Is There Pleasure in Store for you This Summer?

May 16, 2017

Is There Pleasure in Store for you This Summer?

Summer equals downtime in many people’s minds. If there’s one season that smacks of pleasure it has got to be summer.  The warmth, long holiday weekends, travel, the pool or lake, bike riding, laying in a hammock with a good novel – it’s summer – we give ourselves permission to have pleasure! 

At least that’s how we hope it will be – but pleasure takes intention

I’m a dedicated journal writer. I sometimes worry about those four boxes of journals dragged around with me since my early 20’s – don’t want the kids to have to deal with that!! 

A couple of weeks ago I started a new journal – I use the artist sketching book type. The heavier paper allows for drawing, pasting things in, etc. I always make a collage on the front cover – a visual reminder of what I’d like the following months to be about. It helps me keep my focus.  This one has lots of outdoor scenes.  Lots of green, water and of course the bees.

I took time to think about the coming months and remember what I like to do in summer. I have an equation: copious summer swims in the river makes the winter manageable – like I’ve got some battery in me that needs charging all summer to last through the cold. 

Get pleasure on your radar – now!

I notice that sometimes people hold the idea that pleasure should be effortless, it should just happen, and it shouldn’t require anything from us. And sometimes it is like that – spontaneous, erupting, and totally unscripted. BUT sometimes it’s not. 

If we’re really dedicated to pleasure, and believe in its importance in our lives we don’t rely on the spontaneous and unexpected. We think about it, make some space; make some plans; and consider what pleasure really means to us. 

Make an experiment of a season, like summer, to explore what gives you pleasure.
 
If you’re in the experimental mode you might consider coming to my workshop: What the Bees Know - Lesson from the Bee yard on Stewardship, Presence and Community on Saturday, June 17th at the beautiful Spirit Matters Retreat Centre; just on the outskirts of Almonte. 

The pleasure factors: here’s some of what you can expect – don’t leave your pleasure to chance!
• Time in nature – quiet, peaceful, beautiful, sensuous
• Develop a connection to another species – discover the concept of bee space and the hive mind
• Learning something new
• Meet new people, make new friends
• Be introduced to bee poems
• Fancy a swim in the river or a lounge in a hammock?
• Delicious summer food fare – organic, fresh, local; 
• Taste honey from around the world at the afternoon honey tasting.

Space is limited – sign up now so you won’t be disappointed. 

Here’s a review from last years bee workshop:

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from Madeline’s Bee Workshop, but what I got from it was priceless. Not only did I get to interact and engage with the bees at my own level of comfort, I got to also taste honey from around the world, learned about bee culture, and learned a lot about myself in the process. It was truly an unforgettable day! I cannot think of a better way to get up close with nature.” - Tracy

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“I will begin a new relationship with my body” Unlocking Pleasure was an amazing concept, idea to work and play with explore”

Workshop attendee