TammieRecently at our Everyday Alchemy Monthly Workshop we discussed the concept of Savouring. I thought I would share some of the content with you, so you too can savour life.
Our future-minded society has robbed us of our ‘present moment-ness’. One way we stay present and really make the most of each and every moment is to appreciate and savour experiences as they arise. Most of us spend a fair amount of time overemphasising unpleasant experiences, but we don’t often celebrate our achievements, small accomplishments or daily pleasantries.
To help you get into the swing of it I have listed four types of savouring. You can use these to extend you experience of savouring:
Basking (receiving praise of congratulations)
Thanksgiving (expressing gratitude for blessings)
Marvelling (losing the self in wonder of the moment)
Luxuriating (indulging the senses).
Five techniques that can help you to promote savouring are:
Sharing with others
Letting others join us in a pleasant experience strengthens the joy (PS: Choose people who are likely to be supportive).
Memory building
Make a photo board of a treasured experience, perhaps you’ve been on a Women’s Retreat with us!
Self-congratulation
Often when we accomplish something we think, “Oh great!” and then start thinking about the next thing. Take the time to really congratulate yourself for your success.
Sharpening perception
When you are enjoying something, really take the time to notice each element. For example when eating a delicious meal, use all of your sense to make the experience heightened.
Absorption
This is like the flow state you enter when you are completely engrossed in something. Artist and musicians will often describe this, allow yourself to be swept away by the activity and let everything else dissolve into the background.
To explore the idea of savoring more you can read “Authentic Happiness” by Martin Seligman.
