Kama:The Pleasure Principle
‘S/He who does not desire pleasure will not seek to enrich himself. Without desires, neither does a (wo)man desire to fulfill his/her their Dharma (duty)’ (Mahabharata)
‘The merchant, the laborer, the gods themselves act only if their actions are linked to some satisfaction. For pleasure, a courageous person will brave the ocean.’ (Mahabharata)
Today I spoke with friends in Denmark, the UK, the Netherlands and the USA. Everyone is having a tough time with extended lockdown/stay-at-home orders. Tough because it’s Winter and it’s hard to be outside and changing our vista. Tough because loved ones are lost or sick. Tough because jobs are on the line. Tough because we’ve come to understand this year will look much like last year, only the human world is already exhausted. We are in a funk. Low in energy. AND in hightened alert states and not sure we can take another day, let alone another year of Zoom meetings/socials.
I’m feeling that part of this, alongside uncertainty, is that we’re not getting to fulfill our desire for pleasure, known as Kama (no that’s not a spelling mistake, I don’t mean Karma) in Sanskrit. Yes we take walks, yes we make nourishing food, yes we watch (another) movie, buy another pair of cozy comfortable leggings (bleurgh) but when we understand that the desire for pleasure is the motivation behind all actions (pause the tape and think on that) and our possibility for making our desires reality are curtailed pleasure too is curtailed.
And thus we understand the dullness, the lack of inspiration - we don’t get to enrich ourselves, we don’t get to fulfill our dharma, we don’t get to express our power, to ‘brave the ocean.’
Two super easy steps to support yourself:
-Come to class and soothe your nervous system, get gently refreshed and deeply soothed. Yes it’s on Zoom but you can close your eyes for most of class. I’ve changed the format to be even more quieting & nourishing than before, so you can be prepped for good sleep or ready to move through the rest of your day from a place of deep rest.
-Kama: Do the things you can still do at home that you love to do; AMPLIFY them. I’m adding not one but three different essential oils to my Epsom salts at bathtime. And I’m taking WAY more baths than usual. I make it the height of luxury with all the usual suspects - candles, a good book and a clean fluffy towel afterwards - and it is a great pleasure right now that I can satisfy. What’s your pleasure? Beauty? Art? Friendship? Singing in the shower?
Hope to see you soonest, thank you for reading.
p.s. Janet fans, there’s a clue to what might support YOU in the title of this post…