I am currently reading #theatlasofhappiness by @mshelenrussell, a book detailing different customs of increasing happiness from around the world.
Loving the different ideas of what #happiness is from so many different cultural perspectives. This morning’s chapter was from #finland 🇫🇮; my grandmother’s home country. The Finns are a stoic people; having spent many centuries under the rule and thumb of other nations, they learned over generations to be more “survive” than “thrive”. Their national version of happiness – #kalsarikännit – interpreted as “Drinking at home in your underwear with not intention of going out” 😆😆- isn’t exactly my personal ideal, but each to their own. 🤷♀️
As I sit here enjoying the fragrance of #lemon from my tea, the layers of color, texture, and comfort that I have built into my #nest , and the coziness of this moment, it occurs to me that there is no one “big idea” to define an overall sense of happiness in life.
Lasting happiness is a series of small moments, such as the one I am in the experience of right now, that add up and compound upon each other to create a life of enduring and deep-rooted contentment.
I believe that a large part of the reason that so many people have continued anxiety and depression is because we are always “doing”. We are somewhere in the past or the future rather than just being right here, in appreciation of the moment.
There is hard science to back this theory.🧑🔬
When we are fully present in each moment, especially when we take time to breathe deeply, our sympathetic nervous system (the excitatory system) switches to a parasympathetic nervous system (inhibitory/calming), reducing the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline and increasing happiness hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, creating a greater sense of calm and well-being. (Add a snuggle with your favorite person or a pet and you get a hit of oxytocin – the “connection hormone”, not only enhancing mood but also empathy, kindness and generosity.) Over time and with practice, our baseline of happiness hormones and emotional resiliency increase, and stress hormones in the system decrease.
What’s especially wonderful about this is that your higher levels of ease and contentment have amazing health and longevity benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, regulating blood sugar levels and metabolic function, lowering the risk of heart disease, and creating better cognitive function and neurological health.
So if you are looking for a greater sense of overall contentment, ease, and joy in your life, look no further than the moment you’re in. It’s true that some moments are better than others, but there is always something to be grateful for. If we can find that appreciation and just rest and breathe in that space of gratitude, those moments will increase and and there will be a time when you realize that, in spite of the contrast that being a human on the planet earth brings, you are happy.🥰
Do you often find yourself feeling unhappy, anxious, stressed out, or angry?
Periods of stress in our lives are part of the human experience, and can be a tremendous catalyst for growth and personal evolution. Life is a gorgeous, complicated, challenging, and joyful adventure – and the contrast we experience is necessary to add depth and meaning – wholeness – to the story of our lives.
But we aren’t meant to stay in that place of unhappiness for long periods. When our periods of upheaval become chronic, the constant release of cortisol and adrenaline, necessary in primitive times for short fight-or-flight responses, become a mood disorder that if left unresolved, can really f#ck up the brain and body. This “stuck” cycle can not only cause depression, memory loss, weight gain/loss and sleep issues, but also inflammation that can lead to a host of other issues and illnesses from diabetes, cancer and more.
The good news is that just because we have moments of stress doesn’t mean that we have to stay in the stress response indefinitely. We can return to a place of greater emotional ease in less than two minutes, if we can understand what is happening in our nervous system.
Most important is to realize that the brain’s stress response only takes 90 seconds to move through the body.
When we encounter things in our life that make us feel triggered – anxious, frustrated, angry, fearful, or sad, (insert your own favorite dysregulation response here_______🙄…) it can be easy to stay in that feeling state for much longer. This is because we keep the stress response loop repeating itself instead of redirecting the brain’s focus to something happier.
But there are many ways to #flipyourhappyswitch when difficult or challenging circumstances in our lives may lower our #baselinehappy.
We can bypass hours or even days’ worth of unhappiness with a few simple neurobiology “hacks” that redirect the brain’s wiring. Consistent practice of these techniques will, over time, create a healthier stress response, too; which is pretty freaking awesome – the sooner we can get back to a feeling of joy in our lives, the sooner we can get back to being the amazing creators of reality that we are supposed to be.
