Pleasure Revolution

I haven't made New Year's resolutions this time, and yet I feel like I'm on track to accomplish more this year than I have before. Maybe that's the secret? I haven't made clear resolutions, but I have set one intention. One that may sound outrageous in this tough world, where we have limited movement, not one but many diseases, economy is floundering, people struggle to cope. Yet, after years of searching, I'm pretty sure this is the best way for me. To keep motivated, to make change, and even to help the world. What is it? To seek more pleasure. So this year, I'm setting out to experience more of it. Both by choosing what to do - and how to do it.

I have a history, like most of self-reflective people, of trying to better myself . A lot. We all know how it usually goes: we see someone we want to be like, start comparing ourselves, or we hear some newest health trend, and we jump in. We set goals and try to achieve them, in the same manner we try to score at work or at school. We focus on the target, without thinking about how it fits with the rest of our life. We optimistically believe that we're somehow going to make it there, follow a draconian regime, and then be happier. I had my share of that. Picking up challenges, redesigning my life - and often not sticking with it. Because my heart was never really in it. Or because, even if I really wanted to change - I set the bar too high to reach it. Follow discouragement and frustration. Luckily, I've found a better way. And better goals.

In the past, I've been both through times when doing and being driven took all my focus, and then the times when I was forced to take time off because my body couldn't keep up with it. Due to the health challenges, self-care has become a duty of sorts. But I'm a rebel, 'shoulds' don't work well on me.

In the last two years, however, I've started to move away from the see-saw of being focused on achievements and then being forced into a break. I had slowed down. I let myself be. I was frequently haunted by thoughts like 'will I ever be productive again?' 'how am I going to reach my goals?' However, whilst sometimes scary, it proved a necessary reset. I stopped forcing myself to do anything, as much as I could. I wasn't sure if I just became lazy, or I want onto something. I kept following my intuition though. And after much longer time than I would've liked - it is paying off. (There is a story of spiritual exploration attached to this period, but that will be for a different time).

These days I feel driven to act on my dreams again. Organically. It's like my life has rebalanced itself. I got restored. Now, picking up new projects I reflect on how to avoid going into the other pole again. Or becoming stressed out about the things I choose to do.

I've decided I won't be doing things I don't enjoy. How is this possible? Well, there are two sides to it. One is in the choice of activities. The other is in our perception: finding the enjoyable aspects of the activity that we have to do anyway. Sure, there may be some ungrateful duties, always. This is also part of life. But whenever I have the choice, I will seek joy.

I will listen to my body and to my inner wisdom. Instead of trying to squeeze myself into training plans that promise this or that benefit, I will do movement that I actually enjoy. Because I know that how I feel is much more important than how I look and what norms some other people tried to decide for me. And in the end, it's going to be come effective than any imposed training plan anyway. Why? Because I'm actually going to do this!

There are some key components in the practice of enjoyment. One of them is mindfulness. Being aware of and savouring every moment. That alone can increase happiness and satisfaction with life. I haven't checked the detailed science of it, but pleasure does provide us with feel-good chemicals that can boost our mood. I've experienced myself feeling more motivated and energised when I find time for pleasure. When I set an intention to be nourished by whatever I do. And when I'm nourished, I can achieve so much more, there is more energy available to do other things. On the other hand resistance, when I'm trying to make myself do something I don't want to do, just drains me.

Moreover, when life becomes more enjoyable, you actually want to live it more. After all, isn't the whole idea of fitness and healthy lifestyle supposed to serve us? It is much better achieved when we come from a place of self-love and care. Once you get in touch with that inherent self-worth, you won't allow any health routine to feel like punishment. When I know I'm doing it for my own good, and not to fit some norm, I make better choices.

Do you think this is easy? I would say it's not. There are many things that come between us and the ability to experience pleasure or allow ourselves to pursue it. We have not been taught that pleasure is good for us. On the contrary. We're taught to view it as an indulgence. In the constant pressure to perform, many of us have lost permission to take pleasure in things. Everything has to have a purpose. And enjoyment isn't deemed one worthy enough by capitalist standards. Not ot mention the lessons from most religions. But is pleasure really bad? I'd say following our pleasure gives us more freedom and allows us to be more of who we really are - not who we were told we should be. It can be a revolutionary act!

Some people may wonder if it's selfish. It doesn't have to be. After al, many of us take pleasure in activities done together with others. In helping out even. And as already mentioned: with recharged batteries, we can devote ourselves more wholeheartedly to living and giving of ourselves. I know when I feel nourished, I have a lot of empathy and positivity to share. But when I'm depleted, I'm not always able to do good, and I even become resentful.

So what does it mean for my year? I'm choosing to eat mostly healthy, but with place for some indulgence, and choosing foods I like. Savouring every bit. Making cooking a self-love and awareness practice. I'm going to go for many long walks, hug trees, listen to the birds celebrating existence, let my eyes soak in luscious green and with every step leaving any tension behind me. I will exercise - like a cat, paying attention to every movement and taking pleasure in feeling how my muscles work. I will dance, sometimes gently, sometimes with abandon, feeling the blood pulsing through my veins. I will touch and be touched, attentively, nurturing human connection. I will pay attention to my feminine cycles, honouring the different energies I feel every week. I will breathe, marveling at the wonder of being alive and having a body.

Is it all going to be easy? No, of course not. There will be days when I don't want to do anything. That's where some commitment and perseverance in needed. Imagining how I'm going to deel after some mindful practice, remembering the expansion it brings me - that will be my motivation. So that I can look forward to my practices, not dread them as another to do. Then I'm going to share my love and joy with the world.

How about you, what do you imagine when you think about pleasure? How could you set out to do more healthy things, but only the ones you enjoy? What would that be?

To a magical and pleasurable year!