Pleasure as a Pathway

We’ve been sold a story.

That pleasure is something you earn.

That it comes after the work, the grind, the sacrifice.

That it’s a reward for being good. Or productive. Or selfless.

But what if that’s not the truth at all?

What if pleasure is the path, not the prize?

Why Pleasure Matters More Than Ever

Let’s get one thing straight: we are wired for pleasure.

Not in a selfish, indulgent, over-the-top way, but in a sacred, alive, embodied way.

Pleasure is a signal that we are connected. Present. Receptive. Open.

It tells the nervous system: you’re safe now.

It tells the heart: you can soften.

It tells the soul: you belong.

When we choose pleasure, not as a luxury, but as a daily devotion, we start to rewire the way we move through the world.

We stop bracing. We stop pushing. We stop waiting to deserve joy.

And we start letting joy lead.

The Micro-Moments That Change Everything

Here’s the secret: you don’t need a week in Bali or a candlelit bath to find pleasure.

(Psst… although we’ll never say no to either.)

Pleasure lives in the tiny, radical moments you choose to come alive:

• The way you sip your morning cacao…slow, hot, reverent
• The way you take five seconds to breathe in your dog’s fur or the fresh spring air
• The way you move your hips when no one’s watching
• The way your bare feet meet the floor in the morning

Pleasure is not out there. It’s right here, but only if you’re present enough to meet it.

And this is where cacao comes in.

Why Cacao Is the Perfect Pleasure Ally

Cacao isn’t just a drink. It’s a portal.

It opens the heart.

It softens the edges.

It brings you back to the body.

Cacao contains compounds like theobromine and anandamide (nicknamed the “bliss molecule”) that gently activate the nervous system, not in a jittery way like coffee, but in a way that expands your capacity for presence and pleasure.

It’s like a warm hand on your chest saying, “You can let go now. Come back to the beauty of this moment.”

When used with intention, cacao becomes a daily ritual of reconnection, a delicious way to say yes to your own aliveness. To tend to your inner landscape with care. To choose yourself again and again, without guilt.

Pleasure Is Not a Distraction. It’s a Direction.

The world will try to convince you that pleasure is optional. A bonus. A side dish.

But for many of us, especially women and caregivers and creatives and sensitives, pleasure is the very thing that keeps us whole.

It’s the lifeblood of joy. The anchor in chaos. The reminder that this life is not just something to survive, it’s something to savour.

So let this be your permission slip (if you needed one):

You don’t have to earn your joy.

You don’t have to apologise for your delight.

You get to drink the good cacao.

You get to feel, all of it, even in a world that sometimes doesn’t.

Let pleasure be the path.

And let cacao be your companion.

With warmth

Irma