I love the scene that opens the extraordinary film “Baraka” – where a lone monkey is relaxing in a Himalayan hotspring. You see the monkey’s eyes slowly close as he sits in the soothing pool of hot water. He enters a state of pure contentment as wisps of steam surround his furry face.
One of my favorite things about living right next to Trout Lake Park is the daily opportunity to see all kinds of people relaxing in different ways.
James Tissot painting “Holyday” (circa 1876)
They’re playing frisbee, strolling, having a picnic, chatting with friends, playing catch with their dog, doing some yoga or practicing poi spinning.
Though these are all “activities”, they are mostly just Humans BEING.
It’s one of my secret pleasures to observe humans at leisure.
It’s an experience of Humanity in one our purest states!
It’s when our flight or fight mode is de-activated and our true selves are revealed. It’s when we aren’t trying to get or achieve anything.
One of my favorite summer spots is Wreck Beach, a clothing-optional little piece of paradise in Vancouver.
Joaquin Sorolla Painting “On the Sand, Valencia Beach” 1908
After you climb down the 473 steps (that’s the official number) and reach the sand, you are quickly immersed in a whole community who celebrates the art of relaxation.
I’ve seen all kinds of people slowly shed their anxieties, their to-do lists and their clothing as they acclimatize to the chill vibe of this beach.
I love watching human beings relaxing because life becomes a Heaven on Earth. There is a sense of peace and acceptance.
The Luxurious Art of Being
Leisure is commonly summarized in two words: FREE TIME.
Expanded definitions include: free time used for ENJOYMENT.
Time has been on my mind a lot as I’ve been putting together my upcoming offering “The Conscious Sabbatical: Making Time to Change Your Life”.
(This online course will be gifted to everyone already on my email list and to everyone who joins in the next while. Sign up for free here!)
Many people seek to make enough money to afford leisure time. Leisure is often seen as a luxury for the rich.
Yes, when you have money, you can afford all kinds of opulent experiences: private spas, private beaches and private planes.
Whether it’s a $230,000 bottle of Chateau Lafite or a $100 golden doughnut, we seem to get a special pleasure from pricetag induced perceptions of quality or exclusivity.
But you don’t actually need money to enjoy leisure, you just need time.
And yet time is seen so much like money now. It’s become a commodity that you must earn with your work or sweat.
In reality, time can be created by your perception, your mindset and your way of being.
When you allow yourself to soak up the pleasure of the moment, without rushing or pressuring, you will feel time expand.
When you are really present, one hour of pure leisure can feel like a whole afternoon.
Making decor for the temple, photo by Little Woo
In Bali, I witnessed local people everywhere enjoying many hours of leisure time each day. There were benches where groups of men of all ages sat drinking and chatting. There were women slowly weaving little baskets and quietly filling them with beautiful offerings that would go to the temple that day.
They didn’t have a lot of money but they seemed to have a lot of time. And with enough time to enjoy life with their family or community, many people are happy despite their lack of luxuries or resources.
Just like in Africa or India, there is the saying: “Everyone is on Bali time”. This means that things happen in their own time.
It is a very sensual culture where every art form and sacred practice requires time to create and time to enjoy: from the intricate temples, the Batik clothing in psychedelic designs, the wafting perfume of flowers and incense adorning every store front to the dreamy sounds of the gamelan chiming in from the street.
Yet we don’t need to travel far from home to rediscover the pleasure at our fingertips.
The Pleasure of Slow Time
The Slow movement that started in the late 80’s foreshadowed the arrival of the Artisan culture that is spreading across North America.
The New World hipsters are embracing Old World ways of growing food, preparing meals, making clothes and creating goods.
Author Carl Honore (In Praise of Slowness) is quoted:
“The Slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Savoring the hours and minutes rather than just counting them. Doing everything as well as possible, instead of as fast as possible. It’s about quality over quantity in everything from work to food to parenting.”
It’s also important to slow down enough to feel the quality of your emotions, your heart, your senses and your body.
We have so many rewards centers and pleasure receptors in our brain – even the simplest acts of eating, drinking, resting, urinating and defecating are actually near orgasmic when we are healthy.
Relationships, work and play all become more satisfying when we find our own pace and release pressure.
The Practice of Mmmmm….
In one of my workshops (The Alchemy of Sensuality), I talk about Anhedonia.
It’s defined as “the inability to experience pleasure in normally pleasurable acts”.
Many participants talk about how their time, energy and resources are under constant pressure. Even when they take short breaks to recharge, their To-Do lists never seem to go away. Their inner set-point is running on high octane fuel. It’s not easy to slow down or stop.
So we spend weeks exploring simple sources of pleasure. I guide the participants through a sensual journey through touch, taste, smell, sound and story. For many, the workshop is a precious time for self-care and contentment.
We brush each other’s hair, we paint on each other’s skin, we take turns sharing our favorite things with everyone. (Yes, chocolate is always in the mix!)
Mmmmm is one of the many yummy sounds of pleasure that we make in class.
But it’s not about blind indulgence; it’s about Presence. It’s not a form of escapism; it’s a return to the Self in its most natural state.
Like the people enjoying their afternoon at Trout Lake Park or the revelers relaxing at Wreck Beach, it’s about the simplest joys.
It’s about how easy Happiness is when we just take the time to BE.
The nectar of life should not be downed like a cheap shot of vodka.
The nectar of life should be first swirled around, contemplated with every sense, slowly sipped and savored.
In these moments of simple pleasure, Life is not complicated. We don’t need to be or do anything.
We are just being the Monkey in that hotspring, soaking it all up.
Related Posts:
The Magical Properties of Slow
Slowly Being & Slowly Doing