Sensuality

sen·su·al

adjective

1.pertaining to, inclined to, or preoccupied with the gratification of the senses or appetites; carnal; fleshly.

2.lacking in moral restraints; lewd or unchaste.

3.arousing or exciting the senses or appetites.

4.worldly; materialistic; irreligious.

5.of or pertaining to the senses or physical sensation; sensory.

Sensual is a word that tends to hold negative connotations for most. A word that insinuates furtive desires and acts best left unsaid and barely alluded to in polite society. We have become a culture that shys away from the sensual and the indulgences that make life so pleasant and so enjoyable in so many ways.

When did sensual become synonymous with wrong? A description merely that pertains to experiences that indulge and gratify the senses… how is that unfavourable in todays norms?

Having dinner this evening at an Italian restaurant and leaving the meal with a reflection that it has been so long since I have indulged my sense of taste to that degree… so long since I have had a meal that I savoured and enjoyed quite like I did this evening.

Bread that was so crisp on the crust and soft yet firm in the center… Tagliatelle pasta, perfectly al dente with a sauce that hinted at the ripeness of the tomatoes and the herbs fresh and bright green throughout. Wine that danced on the tongue, complimenting the meals nuances and enhancing the bitterness of the sauce with the sweetness of the grapes juices. A dessert that satisfied without being exorbitant. The creaminess of the caramel over the rich deep chocolate so fully accompanied by the matte chocolate cookies sprinkled with salt to cut the sweetness just so.

My body left full yet not uncomfortably so. Taste and texture encompassing the evening with its sensuality and fulfillment of satiety. Nourishing my spirit as well as my body. A meal that allowed me to experience sensual in its most base form. It’s sometimes the small pleasures in life that bring the most joy.

Sensual means to gratify the senses… those don’t need to be carnal and sexual. We live with so many senses and forget to indulge them. The phrase “take the time to smell the roses” speaks to the simple reality that life is enhanced by those moments when we indulge our senses, whether they be touch, taste, smell or any of the other ways that we connect with ourselves and our surroundings. Dancing… moving my body and allowing the music to drive me and feeling – really feeling – the music is sensual. Not in a sexual way but in a more base and primal manner. Reading a book that brings me to a place where I forget that I am in a chair in my living room… that is a sensual experience. Breathing in the salty air by the ocean…sensually enrapturing. All experiences that envelope and consume the senses in their own way and make life more full and more enjoyable.

My resolution as I move forward… embrace sensuality – in all it’s forms.