As human beings we are wired for pleasure. The human drive is not simply
to survive; it wants to thrive and to thrive we seek pleasure. We are programed
to strive for survival and longevity and an essential part of this is the drive
towards pleasure. What would the world be like if we could not enjoy the
pleasures of life?
Some interpretations of yoga appear
to denounce pleasure. It is thought to distract us from our karmic work. But
pleasure is as essential to life as air and water. It is the engine that drives
us to create and thrive. The key is to never take pleasure to excess.
Your pleasure center is located in
your primitive brain also known as the limbic system which is located in the
temporal lobe. The limbic system is made up of multiple parts such as the
hippocampus or your memory center. The one that is responsible for basic
pleasures and pain is the amygdala.
Two neurochemicals send us messages
regarding pleasure and pain. These are serotonin and dopamine. Both need to be
in sync if we are to be balanced. Serotonin keeps us content, relaxed and
satisfied. Dopamine drives us towards pleasure. And although it can take
pleasure to extreme dopamine is necessary for our survival and our ability to
thrive.
As well as being necessary for your
survival, pleasure has many levels and layers. It can also be destructive if we
allow pleasure to control our desires to the point of addiction. But pleasure
at the deeper layers of our being instills beauty and when pleasure and beauty
come together we truly understand the importance of enjoying the real pleasures
of life. In harmony with life pleasures are never destructive, but always
uplifting. Understanding this is soul walking.
It’s not pleasure that destroys the
good. It is deceit and greed. We sometimes greedily deceit ourselves into believing
we need more. That is why yoga teaches us to enjoy life, but always in moderation
and never to excess. It is our desire for excess that tips pleasure into pain.
Just ask an addict how much pleasure there is in seeking the next fix?
The Katha Upanishad, from an ancient Hindu
Text, is about overcoming death by understanding it. We cannot bargain with it. Death reminds us
not to take our life for granted. Our dreams
and our desires are part of life. So enjoy the pleasures of life for life is
short. A wise person however will always choose to do what is good over sheer
pleasure. This can be interpreted a
number of ways. One way is that a wise person will choose what is good over the
pleasure of comfort, or a wise person will choose to seek pleasure through effort
and depth over laziness and superficiality.
The greatest pleasure comes from the
greatest depth of our soul. When we truly experience something with full
involvement by tapping into its essence we will discover the true nature of
pleasure. Whether it is eating chocolate, sipping a great wine, buying a gift,
making love, or spending tons of money it’s not the pleasure that should be
avoided, but the greedy deceitful self-serving nature of the ego. The ego always
wants and thinks it deserves more! Practice moderation in all things and in all
things be moderate.
Pleasure has both a physical and
emotional aspect. Pleasure is comprised
of five layers; it is sensual, loving, has a purpose, is creative and exercises
free will. All of these layers are important to humans. They bring us pleasure,
but can equally bring us pain if we are not careful in how we think, speak and
act. Just remember all things in moderation.
Sensually connecting with someone
you intimately love for the purpose of creating is the closest two souls can
get to willful pleasure. The more aware
you are of the nature of pleasure the more likely you are to discover it and
use it wisely.
Namaste ~ I celebrate the place
where our souls meet
Doctor Lynn
No comments:
Post a Comment