Pleasure isn’t a thing. You can’t touch it. Pleasure is a feeling; an experience. Call pleasure in with your intention. Can you find pleasure now? Notice your thoughts. What emotions are you experiencing?

Are you suffering? In myself I’ve sometimes noticed embarrassment when I feel pleasure. I’ve also noticed righteousness when I suffer. I’ve carried a sense that I’m not supposed to feel pleasure—that somehow my pleasure is inappropriate or draining to others. I’ve righteously suppressed pleasure by gripping my spine, my breath, and my pelvic floor. I’ve chosen to overwork rather than to revel in a moment. I’ve brought suffering into the world that didn’t need to be there. Have you ever felt this in your body? This seems like no way to live… and I think mostly we do it everyday.

We all experience pain and suffering. Pain can be an incredible resource and even a gift, but it’s also a given. It’ll be there. Suppressing pain is no good, as its messages are lost. The same is true for pleasure. Personally, I think it takes greater refinement to deepen into pleasure; perhaps this is because to find it we need to be open to the pain as well. The practice is simply to open to our sensory capacity—to be now. I dance because it opens my potential for pleasure.

I’ve created a short dance film about pleasure, our going-going-going lives, and my mission with Physical Freedom Method. I feel good bringing this to the world. I hope you’ll watch it.

With love and gratitude,

Matthew