Episode 174: Create Your Own Renaissance of The Senses
The Renaissance was a time of discovery, beauty, and full-bodied celebration of the senses.
It was also, let’s be honest, a horrendous time of patriarchal oppression and violence, where unless you were a wealthy white man in a powdered wig, you were likely left out of the party, or even crushed beneath its weight.
What would it look like to create an everyday renaissance?
One that reclaims beauty, celebration, and pleasure not as a privileged luxury, but as an essential part of human life?
What if you could thread that age-old spirit of creativity, wonder, art, and reverie, into the fabric of your modern life?
Those are exactly the questions we’re planting in the gem garden today, and harvesting their beautiful blooms.
In today’s episode, you’ll hear about:
How to become a savant of the senses in your own daily life
Why beauty and presence are acts of reclamation
Little ways to live like an artist, and be guided by the muse
How to infuse your routines with renaissance-level richness
Hit play to discover how to start your own renaissance - a rebirth and recentering of what makes you feel most alive - with just one click.
Here’s to pedestal bowls overflowing with fruit, arias curling through the air like incense, and awakening the essence of the renaissance through your very own body, beauty, and breath.
With love, literature, and lavishness,
Mary
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Create Your Own Renaissance of The Senses
Hello beautiful and welcome to the Come to Your Senses podcast. I'm your host, award winning certified feminine embodiment coach, licensed esthetician, and an enthusiastic foster dog mama to animals across the land. Mary Lofgren Here we explore how to bring more richness, radiance, peace, and pleasure to our lives, homes, and hearts through the joy of beauty, the wisdom of the body, the beautiful beams of connection. Welcome to come to your center of the senses. Welcome to today. So glad you're here. That is inspired by an ever burning, enduring passion that I have for Italian culture and the Italian way of living that is influenced by the Renaissance. So a few years ago I went to this immersive Of Renaissance exhibit, and it was one of those exhibits where they project images onto these. Floor to ceiling, massive walls, and where you are completely 360 degrees. Surrounded by this show of imagery from the many centuries of the Renaissance told stories. Music of the Renaissance is playing while you just see all these gorgeous images. The whole thing lasted about 20 minutes. You may have seen something like this from the Art of Van Gogh or Monet, and I left that exhibit so inspired from the crown of my head to the very tip of my pinky toe, with the way in which the Renaissance was a time where the values of sensuality. Beauty, innovation, artistry, science development, where culture shifted from survival to an explosion of creativity and innovation. And I'm very excited to share that this episode was inspired by something I've been creating behind the scenes that you're going to learn about very soon. If you are on my newsletter list and it is called The Everyday Sensualist. I'm not going to give you a peep. More details because heaven knows we love the tension of anticipation around here. But I will say that if you'd like to receive your exclusive invitation to this incredible party, you can head to. Mary Lofgren. Com and sign up for my newsletter. And so with that, my friends, let us now dive in to bringing the Renaissance spirit into your everyday. Now I do want to name before we go any further that while the Renaissance is celebrated as this golden age of art and beauty and flourishing, it's important to remember that most, if not all, of the history that we're told centers around wealthy, white European men who had the privilege to paint and to philosophize and to patronize in a world that was built on the labor and exclusion and erasure of others. Women's contribution were often anonymous, quote unquote, as if probably just not listed or attributed to men, uh, enslavement, colonialism. These were not side notes, but they were actually part of the design and the foundation of the era. And so I wanted to start there, because I know that I have a tendency to romanticize this time in history. And in reality, it was a very violent, very oppressive time. And yet there are aspects of the spirit of the time that we can bring into our modern day lives to create a new kind of renaissance that is not only inclusive of the stories and the art and the beauty that is missing from this time period, or that was systemically erased from this time period, but one that is rooted in these principles as being the right of all human beings, that expression and art, and the prioritization of pleasure and social and intellectual enrichment are not just reserved for the upper echelons of some societal hierarchy, but that are the natural right of every human being and that don't rely on something outside of us, but that are instead natural resources that we can draw on from within ourselves and from within each other. And so with that, let us dive in to our sparkling gems on how to reclaim this idea of a renaissance from within. Some of the great sources of inspiration for me around this way of living and being are historical figures known as the courtesans of Venice, and courtesans during the time of the Renaissance were historically women who moved through social and intellectual circles not in the traditional way, which was through the hierarchy of birthright, whatever that means, but by cultivating their charm, their wit, and their cultural fluency. And courtesans were often companions to wealthy, powerful men at the time because women weren't allowed to be wealthy and powerful. But anyway, we can go off on that tangent another time. And while some courtesans engaged in romantic or sexual relationships, not all of them did. But many of them did, I would say. And what really set them apart was their artistry, their education, and their social influence. You know, these were some of the original 1415 16th century influence. And I first learned about the courtesans through one of my teachers, Mama Gina. And she introduced me to a book called The Book of the courtesans, which is a historical account by Susan Griffin of some of the stories and facts of