21 PLEASURE PRINCIPLES | Day 1 | bell hooks

Pleasure Muse: bell hooks Tantalizing Trivia She was born Gloria Jean Johnson, but like a longline of Black women who refused to be defined by the narrowness of this world, when she was ready to step on the scene with her talent, she changed her pen name to bell hooks after her great-grandmother.  She published more than 30 books. Her first, “Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism” was inspired by Sojourner Truth.  She identified as queer, but defined it as far more complex than who she was sleeping with. She said it was about “the self that is at odds with everything around it and it has to invent and create and find a place to speak and to thrive and to live." She was celibate for 17 years.  She practiced Buddhism and counted the monk Thich Nhat Hnah as her teacher.  Mirror Work: Gaze lovingly at yourself with slow admiration for each feature on your face. Imagine that you are meeting yourself for the first time and wrap both arms around your body in a loving embrace. Send the love that you have given out back to yourself with three deep breaths.  Affirmation: “I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else’s whim or to someone else’s ignorance.” bell hooks Make Love: A Playlist  Self-Care Shopping List: Something to sleep in at night that  makes you feel sexy. We love Amazon for their affordable options that can be ripped, torn, and used with abandon. :-)  Didn’t catch the live recording of today’s episode? We don’t want you to miss out on getting the full experience. Check out the opening and closing songs below. Opening ⁠Song⁠ Closing ⁠Song