I want to talk to you about something I take VERY seriously.
For many, this issue can bring up feelings of shame, guilt, self-judgment & unworthiness.
I have seen the extremes of this matter make and break my own health and happiness as well as that of my students, friends, and family.
What I am talking about is the Practice of PLEASURE.
What do you think of that word? Pleasure. Are you comfortable with it? Do you know it well? Do you experience it often? Or is pleasure a foreign concept to you, something reserved for special occasions and strokes of luck? Does it make you uncomfortable?
I speak to you, my overworked & under-joyed friends:
PLEASURE is not selfish.
Pleasure is not wrong.
Pleasure is not frivolous.
Pleasure is Mandatory.
Pleasure comes as a result of surrendering to the force of love.
Love of the moment, love of a feeling, a touch. Love of the sky or a tulip. Love of a person, a quality, the way the light hits the brick at sunset. Love of tea! Love of lips and chocolate and a productive day at work. Love of lists and wordplay. Love of a soft cotton t-shirt against your skin. Love of your body: the way it dances and breathes and pulses with orgasmic delight. Love of the rain’s perfect way of washing the slate clean. Love of the boasting sun and the savory moon.
Pleasure is tucked away in the feeling you get when you hear that particular chord progression or the sound of her voice. It lives in your heart when you see the outline of your lover walking down the street. Pleasure is often found first in act’s of giving. And then, in the state of gratitude.
If you can muster up the courage to soften and receive pleasure, you can begin to heal that which hurts inside of you. You can start soothe your anxious mind and belly. You can fill the void space in your days and in your consciousness. You can spin crazy into delight and loneliness into gold.
Pleasure saves me every single day. Pleasure gives me a heads up about how and with whom I should be spending my precious moments on earth. In it’s absence I know that something is missing, something is off. In it’s presence, I am affirmed.
When we are in our pleasure, we are in the flow of life.
In this last batch of WILD woman circles, we pondered the POWER of Pleasure. And I am here to tell you: it is a secret super-hero power of ours. When we are enjoying what we are doing, we are simply better at it. We are radiant, stunning, and WILDly creative. People want to be around and help and contribute to what we are doing whenever we are LOVING IT.
So here it is…
WILD Woman Check-in #6:
What brings you pleasure?
What stops you from practicing pleasure ?
What are you going to do RIGHT NOW stimulate your pleasure?
Write down your answer. Post it here in the comments section or on your nightstand. Schedule it into your phone.
Now, get to it. Practice.
If you are waiting for permission to feel pleasure…
“POOF! I hereby grant you permission to enjoy yourself!”
Fall in love.
Take action right now. Do it. I dare you!
On the Horizon
"The Circle Leader Training Program at The Wild Woman Project was one of the most transformative and healing experiences of my life. I have received many tools, resources, support, and connections that I will carry on with me forever." ~ Hannah Devin, Graduate
Wild Woman Fest returns…
Join us for the 10th Annual Wild Woman Fest, August 19-23rd, 2026.
On a beautiful & sacred land in the Blue Ridge Mountains, in Asheville North Carolina.
Get ready: FEST FRIDAY, when tickets go on sale, is May 8th
Wild Woman Fest 2025 sold out in minutes. Sign up for Wild Woman Fest '26 Updates.
We have Wild Woman Project-trained Circle facilitators is 27 countries, and 44 out of the 50 United States.
Calling wild-hearted women, in and around the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville ~ let’s stir up some sisterhood magic in 2026.
Monthly on Sunday afternoons, 3-5pm, near the Full Moon at The Well in West Asheville.
Join us for an hour-long New Moon Meditation Adventure on April 17th.
Online, from anywhere.
Using a dynamic meditation journey, we will tune into the New Moon, to your own Inner Guidance, synced up with wild-hearted women from around the world. This offering will include music, storytelling, meditation, journaling prompts & intention-setting.
Can’t make it live? No worries. All participants will receive a copy of the recording with 24 hours of the session.
Chris Maddox is the founder of The Wild Woman Project where she teaches women how to utilize the gifts of the Wild Woman Archetype in their everyday lives & how to lead women’s circles in their local communities. She is the organizer & facilitator of the beloved annual WILD WOMAN FEST, a women’s retreat-festival hybrid which fosters a deep connection to nature, a direct experience of the divine feminine & profound spiritual sisterhood among the women in attendance.
An ever student of the great mysteries of existence and nature itself, Chris believes women are holding innate gifts & tools that society at large needs – now more than ever. She is committed to helping women remember their special magic and to bring it forward into every corner of their lives, for the greater good of the planet.
For the “letter to the editor,” can one send his/her blog post to the editor. The instructions say: “Letters to the editor should only be sent to The Times, and not to other publications. We do not publish open letters or third-party letters.”. . Does that mean blog posts, too?. . Thanks a lot..
Just want to share something. I need to submit my blogs to blog sites with so many people reading blogs. That’s what I need most..