the courtesans. And I particularly love this book about the way in which courtesans were embodied. So the quote goes, self-reflection is a desire felt by the body as well as the soul, as dancers, healers and saints all know when you turn your attention toward even the simplest physical processes breath. The small movements of the eyes, the turning of a foot in mid-air, what might have seemed dull matter suddenly awakens. Another fact that I love about courtesans is that at that time, women who were wives were not permitted to be educated, whereas courtesans had to be educated and had to be current on world events and intellectual conversations in order to in order to converse with intellectual and political figures and even advise. In certain cases, courtesans were not only permitted to have their own money, but they insisted upon it. Financial autonomy was one of the most radical and defining aspects of a courtesans life. So during a time where a woman's wealth became her husband's property when she was married, a courtesan such as in Pattaya. Who lived in the late 15th 18th century, was a Roman courtesan and a muse of many artists, and she commissioned a chapel in her own name. What amazing! Rare for a woman, let alone for a courtesan. And the chapel was painted by the great Raphael. She was very known for her style, her wit, and her refusal to be a quote unquote kept woman. And if you'd like to learn more about these stories, of which there are many, I highly recommend checking out The Book of the Courtesans by Susan Griffin, which I'll pop a link to in the show notes, as well as a book called Seductress Women Who Ravished the World and Their Lost Art of Love by Betsy Price, who's a friend and teacher of mine. And we actually have an episode with Betsy that I'll pop in the show notes as well. A moment where I got to interview one of my great legendary inspirations, particularly in the Sacred Seduction days. It's a real winner and actually our most popular episode, the most downloaded episode of the entire podcast. But any who. So. So a word that I love to describe these women, as well as a play on this word for how you can bring some of their charms and some of their virtues into your life, to make your life more of a renaissance is savant. Oh, say it with me. Savant. Savant means a learned or talented person, especially one that's distinguished in a particular field, such as the science or the arts. I like to think of myself as a savant of the senses, and that's sometimes what I call my clients, and particularly members of the sanctuary and my group programs, is we are really becoming the experts on our own sensual capacity and our own flavor of presence, and the spell that we cast over the world with our senses, as well as the spell that the world casts over us through the delight of the senses. And as it pertains to the Renaissance. As we know, one of the most vocal aspects of the Renaissance was that of art and beauty. And so this first gem is bringing more Renaissance era ecstasy into your life through treating beauty as an essential nutrient, as essential as oxygen. That's how I think about it. So when it comes to beauty, whether it's applying a rose hips, argon delicious oil to your cheeks, or it's gazing out upon the San Francisco Bay as I happen to be doing at this moment, or if it's placing a little bud vase on your bathroom sink, the conditioned mind will regard these things as, oh, I don't have time. That is the most common hex to cross the lips of so many of my clients and so many of my community is this belief, and this really, I would say religion of I don't have time and a question. I would drop in knowing that beauty nourishes the nervous system, inspires new ideas, improves our mental health, slows us down, allows us to savor life in each moment rather than racing to the next. Do we have time? Not to my friends. And to give you an example, lately I've been really enjoying going to yoga classes. The yoga studios here in the Bay area just have incredible teachers and they just feel like a spa. There's like a luxurious, hip, cool, delicious element to them. And lately I have been treating my yoga visits like I am going to a hip cool spa. So before I go to class, I'll usually maybe take a shower. I'll put on something kind of sexy, like black linen drawstring pants with a black crop top. I'll have facial oil. I'll put a bit of essential oil beneath my ear lobes. I'll have a little bit of facial oil glistening on my skin and without the shower. This takes me the same amount of time that it takes me to put on my sweatpants, and God knows what kind of top and race out the door. Like I've been known to do many times. And what's amazing about it is that beauty is kind of the wind that carries the presence of our experience. So when I go to yoga and I'm feeling luscious and connected to my body and connected to beauty, the experience that I have is so much richer, so much more delicious. I hear the music in a different way. I experience the class in a totally different way, rather than something I just need to get through for an hour and a half. It's like beauty recalibrates our system to a receptive rather than a conquering state. And so this is your first gym is to bring more of this Renaissance ravish art into your life. Beauty is the path. Beauty is what defined the Renaissance in many ways. And being a savant of beauty, which means that you simply see beauty as an essential rather than a luxury, and you devote yourself to the practice of it. That is gem number one. Gem number two is being a savant of conversation. So the great courtesans and all wealthy folks of the Renaissance were really artists of conversation. And I say wealthy folks, because that's where we have the most history about the attributes of the Renaissance. You know, unfortunately, people in positions of power were people who were born into great wealth. And where we don't have as much historical record keeping of people who were not wealthy. But in these salons and settings where conversations would take place, you know, there was a real Scorpio sensuality happening with the blooming and the rippling of new ideas happening all the time, and how you can apply this to your modern day life. One way is that you can adapt or excuse me, adopt a receiving posture. So I teach this in the sanctuary and the sanctuary we have a charm, which is basically an audio lesson called the Art of Captivating Conversation. And it's a lesson in how to show up in your conversations with more presence and more joy, and ask more quality questions. INS. There's actually a list of questions that are coffee questions and cream questions. So like some of those deeper probing questions as well as some of the more light fluffy questions. Anyway, this is just one of the gems and treasures that you'll find in the sanctuary garden. But one of the gems and treasures from this particular lesson that I want to share with you today is receiving posture. And recently I was out with a new friend, and whenever I'm with a new friend, I have some social anxiety, so my energy goes straight up into my face. I'm holding micro tension in my body. I'm usually squeezing my fists in some way, and what's most important is that the position of my body is usually tilted forward. I notice my brain tracking what the person is saying. 