How to Be Sensual

For many people, the idea of sensuality is associated with sexuality. We think of sensual touch, sensual kisses, sensual moments between the sheets. At its core, however, being sensual is not about sex at all. Being sensual is about living in your senses as opposed to your mind. It means connecting to your physical body as it exists, perceives and feels in this very moment. While becoming more sensual will certainly make you a more engaged lover, it will also make you a more present, creative, vibrant person in general. May these tips inspire you to ignite your senses!

Instructions

1. Stop for the fundamental five. You can become more sensual at any moment by becoming aware of your five senses. What are you hearing? What are touching? What are you tasting? What are you seeing? What are you smelling?

2. Anticipate. For example, instead of quickly devouring your orange in the morning, turn the process into an anticipatory experience. Feel its weight in your hand. Imagine how it will feel to pull back the first bit of skin. Anticipate its smell, its taste, its texture. When you finally do eat the orange, your senses will be engaged, ready to absorb the experience completely. When you approach your life in this way, even the most mundane activities take on a heightened level of pleasure and satisfaction.

3. Find the sensual energy in everything: your foot rolling through a step, your fingers tapping on the keyboard, your lips and tongue pronouncing words, your eyes moving from one object to another. No action is too small to ignite your senses.

4. Experience without judgment or control. The mind loves to label and categorize experiences. Good, bad, happy, sad-these are thoughts, not senses. Try for one day to send your mind to the backseat, to recruit your senses to drive and allow yourself to experience them without the constant analysis of your mind. If your mind jumps in-which it surely will-say kindly, "Thank you mind. I appreciate your input, but today is a sense only day. You can take over again tomorrow."

5. Touch yourself. I don't mean in THAT way. I mean rub your feet, massage your scalp, dance your fingers across your arm.

6. Eat well. Eat slowly. Eat consciously. Your senses dull when your body has to do damage control after a load of dirty food has entered the system.

7. Move your body freely and often. Walk. Dance. Bike. Swim. Swing your arms. Stretch.

8. Get present. Don't be in a hurry to move onto the next thing. Don't rush a conversation to a close, a career to its next level or a kiss to sex. A sensual person experiences each moment totally-and knows that a simple, complete, fully present, deep inhale can evoke as much ecstasy as anything.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish