I just came back from a small festival and I felt more relaxed than I have in a good while, enjoying lovely human connections and great music. I had not actually realised how much my body, mind and spirit would benefit.
Our state of being can creep in bit by bit and it may appear that we are feeling fine. And it is only in experiencing a new level of ease and lightness in the body, that we realise we had been a little under-par or that there had been some missing ingredient(s).
Being at a festival, dancing and chatting, carefree in a field, is one of my favourite things and has been absent for a while. And, boy, it was great to experience this pleasure again. I have a good number of well-being ingredients in my life, such as countryside walks and yoga. But now, I am reminded to widen my net a little, to take more advantage of the possibilities for human pleasures – some things that I had forgotten about.
For most of us, our lives were radically altered during the pandemic and post-pandemic and it is likely that we stopped or changed a collection of activities that we used to do. This may have brought positive benefits (or not). It is worth reflecting on our ‘zest levels’, and considering how certain activities make us feel.
What would be fun, interesting, different, stimulating? Play around. Test things out. Remember human pleasure. What would taste great? What would make you laugh? When did you last sing your heart out? When did you last dance with others? Is there something brand new you could try? Is there something you haven’t done for absolutely ages that you could re-engage with? Where is your carefree nature to be found? What might make your body naturally relax, so that your breath is deep and your muscles soften? What are some new ways you can connect with your special people? How can you celebrate being alive? What would light you up? Play around with life ingredients and give yourself the chance to really tap into your brightness and life-force energy!