This week’s practice is one that runs through my own life very deeply, and is something I measure wellbeing, happiness and decisions on.

Relaxation.

Of all the things I learned, going through my body, heart and mind and finding those places that are tense, consciously relaxing them and allowing things to flow, is something I do on a daily basis.

For me, relaxation means access to my full capacity. To joy. To my adult self, while I am holding my younger parts. To peace. To giggles. To pleasure.

It also promotes health, emotional wellbeing and a whole range of wonderful ‘side benefits’.

I trust relaxation. I trust things being easy and in flow.

This has not always been the case. I used to be very attached to ‘things being hard’, and mistrusted ease.

It took me a while to realise that relaxing simply feels much better. And that it is okay to trust that feeling better is a good thing.

Imagine pleasure running through a tense body. That’s hard to do right? So see if you can relax, right now, all those place in you that are not relaxed. Take a moment. And check in with your experience. How are you? I guarantee you will feel more connected to life, and your experience of it right now. It might not always be pleasurable, but it is real, and it is flowing. It is where your power is.

Relaxing does not mean negating any ‘negative’ or hard experience. It means including it, allowing it to fully be there, and allowing it to flow through, as a part of your human experience.

Relaxation is also a great pointer in making difficult decisions. When I have an important decision to make, I often imagine both options, and feel whichever one feels tense in my body, and which one feels relaxed. There is usually a clear difference, and I go where the relaxation is. This helps me make a decision from my full capacity, allowing my wisdom to guide me, instead of my fear.

I could go on, but I will stop here and simply encourage you to try relaxing just a little bit more, and see what it does for you.

Love,
Anke