“When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

- Eleanor Brown

Do you know that amidst the stress, fatigue or overwhelm you may be feeling right now from your menopause symptoms it is still possible to experience aliveness and pleasure? We often soldier on through our day to ensure that everyone else is happy, sometimes at the expense of our own wellbeing. But, our bodies are wired to feel good just as they are without pushing, striving or aiming for results.

Prioritizing pleasure is not selfish or indulgent – it is what makes you human. When you make space to invite pleasure you expand your capacity to feel more of it and this has a beautiful rippling effect into other areas of your life.

Expand the Concept of Pleasure

To begin, it’s really helpful to expand our concept of pleasure. Look for what brings you joy, what lights you up, puts a smile on your face? Ask yourself: “what makes me feel alive and vibrant?” It could be pausing for a cup of your favorite tea, walks in nature, dancing, good food - it doesn’t matter. What matters is bringing mindfulness to the things that bring you pleasure, so you can consciously cultivate more of it. 

What is one thing you can do today to prioritize your pleasure? For some inspiration access a free copy of my Awaken Pleasure Checklist here. This is not about making self-care a burdensome ticking exercise. It’s about creating a practice of making time to connect to your body, your breath and opening yourself to sensation on every level so you can experience greater pleasure, joy, intimacy with yourself and the world around you. It all starts with you taking time for yourself daily in small ways and basking in the simple pleasure of what arises for you when you do this. Where in your body do you feel that softening or that spark? How can you keep that feeling alive as you go about your day?

Find the Breath That Moves You

Regular breath work can be particularly transformative in soothing and relaxing your nervous system. Breath work tapers the release of stress hormones, nurtures emotional wellbeing and presence. Being more present improves your focus and concentration, and helps you feel confident and empowered. Noticing the sensations your body experiences when breathing can also be a gateway to noticing other sensations of wellbeing or pleasure that you may have been numbing. Try the following Paced Breathing practice to invite relaxation:

• Sit upright on a chair or your bed 

• Begin to inhale deeply and softly through your nose on a count of 4.

• Exhale slowly and gradually releasing the breath through the nostrils on a count of 8. Slowing the pace of your breath: 1 breath for every 12 seconds. Making the out breath longer than the in breath.

• Repeat 5 to 7 breaths for the next minute staying with the practice for 5-10 minutes.

• At the end of your practice pause to notice how you feel.

• Repeat 2-3 times throughout your day.

Move Your Body

Navigating change and uncertainty can take its toll on our nervous system when we are being asked to hold so much for ourselves and for others. Movement is a powerful way to release emotional and physical tension and bring aliveness to areas we have ignored or forgotten. Moving, dancing, shaking liberates stuck energy and gets things moving to welcome in pleasure. 

Choose one song from the pleasure playlist here. Start with feeling your feet on the ground and observe how you are feeling in the moment. Keeping your feet grounded, begin moving your body in an unstructured way, swaying your hips or moving them in a circular pattern, undulating your spine or waist. Feel whether there are any other areas in your body that need some extra movement, stretching or shaking out. See if you can gradually release tension from these areas by relaxing and imagining the tension flowing through your body, down your legs and out your feet into the ground. 

Welcome Rest and Relaxation

Welcoming rest is the reset button that returns you to the basics of pleasure allowing you to recover from poor sleep or a busy week. It cultivates an inner environment of safety and self love – being present to what your needs are and tending to them. From this place you can choose how to best use your energy. It can take up to 20 minutes for your nervous system to shift into rest and restore mode. Make rest a muscle that you gradually nourish and strengthen creating small pockets of time – even 5 minutes at the beginning, in the middle and end of your day. Unwind from the hectic day with Kindra's Soothe Bath Soak with patent-pending technology: the Nourish-3 Complex. Soothe's formula contains a gentle yet effective clinically-studied peptide shown to provide comfort to sensitive skin, sleep-supporting chamomile to help calm the skin and mind, and  omega-rich, restorative oat kernel extract for skin healing support and hydration. It's everything you need for carving out self-care and relaxation while giving your body much-needed nourishment.

Soothe Bath Soak

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Make Time for Simple Pleasures

Making time for these simple pleasures whilst taking care of your health can make all the difference in your menopause journey.  This is why I recommend menopause wellness brand, Kindra. All of Kindra’s products are designed by women, for women, addressing the most disruptive signs of menopause like hot flashes, brain fog, vaginal dryness, and more. The simplicity of Kindra’s natural ingredients make you feel that you are doing something good to nourish your body and mind. Kindra’s Core Supplement helps you start your day right. Designed for peri/menopause and beyond, it includes super antioxidants like Pycnogenol® to support healthy circulation, mental clarity. Plus, the adaptogen Ashwagandha helps reduce stress and boost libido.

The Core Supplement

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Taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life whilst looking after your health allows you to feel good in yourself and about yourself. This feeling can then ripple out beautifully into your relationships, your work and day-to-day life.

So go ahead, prioritize your pleasure and fill your cup with Kindra. Use code GABRIELLA20 for 20% off your first Kindra order!

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