top of page

Chasing The Next High

  • Jan 18, 2022
  • 3 min read

Written by: Ailsa Keppie, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

I am not a young person anymore. Like it or not, I am now approaching Senior status and my views on life have changed considerably. Lately, I have been questioning this phenomenon I have noticed amongst my peers and colleagues, to strive after Pleasure experiences like our life depended on it.

I find I am curious to know if goals and outcomes are really the only measures of success for our human endeavours. I mean, goals are all very well when it comes to getting sign-ups for our courses or $$ in the bank, but should we measuring our joy and pleasure in this way?


I have been a Sex Educator for a few years and one thing I’ve noticed is that when someone is looking to heal their sense of lack or failure by reaching goals, or measuring success by how much longer their orgasm lasts or how many minutes they can maintain an erection, something important is lost.


What is this undefinable thing? Well, it is somehow related to inner peace, to fulfillment and to feeling a deep joy at being alive. When we take the pressure off the performance or goal, we open up a whole new understanding of Sexual pleasure and Intimacy.


Let me be frank and say that I’ve had my share of longing for bigger and better experiences, for jaw-dropping, firework-popping sex, for more intense orgasmic states that last for hours but there is something that is left wanting after all the heavy breathing is done and I have landed back in normal life.


This something is not measurable by any goal-setting techniques and is hard to define.


The ‘something’ that transforms the way we feel about Pleasure is actually feeling it in the present moment and being satisfied with that. Whatever we are doing, whoever we are doing it within whichever way feels good, nothing beats an experience of satisfying connection and enjoyment. We are not left with an aching emptiness at the end of it, or the immediate desire to go for more next time. We rest, peacefully feeling whole and content.


I know it seems like peace and contentment might feel unattainable these days, but really they’re not so hard to find. It just requires a different perspective.


So what does this entail?


Approaching our relationships with a deep sense of Gratitude is a wonderful way to start. I found that if I thought of all the small joys and intimacies my partner offers me on a daily basis all of our interactions were more fulfilling. I could let go of the longing for ‘better’ sex and sink into the pleasure of connection that we were enjoying RIGHT NOW!


Wow, what a game-changer.


Gratitude

Present Moment

Relaxation

Connection


These are not new concepts but we seem to have forgotten them in the headlong rush to experience more pleasure, more sex, more intimacy, more... MORE... MORE


So stop, take a breath. We already have everything we need to feel the most pleasure we ever could. It just requires us to stop chasing goals and notice what we have.


For me, as a ‘soon to be’ senior, this wisdom has finally hit home.


If enjoying your life and relationships is something you want more of take comfort in knowing that sometimes less effort and more gratitude is all you need.


With pleasure,

Ailsa


Want to learn more from Ailsa? Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and visit her website.


Ailsa Keppie, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Ailsa is a trained intimacy Educator and Somatic Therapist and has been working in hands-on bodywork, somatic coaching, and healing for over a decade. Ailsa Keppie brings aspects from her background in circus arts, physical theatre, music, dance, myofascial release, bioenergetic processes, archetypes, and spirituality to her work with clients. She is a published author of her compelling memoir entitled "By the Light of the Crescent Moon," which describes her incredible journey into Islam and polygamy and how it lead to her awakening and reclamation of her own Eros and power. Ailsa works with individuals, couples, and groups both online and in-person at her retreat center, Our Celtic Hearth, in Nova Scotia, Canada, where she resides with her current life partner.

 
 

This article is published in collaboration with Brainz Magazine’s network of global experts, carefully selected to share real, valuable insights.

Article Image

Covert Narcissism and Emotional Abuse

Have you ended a relationship with a partner who appeared kind, funny, and attentive in the beginning, only for the dynamic to shift into betrayal, abandonment, or emotional withdrawal? If so...

Article Image

Who Am I When I’m No Longer Needed in the Same Way?

A month ago, my husband and I travelled to spend time with our adult children. Like many parents, I had quietly imagined what those few days would look like. Long conversations. Family bonding.

Article Image

Five Ways Your Brain Can Learn Something New

When I was diagnosed with autoimmune disease at seventeen, nobody spoke to me about my brain. They spoke about my eyes, my immune system, and medication. They explained that my body was attacking itself...

Article Image

Why Your Business Stalls When You Work Harder

You have followed the plan and made the right moves, perhaps hiring more staff, adding a marketing channel, or implementing a new system that promised to save you time. Initially, these changes seemed effective.

Article Image

You Cannot Separate Who You Are from How You Work

There is a version of professional success that looks impressive from the outside and costs everything on the inside. You hit your numbers, meet your deadlines, and keep showing up, capable and dependable...

Article Image

Why Your Marketing Feels Flat and How to Make It Feel Alive Again

I think we were taught marketing backward. We learned to optimize before we learned to express, to perfect before we share, and to consider the audience before we consider our personal truth.

Why Kobido is the Future of Natural Facial Rejuvenation

What Happens When These 4 Pressures Take Command

The Difference Between Rest and Retreat

11 Ways the Performing Arts Build Confidence and Practical Life Skills in Young People

The Practice of Returning and Why Yoga and Meditation Are More Than Wellness

Why One Diet Doesn't Work for Everyone

You Are Functioning, But Are You Actually Okay?

The Subconscious Patterns That Shape Success

When Self-Doubt Takes a Seat at the Table – 5 Ways to Manage It

bottom of page