To be sensual...

"To be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the breaking of bread."

-- James Baldwin

The senses are a gateway to the sacred. The present is the portal to eternity. It's all happening right here, right now, and the entire physical manifestation calls us to attention.

I live much of each day in my head. I'm not being sensual, I'm being abstract and cerebral. Now, as the spring flowers bloom for the first time in months, I come to my senses more frequently. The startling purple violets, the cherry red tulips, and the soft green leaves, pull me into the world and give me the experience that everything is alive! Now and always.

James Baldwin is oh so right -- sometimes loving is an effort. But the first step is always the same -- be present. Love is not a fantasy. It's not an idea. It's not even an emotion. Love is a state of being, a state of consciousness that can never be divorced from the reality of what is. You can only truly love what is, never what you wish would be. Sure, you can long for something different than what is, you can desire a better fantasy world, but love only lives in the present.

Once you are fully present, love is no longer an effort. Presence and love go hand in hand. No resistance and unconditional positive regard are two sides of the same coin. When you are right here, right now, you can't help but love.

So, at least for today, be an unbridled sensualist. Feel the varying textures of the bread as you break it. Look beneath the disguises of personality to the spirit of love that lies hidden within each and everyone you meet. No resistance, no avoidance. Be completely present with whatever is happening in your life today. Enjoy all the experiences that your senses bring you and "rejoice in the force of life!"