Embrace Life’s Pleasures Mindfully

There seems to be an idea in the minds of many religious people, that because a thing produces pleasure it must necessarily be “bad”.

Or the belief that God likes seeing people unhappy and doing unpleasant things. And many of the most religious people frown upon the normal pleasures of daily existence. They act as if they are “too good” for life, "too pure" to enjoy any pleasure. We've all met such people.

But this way of living is unnatural and contrary to our spiritual evolution.

The Yogis know that all normal pleasures are given to us humans to use, but none of them must be allowed to use you. You must always be the master of these pleasures and not their slave. And to do that, you must develop your willpower.

And how do you do that? By doing unpleasant and uncomfortable things. Exercises or activities that strengthen your willpower. And look, there is no special merit in doing uncomfortable tasks. The idea is to exercise the will to resist, so that it can resist other temptations when faced with them.

An extreme example: cold plunges. Made popular by Wim Hof, where people immerse themselves in freezing water. It may seem like a torture, and probably feels like it. But the purpose is to train the mind to rise above the uncomfortable sensations of the body.

Another example is fasting. Some religions have periods of time where fasting is encouraged. It serves a similar purpose of strengthening the will. You are hungry and you overcome the desire to eat. But the act of fasting itself doesn’t have any religious significance. It’s a way of developing self-control.

Self-control. That’s the aim. How much easier life could be if we could control our impulses and cravings? If we could enjoy the pleasures available to us without indulging more than necessary in them?

Live a simple life. Enjoy the pleasures that bring you joy, without getting attached to them. Without getting addicted to them. Without being controlled by them. Do uncomfortable things from time to time. Train your will regularly. You'll be better equipped to resist temptations when facing them.

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