3 Ways to Infuse Your Day with Pleasure

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:

1.  Slowing down and being present makes me far more productive and focused for when I do take action; and

2.  When I let go and allow room for the flow of joy to infuse the present moment a lot of things take care of themselves.

When you let go and let flow magic happens!

People, opportunities and resources will seemingly show up out of nowhere and it all starts with surrendering to the flow of joy and pleasure! 

Where are you on the 8?

Last month, for nearly two weeks my computer was out of commission and, while yes mercury was retrograde, I’d never experienced a technological meltdown of this magnitude.  Because my old laptop wouldn’t connect with the internet, it really meant I was working from my phone and anything beyond that would take creative maneuvering.  As I sent my computer off to the other side of the country to be repaired, I took a deep breath and surrendered to the situation.  In that moment I knew everything would be okay and, in the meantime, I would just have to accept this forced slowdown.

In the end, the timing of it all worked out.  I had family visiting and it was my birthday.  The universe’s gift to me was to unplug and just enjoy myself, and I embraced every moment of it.  Part of my healing and growth in this lifetime has been about learning to embrace these times of chaos.  I’ve learned to recognize how the cosmos and nature reflect the beauty and wisdom of where I am in a cycle of co-creating with the universe instead of falling into the victim archetype. 

Today marks another astrological phenomenon called the Lionsgate.  This is when the sun unblocks the star Sirius as it moves through Leo.  Known as the gateway to the heavens, Sirius appears to be going through a rebirth and thus bestowing upon us a charged wave of energy.  The Lionsgate energy portal opens every year between July 26^th and August 12^th with 8/8 being at the height this transition.  The number eight represents the infinity symbol and is a reminder of the power within us to receive the blessings of life no matter where we are.

Life has its cycles that we can predict like the seasons and then there are the cycles we can’t predict such as chaos or unexpected blessings.  The chaos and blessings can arrive simultaneously, but they can also be spaced out over time.  The infinity symbol is a reminder of how energy flows like a web.  As it moves in one direction it simultaneously moves in the opposite direction.  When in balance, energy ebbs and flows forming a perfect figure eight.  We are receiving and releasing, taking action and being still, rising up and settling down in equal pacing.  However, life doesn’t work that way.  Either by choice or circumstances we can’t control, our figure eight is out often out of proportion. 

So how do we manage ourselves in the mix?  This when maintaining connection to the crisscross of the figure eight is important.  To find the middle wherever it might be, and trust that staying present with what is will guide you in the right direction.  There is nothing wrong with having a lopsided figure eight.  It often means something fantastic is evolving and growing in your life, but to own and maintain your power in the experience means being willing to stand in the middle and not resist the ebb and flow of the energetic dynamic at play. 

Where are you on your own figure eight?

Does it feel in balance at the moment? 

Is there a lot opening up for you?  Or are you being forced to slow down?

Are you at peace with it?  Resisting it?  Finding the power and the grace in your experience?

There is no right or wrong place to be.  In the end the choice is up to each of us to be present for all of it, even when it’s uncomfortable, and trust that the power is always within you to transform your experience.

The Summer I Learned About Freedom

Just as the first rays of light appeared on the horizon of the Pomona Hills in California, my parents and I set out on a life-changing adventure.  It was May 1976 and I was just under 6 years old.  As we pulled away from my first childhood home of memory, I sat buckled up in the back of the truck that would pull the Airstream which served as our temporary housing for the next few months.

As we drove up the west coast and across the country, coming upon small towns, national parks and the occasional big city, the country was celebrating its Bicentennial.  One of my fondest memories is of my Dad pulling out the CB radio he’d use to talk to other road travelers.  Sometimes it was to get information about the area we’d be driving through and other times it was to say a friendly hello.  This was long before the internet and cell phones, and good old-fashioned maps were our GPS.

For my parents this was a time of freedom.  My Dad was watching the orange groves of his childhood being paved over with highways, strip malls and subdivisions.  None of it aligned with my parents’ values of a simpler lifestyle that’s more connected to nature.