45% to hear them. 55% to plan what I'm going to say next. You know, like, these are all ways that anxiety programs our system and a way that you can use your body to influence your mind to have deeper, richer conversations is to lean your body back slightly into the support of the back of the chair, to allow your lower body to become a little heavier so that your center of gravity drops a bit deeper. Whenever I'm dropping in with a client at the start of a coaching session, I'll often say allow your nerve endings to hang a little heavier, like ripe fruit bending a branch. And all of these cues, particularly when we very slightly lean back. You know, you don't want to completely withdraw yourself from the conversation, but allowing the back body to support you and allowing the front body to soften. Is a way to tell your system. Oh, we're leaning back. We're dropping down. These are all cues of safety and gestures of receptivity. And so that is just one body cue of how to be a more skillful servant of your conversations. And our final gem, my personal favorite is being a savant of the senses. So, as we know, sensuality was such a golden thread woven through every inch of the tapestry of the Renaissance. And if you look at the nudes, the passion in the Christian erotic imagery, the fruit, my God, the fruit like a. Scarlet globe of ecstasy in just an apple on a plate. And all art, especially visual art, is some expression of an experience inside of ourself. And so when we look upon a painting of a gorgeous, sumptuous bowl of fruit, it awakens a sense memory within us. And one of my favorite ways to consume nature's candy is around the afternoon to cut and display a piece of fruit. Imagine for a moment you've got an Anjou pear in a gorgeous blue bowl, and you pluck that baby warm from the afternoon sun. You filet her and fan her beauty and shapely ness out onto a gorgeous plate. You might even get crazy and sprinkle some crushed pistachios over that majesty. You might drizzle some local wildflower honey over these pears. You might make it an absolute feast. And place some slices of manchego or hard parmesan with crunchy salt crystals. Oh! And you might take that outside and indulge in this afternoon banquet. And one of the things I've been doing recently, because I struggle with IBS and some gut issues, is allowing Italy to heal my gut. And when ever I'm in Italy, I've been to Italy many times. I do my signature retreat in Italy. I am amazed at how much slower I go and how much slower I eat. And something I've been doing lately is whenever I have a snack or if I have a meal, I'll bring it outside and I'll eat it in the sun. There's just something so seductive about the elements being a part of one's meal. And I am enriched by the elements while also keeping my belly soft and my pace relaxed. And another episode I'd like to refer you to is the art of eating sensually. So you may be familiar with the art of eating mindfully, where you're bringing lots and lots of moment to moment awareness, to what's happening in your mouth while you eat an orange pear. But sensually, eating is a different game altogether. The through line of mindfulness is there. But rather than simply bringing neutral awareness. When I eat sensually, I did this the other night with a plate of pasta, which, if you're ever in Oakland, California, run. Don't walk to Bellotti bodega. I cannot even describe in words I said to my housemate, you know, I don't know that I could actually go and eat this at the restaurant because of the uncontrollable moaning, but I experienced, but I was eating it. She was like a lot of sounds coming out from in there, you know, like, not only was I moaning with all of the flavor, but when I eat sensual, I eat kind of like a pig at a trough where I use my fingers to pick up the pasta and put it in my mouth, and I'll open my mouth and aerate the food to enhance the flavor. I mean, there are just so many ways. Actually. We have another charme in the sanctuary called Luxurious Lunch that is all about bringing simple luxury and small moments of indulgence to your lunchtime ritual. But this charm savant of the senses and bringing it to your afternoon snack attack can transform your day from. The doldrums of everyday routine to a ravishing ritual of Renaissance radiance. So I'm a big lover of alliteration, in case you don't know that already. And so, to bring this episode to a close, I want to just summarize in 1 or 2 lines our gems from today. Number one is being a savant of beauty by seeing beauty as essential, not optional or not just ornamental. The second is being a savant of your conversations by adopting a posture of receptivity. And the third is being a savant of the senses. By elevating your snack time and your relationship with nature's candy, aka fruit, to a ritual of have decadence and elegance a la Renaissance style. And that, my friends, brings our episode to a close. Stay tuned next week for news. And your official invitation to the everyday Sensualist. And I will see you in our next episode. For more gems on how to celebrate life through the richness of your senses, head to Mary Lofgren. Com. There you'll find an abundant library of free gems and resources. You can check out my award winning coaching programs or flirt with stepping through the garden gates of the sanctuary community. Come and learn how to make beauty, presence, and everyday luxury a lifestyle at Mary Lofgren. Com.