Taking some deep nasal belly breaths stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and “tricks“ the mind into thinking that we are all good – or at least not in a heightened state of trauma response or fight or flight. This is where I always begin when I am personally feeling dysregulated.
There are a number of other techniques to re-direct the mind back to a state of ease – changing up our environment, listening to music that makes us feel good, going outside to “ground” with a walk, ride, run or swim. (the benefits of being outside are multiplied when we put our bodies in direct contact with the earth.
I love barefoot trailrunning, but 5 minutes of sitting on the grass can have a profound effect on the body and mind. Splashing cold water on the face, finding an activity or interest that is creative, are all wonderful ways to reset the brain, release endorphins and run interference on that stress loop and get us back to a more peaceful or joyous state.
If you are in a place where none of these practices are possible, try this easy, four-step system to bypass the loop of trauma/stress response:
Acknowledge what you are feeling. What is the root emotion causing your feeling of dysregulation? Take a moment to honor that feeling.
Focus on facts – find one or two true things about you. “My name is_____ and I live in _____city/country/state. My parent/sibling/friend/pet is______.
Find something physical – The sun feels amazing on my face. The fabric of my shirt is soft. The bakery in the store smells like cookies and fresh bread. I like to spritz a little of my favorite men’s cologne on a scarf or shirt collar so that I can bring my focus to the scent when I am in a crowd or large “big box” kind of store where I know I can become energetically overwhelmed.
Look for one beautiful thing/Gratitude – feeling grateful triggers release of dopamine, the reward/feel-good hormone. Find one thing in your environment that you can feel truly grateful for – the color of the sky is a particularly pleasing shade of blue right now. The little girl in line front of me has the most amazing big brown eyes. This coffee is delicious. Better yet, find someone to smile at or have a conversation with. (Not a creepy smile, please….) Not only will focusing on someone else re-direct the brain’s stress response, but kindness releases all of the feel – good neurochemicals.Win-win situation, right?😄
I have been putting many of these techniques into practice for years, and I can tell you that they work, but I’ll add to this a list of the most common neurochemicals/hormones and how they affect the mind and body, along with a few more tricks and techniques to get you back to your happy place.
Happy Brain Chemicals – DOSE
Dopamine – Reward/Hormone. “Pleasure Chemical”. Helps with focus, memory, motivation.
* gratitude. Complete a task or project. Improve sleep habits. Exercise. Do yoga/meditate. Go outside. Have sex – specifically, sex or self-stimulation that triggers orgasm. The greater the dopamine release, the more powerful the orgasm.👀. (Disclaimer – there is such a thing as “too much” when it comes to orgasm. Particularly using a stimulus such as porn, as it can create a tolerance which causes dopamine levels to drop.)
Oxytocin – The “Love Hormone”. Supports mental well being.
* Give a hug! Even self hug or massage will release oxytocin. Kiss. Warmth – sit in front of a fireplace. Drink something warm. Find a sunny spot. Send a loving text or letter. Snuggle with a pet. Watch cute kitten videos.
Serotonin – Feel-good hormone.
* Kindness. Laughter yoga. Massage. Sunlight – 10 minutes of direct to eyes. Remember happy memories heart rate
Endorphins – Responsible for pain relief, stress management, feelings of euphoria. Released by central nervous system and pituitary gland.
* Exercise/movement. More sex. Dance. Acupuncture. Eat something delicious and nourishing -Dark chocolate specifically triggers the endorphin response in the body. Scent – smell something pleasing. (Essential oils, fresh-baked cookies, cinnamon, someone you love)
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If you are someone going through a challenging or difficult time, I see you.❤️
I hope this information might help.
If you are in a place where just don’t want to get off of the couch/bed/carpet, I’ve been there, too. It’s ok to give yourself some space to not be ok, to have grace for yourself to be in the experience of those hard emotions – for a little while. But don’t get stuck in that place. Remember that mood follows action.