While there are so many happy memories of that trip and all the places we got to see, I also remember being afraid we would somehow get lost and never find a home again.  I would see houses with for-sale signs and suggest to my parents that we live there.  They thought it was funny, but I knew I wouldn’t feel completely at ease until we had a home base again.  Sure enough, by the beginning of July, we were parked at Bailey’s Campground, Maine and by the end of summer we’d be living in our new home, thousands of miles diagonally across from the life we knew before. 

On an early evening that summer, just before dusk, I learned to ride a bicycle.  As my Dad let go of the bike and set me free to ride on my own, Chrissy and David, our neighbor’s kids, were cheering me on as well.  The following year I begged my parents for a Pink Huffy bicycle.  My Dad knew he couldn’t afford a brand new one and was sweating how they’d make this happen.  As children we freely put our wishes out to the universe and don’t worry about how they will manifest.  We just trust it will happen.  Sure enough, my Dad came across an auction at a local police station and what should be up for bid, but a Pink Huffy!

Freedom comes to us in many ways.  It comes with making a big change and letting go of life as you know it.  It comes as a state of mind no matter your outer circumstances.  It comes as a felt sense that the universe has your back, so you are free to follow your bliss.  Freedom requires taking ownership of your story and the challenges you overcome, the sacrifices you make and the risks you take.  Some of the most powerful thinkers and changemakers in history have had to overcome the darkest of circumstances in order to free themselves and others.  That summer of the Bicentennial was my first lesson in what it means to be free both personally and as a citizen.  Little did I know how much more I would have to learn on the topic and am still learning to this day.

On a personal level, manifesting that Pink Huffy was a milestone.  I could set out on my own adventures on a summer afternoon, knowing I had the security of my family and home to return to.

My journey so far has taught me that you’re never completely stuck in life.  Each day, each breath is an opportunity to shift your thinking, embody a new feeling and move in the direction of your bliss even if it’s just an inch.  That is the ultimate freedom. 

Spirit Wisdom of Panda

Do you find yourself scrolling through social media and being drawn in by the cute kitten and puppy videos?  I know I am a sucker for them and could lose hours if I allow it to get out of control.  But a lot of people don’t know that videos of baby pandas can be just as, if not more entertaining.  At least my own inner child feels that way.

I was first introduced to panda when I was 3 years old.  My Dad had gone on a business trip to Hong Kong and brought back a stuffed panda bear doll.  I remember I was intrigued by the coloring and imagining what a live one looked like.  One night I dreamt that my panda bear was life sized and alive in my room.  I got so scared I had to sleep with my parents that night.

Fast forward to my thirties, during the Reiki master training, and panda appeared to me again in a dream.  I was once again a child and my parents were handing me the stuffed panda.  As soon as I held it, the doll came alive.  

It said to me, “I’ve been with you all this time.”

In that moment I realized Panda was my power animal!

The spiritual medicine of panda is for those who tend to be sensitive to energy, especially emotional extremes.  Panda also likes to have lots of personal space and sets strong boundaries around that space.  As a young child I had no siblings until I was seven and we didn’t have children my age in our neighborhood, so I was left to my solitude and imagination to entertain me.  While panda is a bit of a loner, they also enjoy being playful with other panda bears.  For me panda is the perfect power animal because they remind me of my love for people but my equal need for solitude.  To this day, I am mindful to set aside “unstructured” personal time on my calendar and keep strong boundaries around that time.  Without it, my energy gets depleted and scattered.

Summer is the season of the inner child, as the magic of nature is in full expression.  I invite you to connect with your inner child and ask them if there is a spirit animal you could work with at this time.  Invite your child self to speak to you while you are going for a walk, meditating or journaling.  You could also ask the question as you fall asleep and see if a message comes through in a dream.  Or you could take your inner child on a play date by doing something you used to enjoy as a child.  As you engage in any of these activities, your inner child just might reveal the perfect spirit animal for you at this time.

While many people have a single spirit animal that stays with them their whole life, other animals can come and go at different times with messages to support you.  If you don’t have a spirit animal, your inner child just might be able to help you discover yours.  My inner child certainly did.  I’ve come to recognize Panda as my lifelong spirit companion and am always grateful to my inner child self for revealing this to me.

