With this week embodying the back-to-school/back-to-business
vibe, I’ve been reflecting on how to stay in the flow of pleasure that comes from
when you take a vacation or time off to relax.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the have-to-do’s, that
maintaining a connection to that feeling can get long forgotten.
When I teach Reiki Level 1, there are the daily meditations
and self-care practices that I encourage everyone to do for 22 consecutive days
and more often than not students come back to me sharing how much they love it
and look forward to those moments in their day.
I ask them in the beginning to be realistic with how much time they can devote
to their daily practice and that 10 minutes daily can make a substantial
difference in feeling more balanced and at ease in your daily life than
striving to commit to 30 minutes or an hour and only making it happen a couple
times a week.
The same is true for the rituals that bring you joy and
pleasure. When you frame your day with these
activities that take as little as a few minutes, you bring your mind, body,
senses and spirit to the present moment and spark a sense of joy that will
infuse your whole day.
Here are 3 easy ways to bring joy and pleasure to your daily life:
1. Commit
to doing 1 to 3 short rituals each day.
Commit to 1 to 3 activities that are simple and easy to implement
at the beginning and end of your day.
For me the first thing I do when I wake up is take 5 minutes to snuggle
with my cat Gracie and really enjoy the feel of her soft fur, the sound and
vibration of her purring and watching her enjoy the head and ear scratches I
give her. I also take 10-20 minutes to
meditate and focus on the energy I want to experience for the day. I will sometimes move my body or place my
hands on my heart and stomach to activate that energy. Over the summer I also took up journaling
while enjoying my cup of coffee.
Do I manage to do all 3 of these rituals every morning? No. Some mornings Gracie doesn’t feel like
snuggling. Some mornings I need get out
the door quickly and don’t have time to journal. It’s not about adding more pressure to do
something as about having morning rituals you can return to and activate the
experience of joy and pleasure.
Ask yourself what brings you joy and pleasure that you can
do in 5 to 15 minutes to start and end your day? Maybe it’s coloring, dancing, reading a funny
comic strip, laughing with your children, listening to music, smelling the
flowers in your yard or on your way to work.
The possibilities are endless. Check
in with your senses and take note of what brings them pleasure.
You may also want to change up your daily rituals
seasonally. The important thing is to take
a few minutes to bring your mind, body and spirit to the present to engage in
the energy of joy and pleasure.
2. Keep a Pleasure Journal.
Gratitude journals are a tool people have been using for
decades now. They are powerful because
they bring your focus to what is good about life and supports a state of
happiness and wellbeing. I’ve come to
realize that focusing on the things that bring pleasure anchors that vibration
of appreciation into your body on a cellular level. If you already keep a gratitude journal, start
adding to it what specifically brings you pleasure and see how this begins to
influence your experience. If you don’t
already have a gratitude practice, then simply reflecting at the end of the day
on 3 to 5 things that brought you pleasure is a good start and then eventually you
may wish to write them down.
3. Carve Out Time for Just You.
Make time on your calendar regularly for just you. Whether it’s an hour or a whole day, carve
out time to indulge in an activity that truly restores your whole being and
brings you joy. If you love dancing, go
to that tango meetup you’ve been eyeing.
If you love hiking pick a Saturday every month to explore a new trail. If you enjoy making things with your hands,
take an afternoon to try that crazy recipe you found or paint that old trunk
the funky color you’ve had in mind for months now.
What’s most important is that you don’t compromise this time
you’ve set aside for yourself. Make it a
priority over the list of things that “need” to get done. It’s not going anywhere. I love how Kris Carr calls it “unstructured
time” meaning you set time aside for doing whatever pleases you in the
moment. So even if you set out to cook
that fun meal but decide going to the park and reading a novel feels better,
then you can always change your mind.
Why is this so important?
For me, I’ve come to realize that since childhood I’ve been an
over achiever and having a running to do list has been second nature to
me. It’s not a bad thing but making room
for fun and pleasure is an important part of experiencing balance and harmony in
life. I certainly feel the difference
when I don’t make the time.
My Reiki practice has taught me these 2 things:
People, opportunities and resources
will seemingly show up out of nowhere and it all starts with surrendering to the
flow of joy and pleasure!