This means that sometimes, we just have to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps, put on our “big girl/boy pants” and take action. Breathe, meditate, dance, listen to music, hug a loved one or pet, go for a walk, have good sex (even if it’s by yourself) – whatever it is that works best for you to get into a better place. This is self-care.
Wherever you are today, please remember that you are loved. You are a beautiful, magnificent Be-ing; worthy of every good you can imagine.
How are you feeling today? Are you feeling fabulous and shining bright? If you are on-task and feeling amazing, I see you – you glow, girl!
But maybe today is a little rough. Maybe you are going through an especially difficult period and even the idea of getting out of bed to face the day is a struggle.
If this is where you are today, I also see you. I feel the pain you are going through. I have been there myself, more than a few times – and am sending you so much healing and love.
We all go through times like this. We all experience days that are challenging; days when we feel blue, irritable, or under the weather. Days when we don’t want to adult, and coping is a challenge. Frankly, these days suck – but are a necessary aspect of the human experience and can help us to grow.
There will be times when we come up against challenges, grief, new or unresolved trauma, or sometimes we just hit a wall because we are tired.
But here is a secret that modern society tends to ignore or overlook – if we are to get back to feeling fabulous and creating a joyful, connected life, it is vitally important that we acknowledge and honor our honest feelings on those days when we are struggling with keeping our “spirits up”.
In the same way that in healthy relationships with others, we validate another’s truth and emotional state, we need to do the same with ourselves in order to move forward and move on to a higher resonance and better vibrational state.
So babe, if you are in the mud today, it’s ok. Give yourself permission to squish your toes in that gooey mess a little. Talk to yourself or someone you trust about where you are at and why you are there.
Allow yourself to cry – tears release stored cortisol in the body, which is why we almost always feel better and lighter after we let go of the negative feelings we may have been holding or hiding, sometimes without even realizing it. 👀
Once you have validated your experience and given yourself time and permission to access and acknowledge the sh#ty aspects of your emotional or physical reality, start looking up again.
It’s ok and even healthy to be in the mud for a little while but babe, don’t stay there too long. Remember that our emotional states are neurological pathways that can become trenches and even personality traits when we dwell in them over-long, and ultimately, we go through the shiznit in our present to get to a healthier, happier place in our future, right? 😎🥳✨💫
Stay tuned next post for some tools on finding our way out of the mud once we are ready to start climbing that hill again. 🏔🏔🌄
The views up here are spectacular and beautiful, I can’t wait to give you a hug and a hand up. You’re going to love it here.🥰
Just in case you had forgotten – you are amazing. You are worthy. You are capable, beautiful, valued and so very loved.💖💖💖
What is the emotion you currently experience most right now?
If you are feeling stuck in old patterns of being that you can see but can’t seem to change, this one question can lead you to the answer as to why you may be in the mud instead of on the mountaintop.
If your answer is that the primary emotional state you experience is in any negative emotion such as anger, resentment, anxiety, sadness or frustration, this is exactly what is keeping you where you are rather than where you want to be.
We can not create a positive life from a negative state of mind. This isn’t just a cute saying – this is science. Here are a few of the negative consequences to the body and mind when we are habituated to negativity:
The brain signals the body to produce neurochemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline. These are 💯 necessary for short-term flight-or-fight situations, but when they are circulating in our system long term, they can wreak havoc on our immune system, cardiovascular and neurological function. Long term stress can also trigger DNA markers for genetic disease and shorten telomeres; markers for aging and health, making us old far before our time.
Stress hormones and chemicals can literally become an addiction . When we allow stress to become habitual we learn to depend on the hit of adrenaline and cortisol every time we create drama or stress for ourselves.
Our magnetic field becomes smaller as we draw from it to sustain the increase in stress on our physical functions, decreasing our energy and vitality.
We carry information on our physical and emotional state in our bodies, minds and magnetic field. This information is transmitted to those around us as well as into the quantum field, and remember that what we transmit, we also receive, creating a cycle of lack and unhappiness.
Obviously, none of us want to be creating more unhappiness for ourselves, right? Though our subconscious programming might be preventing it, ultimately, most of us want to be happy.
