Bali Lesson: Pleasure and Release
Pleasure and Release: those were the two oracle cards she drew.
A couple of days before leading my 7th Money Goddess intensive in Bali, I was having lunch with a coach from the States I knew from Facebook. It turns out we were sitting at the only table in the whole restaurant with oracle cards, so of course we were going to draw cards and see what they said.
While my lunch partner was shuffling, I asked myself, “What do I need to know to have the best possible Money Goddess retreat this year?”
She pulled the Pleasure card and the Release card. I knew instantly what those meant to me.
Then we read the oracle deck’s official interpretation. Ewwww! So negative! He associated pleasure with addiction, and release with trauma and struggle. Not my take at all. No thank you.
I’m sticking with my own interpretations of those cards, and I’ll share them with you here:
1. Pleasure
Pleasure is sacred. It’s our desire for life. It’s our natural, healthy inclination.
The more pleasure you put into what you want to accomplish, the farther and faster you’ll go.
Women in particular get shamed and punished for our pleasure–for our sexuality, our eating (and bodies), our chatting with our girlfriends, even our adorning ourselves and our environments with beauty, even our pleasure in achievement. This is a wound I focus on healing during my retreat. When we feel good about our pleasure, it’s a source of power.
This card was, to me, a clear affirmation to focus on pleasure. I had just read Glennon Doyle Menton’s “Love Warrior” on the plane to Bali, and I was really taken with her definition of Beautiful = filled with beauty. Fill yourself with beauty. Beauty in nature. Beauty in laughter. Beauty in dancing. Whatever fills you with beauty–essential oils, swimming in the ocean, listening to great music, eating delicious food, getting a massage, reading poetry–FILL yourself!
I already build beauty and pleasure into every aspect of my Goddess retreat, from the rooms to the food to the rituals and even the scary “breakthrough” exercise. While slaying your Money Monster is super intense, the world of the Money Honey on the other side is a land of Love, Beauty, and Pleasure.
2. Release
While the oracle was overselling how hard it is to get over trauma (oh please–not if you have the right tools, sufficient motivation, and the right person), and I incorporate at least 5 totally different processes and activities for releasing whatever patterns/beliefs/blocks have been holding you back, the Release card speaks to me about a very different kind of release…
What if release wasn’t about fixing? What if it was about trusting?
I made a decision to Release Control (but not release command).
The need for control mirrors feelings of fear and scarcity, as if there’s only one right thing that can happen, as if we must protect ourselves from the creative, disruptive opportunities that life presents us with. Life cannot be controlled. Our resistance to this fact causes us a lot of unnecessary suffering.
But giving up control doesn’t mean giving up responsibility and power. Command is an expansive and responsive way to stay in charge while taking advantage of what wants to happen.
For my retreat in Bali, henever something came up different than my plans (and tons did–like my photographer dropping out 2 weeks before the retreat, and the new photographer having a schedule conflict that required me to drastically change my own schedule!) I responded with Openness and Curiosity. What if the changes could create something BETTER?
The new photographer and the other changes worked so well I’ve decided to keep them. Every twist and turn added more value.
This was the HAPPIEST retreat I’ve ever led… and the bar was already very high. 100% Client Happiness. (You know it’s a good sign when your clients start telling other people that the retreat was worth at least double the investment.) 🙂
Here is your Pleasure and Release Action Plan
My invitation to you:
- Make PLEASURE a priority. Fill yourself with beauty!
- RELEASE control, while staying in command of your life. Notice the difference.
Then share your discoveries below!
MORGANA RAE is an internationally acclaimed life coach, author, and professional speaker, who is regarded as the world’s top Relationship with Money coach. Morgana’s groundbreaking program for attracting wealth has featured her on ABC-TV, PBS, NPR, United Press International and The Wall Street Journal online. Learn how to become a Money Magnet with her FREE 4-part video gift series. Fill out your name and email at the top of the page. (We promise not to share your info!) Leave a Reply
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The retreat was everything Morgana says it was and infinitely more!!!! Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude.
Thank you Demetria! <3
It was an Honor to participate in this incredible transformative experience with Morgana in Bali. She is a badass woman of integrity, love and fierce grace. One of my favorite things about you Morgana, is your comfort and dare I say pleasure with imperfection. You seem to relish it. I love how grounded and rooted you are in a world of pie in the sky, airy fairy coaching ;)). You were So generous with us – giving your time, love, attention and all the planned dinners and experiences. You freaking rock. Much love.