Take a Pause for Pleasure

Pleasure makes us feel good.  When we feel good, we relax. When we relax, the parasympathetic side of the nervous system kicks in, and when that happens, we’ve opened up and other really good things will occur. This process is called the “rest and repair” mechanism that supports our physical system to regenerate.

There’s solid science behind this. In the 1970s, a physician, Dr. Herbert Benson, who was interested in the links between stress and health, coined the phrase the Relaxation Response. He found that even 30 seconds of focused, slow breathing activates the parasympathetic system to help bring down heart rate, blood pressure and general system activation.  His work used a simple form of meditation, focusing on the breath and stilling the mind.

To kick-start this same mechanism, I invite you to try a simple pleasure practice that will relax and open your parasympathetic system. A Pleasure Pause begins with you focusing attention on something of beauty, or on what you appreciate, are grateful for, or on a sensory delight.  This can also include revisiting a memory of a wonderful experience you’ve had, or a special time with someone you love. It can also be remembering a place of the earth that’s special to you.

Begin by stopping for a moment and notice what’s going on around you. Slow everything down and take in your surroundings. Align with an intention to notice something that gives you pleasure, and give that intention a few moments to sink in. Pleasure might come as the smallest, subtlest thing – the softness of the skin on your hands, your smile as you listen to your family chattering in the background, how good your feet and legs feel supporting you on the ground, the blue sky outside the window, the plant on the table, the breeze on your face. A pleasure pause asks you to bring your attention for a few moments to something you enjoy, love or appreciate. 

The next important element of this practice is to notice any sensation in your body, that come with your noticing – How’s your breathing? What’s happening in your chest or belly? Are your shoulders relaxing a bit?  Tune into your sensory awareness and notice what you hear, smell, feel, taste, your tactic sense.

Building your day-to-day pleasure quotient in this way will counter stress and builds your resiliency. This practice need only take a few minutes to build the positive effect. We all need more resiliency to deal with life’s ongoing challenges. 

I tell my clients – and anyone who’ll listen – “Don’t wait for a crisis to hit, to put healthy habits in place!”  When tough times come – like a diagnosis, or being let go from your job or relationship – at these times it’s hard to learn something new.  When a challenge is dropped in your lap, you want your support practices well honed.

So I encourage you to invest time now, when perhaps things are going smoothly, to build healthy habits – meditate, exercise regularly, and make time with friends a priority; additionally make a practice of noticing and taking in the pleasures that are all around you.  These habits will support you when life’s challenges appear, and often make pleasure harder to find.