We were born to be creators. And who wouldn’t rather create a life of vitality, beauty and meaning versus one of dis-ease, unhappiness and lack?
If you can recognize that you are in a chronically negative state, you should be able to begin pruning those neural networks that are no longer serving your highest self to begin creating new networks and neurological programs that reflect the reality you wish to see.
An essential aspect of pruning old neural networks and building a new, healthier mindset is training your body’s biology to reflect the emotional reality you want to create. Our bodies are capable of creating thousands of chemicals that can be used for healing and happiness – or for sickness, anxiety and depression.
You are capable of moving mountains and creating any reality you can imagine, but in order to get there you must first overcome those pre-set blocks that might be keeping you from living your best life.
What are you trying to manifest in your life right now? Greater abundance? A limitless mind? Healing of sickness – or just an optimally functioning body? An amazing relationship? The career of your dreams?
Here is the #1 key to training the mind and body to move past those barriers, build new neural networks and step into greater abundance, health, relationship – into living a life of beauty and meaning:
You have to feel it.
Now your first response to this might be “well duh, genius. We’ve talked about this before. Obviously we need to feel good to create good, right?” 🤔
But the truth is, it’s easier said than done.
It requires us to look within to find those blocks that we might not even realize are there, keeping us from the life that we desire.
It requires us taking accountability for the life we have created to this point, which can be deeply painful – and then we have to begin rebuilding ourselves to reflect something new. Which can also be difficult – but also incredibly rewarding.
If you are unsure of what blocks might be holding you back, here is a tool that will help you on your journey: a Visualization/Feeling meditation.
Sit comfortably with your back straight. Allow your mind to become quiet. Breathe deeply into your diaphragm. Try to keep your mind’s focus on your breath, at first. Take as long as you need to quiet the mind’s chatter. When you have found that place where it feels like floating in space – being nowhere, nothing; formless, ask yourself to feel the following:
Abundance. What does it feel like to be abundant, to have all of your needs met, all the time? What might abundance look like in your life? Can you feel a sense of abundance not only in your mind but in your body?
Fearless. Can you imagine – and feel the experience of being completely without fear – of having faith that you can achieve anything and Source/Spirit will have your back? What might you do or try that fear has held you from up to this point? Riding a motorcycle? Pursuing a new career or a newly single high school crush? Try to envision whatever it is fully, making it a sensory experience…. For me, cliff jumping is one of those experiences I can easily bring up to feel fearlessness – the adrenaline rush of looking down to the water far below and the weightlessness of space as I jump and begin falling. The cold water as it hits my feet then my whole body as I am submerged before swimming to the surface, exhilarated and refreshed….
Limitless. This should feel similar to fearlessness but try to come into the feeling state of your own limitless ability. How would it change you if you could do anything, be anyone, think like a genius?
Wealthy. What does this feel like to you? Can you envision having unlimited resources to go anywhere, do anything, help any number of people? Where would you go? What would you do? How would you be different than you are right now? Can you feel what it would be like to be truly wealthy – to have zero lack?
Joy. Can you put yourself in the feeling state of bliss? Can you feel happy not only in your mind, but in every cell of your body? Can you feel joy in your heart?
Perfect health. Try to feel vibrant health resonating in your entire body and mind.
Relationship/love. What type of relationships do you most desire to create? What does having a wonderful relationship with and being deeply valued by a lover, spouse, partner, children, friends, family members – or your community – feel like? Can you see yourself in your ideal situation? What might it look like? Try to be as detailed as you can as you create possibilities in your mind, allowing yourself to feel the wonderful emotions of these relationships and scenarios. This is vitally important, which I will touch on shortly.
Career/job. What would you be doing if you could do anything? Would you be a doctor, lawyer, corporate executive, spy, teacher, guru, or entrepreneur? What did you wish to be when you were a child? Can you feel into that state?
How did this meditation go? Did you get through all of these questions? Did you experience blocks or difficulty on any of them? Most of us have blocks In several of these areas. We are often trained from an early age by our parental figures to be limited or that we lack ability and value.
