will link one of my favorites below).
- Play some sensual tunes and sway to the sounds, let yourself be vulnerable.
- Establish boundaries in your sexual life & only do what makes you feel comfortable + safe.
- Nourish your body with good food & gentle movement.
- Be patient with your healing process // practice awareness // always do your best.
with peace & love,
kendall
Resources:
My sensuality playlist:
Sensual Shower Meditation:
Back In My Body by Maggie Rogers: