Being a “pleasure artist” is a natural human talent. Tantra teaches that the body is a temple. One of her gifts is the ability to feel pleasure through the senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. While she requires practice, pleasure is an art worth developing. Some of the abilities that enhance pleasure; a finely tuned sensory awareness, the ability to enjoy pleasure for long periods of time and presence. How much pleasure do I allow into your life?

According to women’s health expert Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of Women’s bodies, women’s wisdom, pleasure is crucial. It is an essential nutrient that you need every day to maintain and/or regain your health. Pleasure releases hormones that promote health. She suggests that you can make the world a better place by giving yourself pleasure every day.

Pleasure like any art requires practice. Why? Because we live in a culture that rewards hard work and judges those who pursue pleasure. People often associate pleasure with guilt. That is why practicing pleasure can generate resistance. You may be wondering, “Am I being selfish or indulgent?” If resistance arises, stay with it. Allow the feelings to come up and express them in healthy ways, such as through movement, art, or sharing them with a friend. As you release resistance, you may find that you have an even greater capacity to experience pleasure than before. Integrate pleasure into your life. When you commit to practicing pleasure regularly, you will become an expert at it.

Here are 10 Keys to Practice the Art of Pleasure:

1) Practice being present and aware in each moment, instead of living in the past or future. The present moment is the only place where pleasure can occur.

2) Open your body completely. Breathe in your belly, release the tension. Do this several times a day and you will start to notice if you start to contract.

3) Take pleasure breaks often during the day. Discover the simple pleasures you’ve been overlooking. Learn what gives you pleasure.

4) Hone your sensory awareness. Focus on a particular sense and see how much you can involve and expand it. Keep a sensory awareness journal. See how much you can increase your awareness and capacity for pleasure.

5) See through new eyes. Be curious and innocent, like a child. Children find wonder in the world. See the mystery around you.

6) Challenge yourself to feel pleasure in unlikely situations, like when you’re stuck in traffic or in a long meeting. If you notice negative thoughts, pause and make a conscious decision to refocus your attention. Focus on your breathing, let go of the resistance, and begin to circulate your breath throughout your body, expanding your vitality. Feel how your energy begins to flow beyond your physical body. See how expansive it can be.

7) Be generous with yourself and with others. Give yourself a 3-5 minute mini-massage at least once a day. Recognize the power of touch and find a friend who wants to exchange massages. Hug often, share the touch with those who are open to receive it.

8) Eat slowly and allow yourself to savor each bite. Food can be erotic.

9) Look deep into the eyes of your beloved, go beyond form and personality. Know that you are the Divine, in form. Allow them to be a mirror so that you too see the Divine in yourself.

10) Celebrate your body by giving yourself orgasms. Orgasms heal. They release tension and produce hormones that balance the body-mind. They give you a feeling of well-being. When you have an orgasm regularly, you vibrate with pleasure. As you radiate pleasure, others feel it and begin to experience it too. The world is hungry for joy and pleasure. You can’t make other people change, but you can change yourself. Through your willingness to practice pleasure, others will be inspired. Celebrate pleasure every day and as you practice these 10 keys and see how your life changes.