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Ecstasy - It's
Not a Pill,
It's Your Birthright!
Often
I'm asked about the business name, "The Art of Ecstatic Love,"
and what the word "ecstasy" means to me? One of my favorite
definitions of ecstasy comes from the great Indian mystic Osho, who
said "Ecstasy is the ultimate state of intimacy with oneself."
Margot Anand also describes ecstasy as "the steady stream of
joyful aliveness that connects us to our source."
Sound
pretty wonderful? Unfortunately, many people tend to associate the
word "ecstasy" with "sex." They believe that ecstasy
can only be experienced in the bedroom. Or that it requires special
external conditions, being with just the right person, or even popping
a pill. This is a common fallacy and far from the truth.
In
reality, ecstasy and bliss are our birthright. Opening to ecstasy
allows us to fully experience the joy of life, love, and spirit and
to deeply connect with our innermost self. In fact, yoga philosophy
describes the most subtle level of the self (the anandamaya kosha)
as the direct experience of bliss, ecstasy, and deep happiness that
underlie all of life's circumstances - for all of us.
In
our workshops and teachings, we explore the art of ecstatic love by
learning to celebrate life through the windows of our senses as well
as the perceptions of our minds and hearts. As we learn to relax into
our bodies, open our hearts to trust, and allow our minds to become
peaceful, our consciousness begins to expand naturally and effortlessly
all the way to ecstasy.
So,
do you have to go take a Tantra class or workshop to learn to experience
ecstasy? Absolutely not! Most of us have experienced many moments
of joy, delight, or magic in our lives, so we know we have the capacity
for ecstasy and happiness. In fact, consciously choosing to
practice pleasure and cultivate joy is the key that opens the door
to our spirit and invites ecstasy into our lives.
In
How We Choose to be Happy, Rick Foster and Gregg Hicks show
us the consistent choices made by people who are "happy,"
regardless of differences in cultural, social, and life experiences.
Essentially, these choices allow us to:
• Embrace happiness over unhappiness.
• Take responsibility for the life we want to create, and don't
blame others for our unhappiness.
• Look deeply within to assess what makes us uniquely happy.
• Insist on making what makes us happy a central part of our
life.
• Transform problems into opportunities for something meaningful.
• Be open to and create new possibilities and flexibility.
• Appreciate life and people as precious.
• Share ourselves with friends and community without the expectation
of a "return".
• Be honest with our self and others without allowing others
to violate our internal contract.
My
wish for you is that you embrace life fully and that you are totally
immersed in the ecstasy of each and every moment. To be happy, rather
than to seek to become happy, is a practice and a skill that can be
developed.
The
choice is yours to make in this moment. Namaste.