A Horse Named Mere

Last fall I was invited to a dance workshop at a special place called Possibilities Farm in Connecticut.  This was no ordinary workshop though because it involved dancing with horses.

When Julie, my Reiki master graduate, invited me, my inner child jumped up and down and said, “I don’t care how busy you are, we need to go!”  When I was a young child, my parents cared for and housed horses, and dancing was my movement of choice, so this was the ultimate invitation for my child self to have some fun.  

When we arrived at the farm that afternoon, I immediately felt the energy and magic of this little oasis.  The four horses that reside there assist in the transmission of healing energy during Reiki Circles and other workshops that involve movement, drumming and meditation.  

The first part of the workshop was a session of 5 Rhythms Dance to warm up and get into the flow of the energy before the horses were ready to join us.  It was so delicious for my mind, body and spirit to be moving to these different rhythms under the trees and on the soft earth of the farm.

Paddington, a fun-loving miniature horse, came out first. He was more than happy to receive our adoring attention.  However, when Mere decided to join us, something in me shifted and I immediately knew I wanted to dance with her.  At first Mere determined the space where she wanted to interact with us.  She was setting very clear boundaries.  

Then we took turns, dancing with her one at a time.  Mere is a tall white horse with a strong stance but welcoming personality.  As I began to move around her and feel into her energy, I felt her sensing mine as well.  Then there was the moment I realized it was safe for me to let go and allow spirit to lead me in the dance.  I felt my whole being surrender to the flow of energy and as I looked up at her, I could see joy in her eyes while moving with me.

The word Mere means mother in French.  That afternoon gave my own inner child a chance to dance freely in the presence of the Divine Mother through this beautiful horse.  While she is strong and protective, she also held me in a nurturing space to connect with my true self, just like a mother does for her children.  Mere was looking after my inner child that day, taking delight in the magic that transpires when you allow your spirit to freely express itself.

No matter your relationship with your own human mother, no matter what needs may or may not have been met by her, the Divine Mother is all around us.  When we connect with nature, her essence can be especially felt.  Whether you’re spending time with an animal companion, or simply hanging out among the trees and flowers, you will discover her nourishing presence.  

I recently stumbled on a page in my journal from the day after I danced with Mere:

To allow what is, to open, to receive, to let rise within you what needs to rise.

To breathe in a moment with complete acceptance of all that is in this world without needing to change a thing. 

And to move within that space of complete acceptance is a powerful place to be.

In the presence of the Divine Mother you will always be accepted for who you are!

Don't Stop the Flow!

When I started practicing Reiki in 2003, I had just taken up candle making.  During the Reiki 2 Class my teacher said that I could infuse the candles with Reiki and share that on the label.  At the time, I remember believing this was way too radical and people would think I was crazy.  What I didn’t realize then was that my teacher was seeing the candles as another outlet through which Reiki can be a healing presence.

As my personal Reiki practice developed in the months that followed, I did find myself using Reiki while making candles and it became a beautiful process.  Making them felt like a meditation in motion.  Whenever I was feeling ungrounded, I turned to candle making with Reiki to get centered and more present in my life.

By the following spring I started casually talking about Reiki to customers at the craft market and discovered that more people had heard about it than I thought, and some had even experienced it.  By the time I became a Reiki master the following year, the word Reiki finally made it onto my labels.  Today, Reiki has become the most important part of my product because the candles are indeed an extension of my healing work just as my teacher envisioned all those years ago.

Last Sunday I presented my line of Chakra candles at a special event for healers and coaches.  One of the attendees shared with me that she had been admiring the aroma of the candle I was burning all day.  Even better though, before she got to my table to check it out, she had stopped to talk to someone and suddenly felt a wave of energy move through her abdomen that felt nourishing and warm.  When she finally made it to my table, she couldn’t believe that the candle I was burning was for the 2nd Chakra which is located at the navel area of the body.

I smiled to myself and offered up a little prayer of gratitude for my teacher seeing the gift of healing in my creativity before I could.

A few clients have recently said to me that they feel their mission in life is to bring more beauty into the world through their creativity, and then in the next sentence they are down playing it as something superficial.  I’ve worked with them on changing their relationship to this mission so they can see how their work is crucial to making the world a better place.

