Indulgence
Recently I went on an all-girl camp-out with three
other women. Our theme was "indulging the senses." You
know it's roughing it when I had to choose between blueberry pancakes,
French toast, and omelette for breakfast. I love doing things
with women friends - I never go hungry. We walked along the Salmon
River, dabbled our feet in the cool, cool water to beat the heat,
and took turns in the hammock. It was lovely, positively decadent.
To really indulge the senses requires being fully present. If
the bugs are flying around the lantern (and our faces), it's harder
to play the Transformation Game. If I am in the bath with the
radio on, I can't hear the cat purring on the rug beside the tub.
A yellow-jacket sting seriously detracts from my enjoyment of
the barbecue.
A friend mentioned to her mother that she had scheduled a massage.
Her mother's response was, "It's nice that you indulge yourself
that way." My friend explained that massage was not an indulgence
for her, but was part of her regular self-care program. Some people
do consider massage to be an indulgence. Sometimes it can be challenging
to make it a priority in the budget. We live in a society that
values doing more than being, giving more than receiving, and
thinking more than feeling. Some consider self-care to be weakness
or selfishness. Just say, "I'm not selfish, I'm self-caring."
And if you do think it is indulgence, well, you're worth it. Indulge
yourself once in awhile, especially in things that are good for
you.
Namaste,
(Honor the Light within),
Sue Redding
"You don't have to be good.
You don't have to crawl on your knees
A hundred miles through the desert,
Repenting.
You only have to let
the soft animal of your body
love what it loves."
- from "The Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver
"… a time when it is said that goddesses combed the
hair of mortal women and loved them so."
- Clarissa Pinkola Estes
"Life is short - eat dessert first." Unknown
"Tears are a river that takes you somewhere.
Weeping creates a river around the boat
That carries your soul life."
- Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Poems By Sue Redding
- Feeling Our Way
When I touch you
I can feel myself more
When I touch you
I know how alike we are
When we come together
In a sacred way
Joining at the skin
I know how large the Universe is
And my heart can hold it all
- Self-Made Fortress
I can feel you in there faintly
Asleep under an ancient spell
But the fortress walls are too thick for me to penetrate
And you're trapped inside your own protection
- Sanctuary
peace is something found in the belly
like a new life growing
at the center of my being
the sea turtle flies serenely in her element
gazing through the green translucence
with old, slow eyes
Spiral
Eye Newsletter Archives
Back
to Top