This is a false bill of goods and deeply unfortunate. We will never create an ideal world as long as we continue to teach our children that they are flawed and limited.😤
The good news is, these blocks show you the first part of your roadmap to a better reality. If you experienced a block when you asked yourself to be wealthy, or fearless, or have the relationship of your dreams, you know what programs need to be overlayed with new programs and patterns.
Which takes us back to visualization and feeling the way that we want to be. When we put our minds and bodies into a cohesive feeling state, we are not only creating greater health, but we are training ourselves to live in the future reality that we want to see rather than the past reality that has been holding us back.
We are also creating a magnetic and vibrational field that resonates to those around us and the quantum field, where Source can most readily bring us those components that we need to create the reality of our dreams.
If you experienced blocks in your ability to come into a feeling state from the exercise above, let’s go back and take each trait or emotion individually.
When you are ready, find your comfortable seated position. Begin with the first question you experienced difficulty with. Let’s say it was relationship – a hard one for most of us. Likely because of their own issues, our parents taught us that we were not valuable.
As a result, often without even realizing it, we behave in ways that perpetuate this belief in our adult relationships:
We don’t keep our word to those around us.
We let ourselves and others down or don’t always behave with honesty and integrity.
We speak to our loved ones in ways that are harmful.
We may find ourselves drawn to cheating on our partners – though we don’t want our primary relationship to end.
We shut down when it comes to communication.
And a host of other dysfunctional behaviors that keep us – and our loved ones -unhappy and perpetuating the belief that we lack value.
Ouch, right?🥵.
But here’s where we can transform those dysfunctional past subconscious programs into something so much greater and begin building the life and personality/personal reality that we wish to see rather than hating the person that we think we are.
Let’s say in our personal relationships we have a tendency to be short tempered and resentful, and our communication skills are lacking.
From your place of meditation, visualize a loving relationship with a partner in which you sit across from them, holding hands as you easily talk about those issues in your relationship that need work. Feel your heart center completely open, radiating light and warmth in this visualization.
(In a post a couple of weeks back, I spoke of heart coherence. This visualization will create coherence in your heart and mind not only in this moment, but in future moments as you experience this in reality.).
Feel the love and acceptance of your partner as you create a greater reality together. Hold yourself in this space for as long as you are able. The longer you are able to sustain coherence in meditation, the more you will experience it in everyday life.
Use this basic formula for each quality you wish to embody.
This may feel difficult at first. Remember that you are overlaying programs that have been there for many years and it will not feel comfortable the first time or even the first few times you practice, but you will notice that the more often you practice this meditation and visualization, the easier it will become.
From there, you will begin to see what may feel like miracles unfolding as these new neural networks draw into your reality exactly what you wish for.
This seemingly miraculous creation of new realities is a combination of new neural wiring and firing causing a release of A)different chemical messengers into the brain and body, B)accessing new possibilities in the quantum field, and C) our RAS (remember the Reticular Activating System; the brain’s “reality filter”? Someone mentions a red Fiat and suddenly we see five red Fiats on the freeway that we wouldn’t have noticed before) beginning to allow us to observe and draw to us new aspects of our everyday reality that we wouldn’t have seen with our old wiring and programs. Amazing stuff, right?🤩
Wherever you are, beloved, I hope you will read this and be inspired to become a conscious creator and reality shaper rather than a victim of past neurological programming. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be fulfilled. You deserve to have your deepest desires and greatest wishes achieved. I believe in you, and I love you, always. 💖
How do you feel as your mornings begin? Do you feel rested and ready for the day, or do you tend to feel a little groggy and out of sorts? How have you been managing your emotional state through the COVID-19 crisis, but especially your time before sleep and upon waking? I definitely need my morning “power coffee” to feel my best as I start the day, but most days I wake feeling well, optimistic, and excited about the day in front of me. Of course, we all have times when we wake on the wrong side of the bed. We feel depressed, irritable or just out of sorts; in a funk.
