Where are your SPECIAL and HAPPY PLACES?
If you’re anything like me, you will have several happy places and activities you can easily bring to mind. Special places you can imagine immediately and feel the good feelings they bring. This is a great tool you can use anytime, anywhere as and when needed, alongside some belly breathing or other breathing techniques appropriate to your situation (because you may need to be calmer or more energised perhaps).
One of my Special Happy Places is horse riding on a beach, because this combines two of my all time personal favourite things. I love beaches and I love horses. Riding on a beach gives me an amazing sense of freedom, exhilaration, peace, love and grounding all at the same time. It is heaven on earth for me. The fact that I can tap into those feelings just by bringing that scenario to mind is so helpful sometimes. I imagine taking in the sights, sounds, smells and sensations all around me and being at one with nature and with another wonderful sentient being.
Another happy place for me is the Yorkshire Wildlife Park. I usually just wander around with friends or on my own, observing all the interesting activity there.
I recently had the absolute privilege and honour of meeting three of the black rhinos there for a close up half hour ‘experience’ and Experience is definitely the word. We fed them hazel and willow branches full of leaves and they loved it. They were so gentle, calm, majestic and soulful. It was a birthday treat for my husband, which I also was able to enjoy. It was quite surreal and I shall never forget it.
It’s really handy to have in your self care toolbox a few of these Special / Happy Places to call upon as and when needed.
When you use this technique, experience your special place using all of your senses – giving yourself time to explore it and silently asking yourself what can I hear, feel, see, smell, taste? What am I wearing? Am I enjoying this time alone or with loved ones? Letting your mind wander. Exploring and really enjoying every aspect of your experience. These happy places could be based on an actual experience you’ve had, a wonderful holiday perhaps, or something you’d love to do and can imagine vividly how amazing it is. Allowing your wonderful imagination to do its thing.
These mindful experiences serve to fill your heart and top up your internal Happy Battery and we all know how useful it is to keep that topped up for your WellBeing. 🥰