Creativity in all its genres is a radical form of healing.  Creativity ignites new ideas and perspectives.  It invites us to explore what inspires us and what triggers us, what we see and don’t see, what we like and don’t like in contrast to the world around us.  Without creativity we couldn’t evolve as a civilization.  It is healing for both the creator and those experiencing the creation, just as Reiki is healing for both the healer and the one receiving the healing.

Merce Cunningham, a choreographer whose work could at times take one’s imagination out of its comfort zone, once said that a dance piece is not complete without an audience to observe it.

No matter what is currently being created in your life, don’t stop the flow of its expression with self-judgment or be afraid to ever share it with others.  Trust that its purpose will be revealed in right timing even if it’s not clear to you now.  The process and the flow of energy around it is what is most important.  Allow it to carry you into unknown territory because that is where deep healing and transformation take place.

This is where you discover your own unique magic, so enjoy the ride and where it takes you.

Experiencing Resonance in an Empty Gymnasium

A few years ago, my grandmother shared a video she had taken of me dancing alone in a school gymnasium when I was 5 years old.  As I watched my child-self improvising through movement, I was amazed at just how natural dancing came to me at that age, as if it were in my DNA.  Some of the moves even reminded me of the more advanced choreography I'd performed later in my adult life.

It was as if I was already resonating on a cellular level with what was to come.

Being introduced to dance as a child was the first pivotal moment in my life when something was resonating so strongly, I had to take action.  The phenomenon of resonance in physics is when something vibrates at the same or similar frequency of another to initiate movement.

For the next 30 years, dance would be at the center of my life and shape who I am today on so many levels.

In my early thirties, another moment came along that would resonate just as strongly for me as dance did.  It was the moment I was introduced to Reiki.  I had no idea the day I walked into the classroom that my life would be changed forever.  I had simply come to explore something new and learn how to find deeper states relaxation to improve my health and wellbeing.

When I look back on my 5-year-old self as well as where I was at 33, I realize two things.  Dance had awakened me to my natural state of joy and Reiki had awakened me to my natural state of wholeness and wellbeing.  They had each reached in and touched the parts of me that were ready to make a move and experience a transformation.

If you allow it, something magical starts to happen during moments like these.  You say yes not just in your head, but in your heart and even on a cellular level.  In turn, both your inner and outer worlds start to not only resonate with each other, but you start to experience synchronicity.  As people often say, the Universe starts to conspire to help you.

I'm often asked if I get drained by other people's energy when I practice Reiki.  I explain that I am not "doing" the healing or giving them my energy.  Instead I am connecting with the presence of my own true nature and flow of wellbeing which in turn resonates with the recipient's whole and healed self.  This initiates the flow of energy within them that will support the specific healing or transformation that needs to take place for their highest good in that moment.  In fact, most times I step out of a Reiki session feeling rejuvenated.

The transformation of winter into spring is a beautiful example of how resonance and synchronicity work in tandem to support new growth and transformation.

The warmth of the growing sunlight and muddy soil resonate with the seed to inspire it to break open, take root and grow just as it's programed to do in its DNA.  The sun and the mud aren't making the sprout grow, but their nourishing energies inspire it to begin transforming into a plant and support its growth along the way.

The energy of this time of year is about gathering up the inner resources you need for new growth, healing or transformation. In doing so, you begin to attract the outer resources and circumstances that will inspire you and help you to gain momentum in the process. 

In this moment, what energies resonate with your own inner seeds of growth and transformation?
Do you want to feel more balanced and grounded to sustain your mind, body and spirit through the process?

Or do you want to feel expansive and open to receiving the opportunities that will support new growth?

What will motivate you to take consistent and inspired action?

When you greet each day with a clear intention to engage specific energies, that intention will shine through with everything you do.

Having a morning ritual to activate those energies is often helpful.

Dancing for 5 minutes to wake up your mind, body and spirit;

Meditating or doing a short ritual that aligns with those energies  you want to experience; or

Simply placing your hands on your heart and stating how you want to feel all day will help to ignite the energies that will in turn resonate with the outside world.

When your inner space and outer world resonate, synchronicities start to happen, and life flows with ease.

This is the ultimate expression of alchemy and the magic of life itself.