We’ve been taught to repress our desires for pleasure so much that any sort of allowance is seen as excessive. Many of us have grown up with certain beliefs that have trained us to equate pleasure with indecency or needless indulgence. The key message here is: Pleasure is about feeling whole and satisfied – not about indulging in excess. Finding pleasure, and finding a way to her yes, has been central to that process. In the author’s own words, pleasure activism is “the work we do to reclaim our whole, happy, and satisfiable selves from the impacts, delusions, and limitations of oppression and/or supremacy.” As someone who identifies as a queer, Black, mixed-race woman, the author has had to learn ways to understand and move through childhood traumas. In this regard, pleasure can be political, especially if you identify as a woman, femme, LGBTQ+, or have had to live in an oppressive environment.Įxperiencing pleasure as an act of defiance is where the term pleasure activism comes in. To feel happiness, joy, and satisfaction – in short, to feel pleasure – is to know you are alive and liberated. Pleasure is about feeling whole and satisfied – not about indulging in excess.

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what burlesque can teach us about loving our bodies and.how pleasure activism can lead to self-realization.By allowing yourself to feel pleasure, you can shift your attention away from the rules of repression and align yourself with what’s important in life. It’s a way to transcend oppression and remind yourself that you’re free. This, in its essence, is pleasure activism. In times like these, embracing pleasure and feeling good is like an act of liberation. And for those of us who are oppressed or marginalized, each day can carry a painful reminder of the ways society attempts to restrict or limit our happiness. We are all bound to encounter pain in life it’s just part of being alive. Learn how to self-actualize through the practice of pleasure activism. In order to build a better future, we must embrace Octavia Butler’s radical honesty and prioritize pleasure.Somatics is another way to connect to your body and be more open to receiving life’s pleasures.The author has had good experiences with drugs – but knows her limits.

Embracing pleasure can get you closer to what you really want in life.The erotic can be a powerful form of pleasure, but it’s not limited to sex.Pleasure is about feeling whole and satisfied – not about indulging in excess.

Learn how to self-actualize through the practice of pleasure activism.

Pleasure activism adrienne