I recently had one of those days. Knowing that we are vibrational beings; at all times in an emotional frequency – our feelings follow our thoughts, and those thoughts produce frequencies that not only send messages to the universe but also to those around us – I didn’t want to pollute my families’ emotions with my bad mood. Add to that how much better it feels to feel good, I knew I had to take some steps to pull myself out of that funk and shift into a higher vibrational mindstate, which is when I open up my self-care toolkit.
On days like this, the first thing I do is try to get to the heart of why I am feeling unhappy. That particular day, my mood was likely a result of a bit of residual yuck from a couple of days of stress at home, compounded by oversleeping and bad dreams. This is often the case` when I don’t get up by seven, and lately, I’ve neglected my morning routine more often than not, staying up far too late and oversleeping as a result. Keeping to our healthy habits when other aspects of our lives may be out of sorts is especially important, and my unhappy state was an unfortunate consequence of my lack of routine.
Beyond acknowledging the why of where we are emotionally and vibrationally, we have two choices. We can continue in this negative state of mind, often cycling into a full day or more of yuck, or we can choose to shift our mindset into something better. I recognize that this often seems easier said than done – when we are feeling down, it’s easier to allow ourselves to just sink into the mud. The mud is comfortable and damn it, it just requires so much effort to lift ourselves out of the mire and start back up the hill.
It’s ok to remain in the mud occasionally. Sometimes our circumstances, surroundings, or past experience feel insurmountable in a current state, and having grace for yourself and honoring where you are is part of the healing process when depression is a result of something deeper. But feeling good feels better, doesn’t it? Being the master and commander of your ship, feeling on top of the world, and enjoying the miracles and meaningful “coincidences” that tend to manifest themselves when we are in a positive vibrational state is amazing – so the sooner we can get back to that co-creative space, the better. This is where we are best served by adding a little understanding of the science of feeling good to the spiritual and emotional aspects of living our best lives.
We have previously discussed neurotransmitters and how important they are in being healthy. Dopamine is one neurotransmitter that is largely responsible for how healthy we feel emotionally. Dopamine is a feel-good transmitter, created from Tyrosine, an amino acid that the body produces naturally when we do not consume enough, but should be ingested through food sources, as well. Good sources of Tyrosine are eggs, fish, poultry, avocado, cheese, and legumes. Exercise is another good way to increase dopamine, and interestingly enough, yoga in particular has been found to significantly increase dopamine production. (Age-related changes in cardiovascular system, autonomic functions, and levels of BDNF of healthy active males: role of yogic practice Pal R1, Singh SN, Chatterjee A, Saha M.) Beyond mood, Dopamine is linked to energy, learning, motivation, kidney and blood vessel function, attention, appetite regulation, pain and pleasure processing and movement. A deficiency of dopamine can lead not only to depression but also to obesity, addiction, and has been linked to ADHD and Parkinson’s disease.
Serotonin is another important neurotransmitter in maintaining a happy, healthy brain. Serotonin regulates sleep, memory, learning, and emotion regulation. Serotonin and Dopamine work together in vital function of brain and motor coordination, mood and appetite regulation, and many other functions, but most importantly for the sake of the subject we are addressing is how it affects your mood. Not enough serotonin equals increased anxiety and depression, an inability to digest properly/nausea, and a decrease in our ability to learn, maintain healthy relationships, and keep our vibrational state light.
The amino acid Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin production and rich sources can be found in salmon, poultry, especially turkey, nuts and seeds, spinach, dairy and soy products. But here’s the problem – the brain/body barrier doesn’t easily assimilate tryptophan without a carbohydrate present. Simplex carbs are a no-no for healthy blood sugar levels, which also affect mood, so eat brown rice or quinoa (pre-soaking before cooking removes arsenic and saponins; toxic chemicals many plants produce and makes your grains more digestible) with your protein, whole grain, organic bread with nut butters or eggs, etc.
Regular exposure to sunlight and aerobic/cardiovascular exercise also helps the brain to increase serotonin. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2077351/) A brisk walk, hike or trail run, outdoor yoga, (Did I mention that yoga significantly increases dopamine and serotonin levels?😁) swimming or working in your garden can increase serotonin and dopamine and make you a happier, healthier human. So whatever activity makes you light up, do that.
