Don’t Call Me “Dirty.” I'm a "Sensualist"
I want to experience sex like I do the world, through all my senses.
If any of you happen to be in Berlin this weekend, a colleague of mine, Ena Dahl, is putting on a couple of events. One, she’s giving a “pleasure massage” workshop, and two, she’s offering a “sensory journey” experience.
But of course, most of us won’t be in Berlin this weekend. However, I still want to direct your attention to who Ena Dahl is.
Or rather, “what” she is. Dahl defines herself as a sensualist.
I personally love that term. Building on what I wrote about the other day in terms of being an “elegant slut” and a “sexual sophisticate,” I’d say “sensualist” defines me as well.
Sex is an activity that should include all the senses: touch, smell, taste, feeling, and sight. But I’m not just a sensualist when it comes to sex. This is how I approach the world.
Why else do I love travel so much? And why else do I love trying new cuisines and going to so many art galleries and theater productions in my city? Because I love to delight my senses.
I even sometimes enjoy sensory overload. This is definitely what attracted me to traveling abroad, roaming the world for months on end. I love to be immersed in an environment that thrusts me into a new reality, sometimes even shocking me.
And yes, I think exploring BDSM had a lot to do with this interest—that of throwing myself into a new world and experiencing the high that comes with questioning my “normal.”
Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t place sexual exploration on the same level as being a foodie or a travel enthusiast. They view sex as dirty. Women who explore their sexuality are seen as “low worth” and “low class.” It’s really tragic when you think about it.
So, let’s get the word out that there’s nothing wrong with experiencing sex however you wish (as long as it’s with consent). Have sex by your own rules—not society’s. I definitely encourage you to approach sex as so many of us do anything else: with a desire to experience it more deeply through all our senses.
To learn more about Ena Dahl and her version of sensualism, please check out her website.