Exploring Your Sensuality: Ways to Reconnect With Your Body and Sexuality.
What is Sensuality?
To be sensual is to be in touch with your senses- sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Our bodies are designed to experience the world through our senses; however, the reality is so many people have tuned out and lost touch with their bodies, struggling to tap into their essence.
Sensuality isn't sexuality, although the term 'being sensual' is often used interchangeably with 'being sexual.' As a matter of fact, sensuality encompasses several aspects of sexuality. Of course, you can't be sexual without tapping into your sensuality. Still, you can definitely be sensual without being sexual, as sensuality extends far beyond sexuality. Can you think of a sexual encounter that does not involve any of your senses? Probably not. However, you experience sensuality as part of almost all sexual encounters and so much more.
Why is it essential to connect with your sensuality?
"Sensuality is a way to positively inhabit the body through pleasure and joy and fun and celebration," says Rosara Torrisi, Ph.D., a certified sex therapist and founding director of The Long Island Institute of Sex Therapy. "Enjoying your body can be a revolutionary act when you are not objectified or subjected to another person, and you own your pleasure and your time," she adds.
Experiencing more pleasure by paying more attention to the sensual will improve your mental health and overall wellness and drastically improve the quality of your sex life. By tapping into your sensuality, you're essentially expanding your capacity for experiencing pleasure in and out of the bedroom, connecting you to your body, and opening you up for more joy and bliss. Additionally, tapping into your sensuality will result in more confidence, self-love, and a healthier body image.
How can you tap into your sensuality?
In your essence, you are a sensual person. Therefore, being more in touch with your sensuality is something that you can easily cultivate. Below are a few tips to help you reconnect with your sensuality:
Practice Mindfulness
Many studies and research over the years have proven mindfulness's incredible benefits, including stress management, a better quality of life, and reduced anxiety and depression. Besides these attractive benefits, mindfulness practices help you stay in the body, focused on sensations instead of thoughts. With time, mindfulness practices will connect you more to your body and make you more in tune with your sensuality.
Pleasure Mapping
Pleasure mapping is an easy and effective way to learn what type of touch you like and to identify your body's erogenous zones. Think of it as an exploration session where you get to feel various kinds of sensations over different parts of your body. This sensual process will provide you with a map of your own erotic wiring, which you can communicate to your lover for more fulfilling sexual experiences.
Make time for pleasure in and out of the bedroom.
Taking pleasure in life is directly linked to happiness and a better quality of life. And it's a practice you can incorporate into most of your mundane daily tasks. For example, on your drive to work, you can play the music that moves you or pay attention to how the steering wheel feels in your hands. Anytime you're outdoors, notice the sun's warmth as the rays hit your skin or the way the breeze feels on your cheeks. At dinner, practice mindful eating by paying attention to the crunch and burst of flavors in every bite. Other sources of pleasure include spending time with friends, traveling, dancing, walks in nature, camping, etc. Simply doing more of what you love.
Also, make time for self-pleasure. Schedule it in your calendar if you have to. Self-pleasure floods your body with feel-good hormones and helps you understand your body and what makes you tick. It could also improve almost every aspect of your health. Of course, it's great for your relationship too!
Indulge in your sensual self by loving your body.
Your body is the instrument that stays with you throughout your entire life, literally from the moment you are born to your last day on earth. How you take care of it and treat it significantly impacts the quality of your life. Eating a healthy diet, refraining from smoking, exercising regularly, having a good quality of sleep, etc., are many practices that I'm sure you are familiar with when it comes to loving and caring for your body. What is equally important is the relationship you have with your body image and the way you view yourself. A positive body image correlates with lower rates of depression, positive self-worth, life satisfaction, fewer eating disorders, etc. You cultivate more love towards your miraculous body by appreciating and respecting it for all it can do. Make it a daily habit to say positive affirmations when you look at yourself in the mirror. And remember to never compare your body to what you see on social media; most of it is not real.
Take the time to dive into your sensuality, and make it a daily habit to unlock your erotic potential, which would likely elevate your sex life and overall happiness. Be curious, listen to your body, and explore. You were designed for pleasure; it is your birthright.