Just understanding some basics of brain function can move you towards a better mindstate, but beyond that understanding, taking the steps to change a potentially dopamine and/or serotonin-deprived brain to keep moving forward are necessary to feel your best. Nourishing our body and brain with foods that increase serotonin and dopamine is an excellent beginning, but having a self-care tool kit can help get us fully back on track. Here are a few of the tools and resources that I use on those days when I need a little extra boost:
1. Gratitude: Take some time for gratitude – writing just five things you are grateful for is a powerful tool for shifting your psychological state. Try to really connect with the feeling of gratitude from your list. For example, I’ve been playing “Fortnite” recently with my son as a way to stay connected. Last night we scored “Victory Royale” for our first two matches; a team victory over the 100 other players in each game. As I wrote my list this morning, I went back to how amazing it felt to win with my son, and how we congratulated each other on awesome teamwork to get there. Just thinking about that feeling of connection lifted my spirits. (I actually have a “gratitude practice” that I use every single day – no exceptions. I believe this is a huge part of what keeps me feeling happy most days.)
2. Inspiration: Listening to inspirational podcasts, youtube videos, or audiobooks – having an outside source remind you of your value and power can be a huge help in being able to remember that power and value. Abraham Hicks, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, and many other high-vibration beings have an assortment of uplifting material to listen to or watch that can bring us back to connection with our Source and our Self.
3. Take 20-30 minutes (or more, if you have the time) for the Three “M’s”: Music, Movement, Meditation/Prayer/”Sourcing”:
What Music lifts you up and moves your? Do you prefer something classic, soft and soothing, such as Pachelbel’s “Canon”, Beethoven’s “Symphony Number 7” or “Fur Elise”, or perhaps Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”? Or maybe jazz is your groove, and you enjoy the lively Miles Davis or sultry voice of Ella Fitzgerald. Do you love to throw down the funk or shake it to hip-hop? When I’m needing some serious energy Lizzo (Queen!!), George Ezra, Flo-Rida, Usher, or Pit Bull are a few of my go-to’s, but follow your own inspiration. Even better if you can incorporate some Movement into your music therapy – dance, do some yoga, go for a walk, do a ten-minute HIT workout. Get your energy flowing! Finally, Five to ten minutes of sivasana, quiet Meditation or prayer is not only essential self-care but also helps to be a kinder, gentler human to others – filling our cup with the good we need to be able to pour into our families, friends, and community.
4. Tuning in to the Self/Self-care: Asking your inner self what it needs physically is another tool for a positive day – what foods would best nourish you and feel a little luxurious? Could you make yourself an omelette, smoothie bowl or healthy banana bread for your first meal? What clothing choices would make you feel good? My first choice this morning was a pair of slouchy sweats and sweater. Luckily the sweater needed washing and I realized the sweats would probably just perpetuate the slouchy feeling I was experiencing, so opted for a pair of stretchy jeans and a so-soft cashmere sweater – texture can be another tool for moving into a feeling of abundance and ease, and the jeans were both comfortable and structured just enough that I felt “normal” in my dress rather than slouchy. I also put on a little make-up, though I have no plans to leave the house outside of walking my dogs, each time I look in the mirror I want to feel fabulous about the face that looks back, and a little eyeshadow and mascara help to get me there faster.
By the time I had followed my “Three M’s”, enjoyed my power coffee and gotten prepared for the day, I was 100% back to my normal, optimistic, happy self and felt fortunate that my partner made a fabulous, veggie-filled frittata for breakfast (Tyrosine rich eggs and goat cheese). Fueled by my mood and good food, I was ready to get to work – a far cry from the heavy, angsty state I had been in just a few hours before. Do you have an emotional resource toolkit that you can use when you are in a funk? I hope that on those days you are feeling a little low, you might be able to use some of the resources I have shared today to get you back into that high-flying vibrational state, into feeling the gorgeous, capable, abundant and joyful creator that you are. You deserve it!
This Blessed Sacred Life 