Finding What Gives you Joy in 2 Simple Steps

Our electronic world has allowed us to be connected wherever we are, yet has disconnected us from where we are now! We are virtually present, but not actually present. We are interacting, but not with those around us.  I admit I'm just as guilty as the next person. It's difficult to 'just be' in this cyber universe of ours. We feel like we're going to miss something if we don't check our phone when it dings. What we really miss out on, when we're busy trying to keep up with the techno world, is the real world! The solution to this hyper connectivity is meditation and mindfulness.  A major benefit to following these practices is improvement of the mind & body, thus opening one up to what is really important in one's life.

Step One: Meditation
Meditation helps you learn mindfulness by increasing awareness and clarity. Try this meditation at least once a day, for as long as you can. Meditating when you awaken is a perfect way to start the day, and sets a positive tone to your mood. 

• Get comfortable:  Find a quiet, comfortable area where you can relax. Either sit straight up in a chair, with your feet on the ground and your hands on your lap, palms facing up, or lay flat on your back, with your legs outstretched and your arms to your sides, palms up. 

• Just Relax & Breathe:  Close your eyes, relaxing your mind and body. Take a deep breath, in and out of your nose, inhaling for a count of 4, holding for a count of 7, and exhaling for a count of 8. 

• Imagine Positivity:  As you get into the rhythm of your breath, imagine a white light entering your body from the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands. As you inhale, bring that white light up through every cell of your body to the top of your head. As you are washed with positive, cleansing energy, enjoy this feeling as you hold it in. 

• Release Negativity:  Once your body is cleansed with the positive light, gather the negativity trapped in your body, and release it with your exhale, down from the top of your head and out through your palms and soles. 

• Be Still & Clear:  Repeat the last couple of bullets for up to 15 minutes, clearing your mind and body of toxic thoughts and feelings. If you want, repeat this mantra---I am Safe. I am Secure. I am Loved. God is with me. 

Step Two: Mindfulness

Mindfulness means coming back to the present moment and stilling the mind and body. Whenever you find yourself disengaged from reality, put away any distractions that are distancing you from the moment, whether it's your mind racing or wandering, or an electronic device. 

• Stop and step out of the thinking process.
• Just breathe and calm your mind and body. 
• Intentionally decide where you're going to focus your attention on.
• Focus on & experience where you are at, who you are with, what you are doing, and why.
• Just be present!

This can be quite difficult at first, but stick with the practice of meditation and mindfulness. It will pay off once you get the hang of it, eventually becoming second nature. You will find that meditating improves your mood, your stress level, and ultimately your health. The power of being mindful of your everyday actions, as you're living it at the moment, benefits both you and those around you, bringing more joy in your life!

Reduce Stress & Inflammation in 2 Simple Steps!

Our electronic world has allowed us to be connected wherever we are, yet has disconnected us from where we are now! We are virtually present, but not actually present. We are interacting, but not with those around us.  I admit I'm just as guilty as the next person. It's difficult to 'just be' in this cyber universe of ours. We feel like we're going to miss something if we don't check our phone when it dings. What we really miss out on, when we're busy trying to keep up with the techno world, is the real world! The solution to this hyper connectivity is meditation and mindfulness.  This National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, concluded that a major benefit to following these practices is improvement of the mind & body by reducing stress and inflammation.

Step One: Meditation
Meditation helps you learn mindfulness by increasing awareness and clarity, noted by an American Psychological Association (APA) article here. Try this meditation at least once a day, for as long as you can. Meditating when you awaken is a perfect way to start the day, and sets a positive tone to your mood. 

• Get comfortable:  Find a quiet, comfortable area where you can relax. Either sit straight up in a chair, with your feet on the ground and your hands on your lap, palms facing up, or lay flat on your back, with your legs outstretched and your arms to your sides, palms up. 

• Just Relax & Breathe:  Close your eyes, relaxing your mind and body. Take a deep breath, in and out of your nose, inhaling for a count of 4, holding for a count of 7, and exhaling for a count of 8. 

• Imagine Positivity:  As you get into the rhythm of your breath, imagine a white light entering your body from the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands. As you inhale, bring that white light up through every cell of your body to the top of your head. As you are washed with positive, cleansing energy, enjoy this feeling as you hold it in. 

• Release Negativity:  Once your body is cleansed with the positive light, gather the negativity trapped in your body, and release it with your exhale, down from the top of your head and out through your palms and soles. 

• Be Still & Clear:  Repeat the last couple of bullets for up to 15 minutes, clearing your mind and body of toxic thoughts and feelings. If you want, repeat this mantra---I am Safe. I am Secure. I am Loved. God is with me. 

Step Two: Mindfulness

Mindfulness means coming back to the present moment and stilling the mind and body. Whenever you find yourself disengaged from reality, put away any distractions that are distancing you from the moment, whether it's your mind racing or wandering, or an electronic device. 

• Stop and step out of the thinking process.
• Just breathe and calm your mind and body. 
• Intentionally decide where you're going to focus your attention on.
• Focus on & experience where you are at, who you are with, what you are doing, and why.
• Just be present!

This can be quite difficult at first, but stick with the practice of meditation and mindfulness. It will pay off once you get the hang of it, eventually becoming second nature. You will find that meditating improves your mood, your stress level, and ultimately your health. The power of being mindful of your everyday actions, as you're living it at the moment, benefits both you and those around you, bringing more joy in your life!

Don't miss out...be present!

Daydreaming

I was one of those kids who was always in my imagination, trying to bring what I envisioned into life. I wanted to build a playhouse or a tree house. I would dream up my own versions of skits and plays, forcing my younger siblings and friends, who were like siblings to me, to perform a variety show for our parents in our downstairs den, costumes and all! Our school had a yearly May Festival, and I recreated my version in our South Pasadena backyard, selling tickets to my mother so she could buy the cookies that were used with ingredients that she had purchased! As I crossed over into Junior High, these activities seemed silly, and not so cool. This is when my time with my imagination dwindled. 

With all the responsibilities and practicalities of life, I craved something more, but couldn't put my finger on it. What seemed silly and uncool as a teenager became something I would long for as I reached adulthood, and it continued to nag at me. What I wanted was to find what gave me that joy, as I was putting my imagination into life; the creativity in my being needed expression. As corny and clique as it may sound, I wanted a passion...something that I got excited about, something that I couldn't stop thinking about, something that I enjoyed so much that time just passed by!

In order to find that need, that want, that passion in us, we need to quiet our mind, and look inward to find the clarity of our thoughts and awareness of what gives us joy. Personally, I pray and trust that God's plan will unfold, but with my stubbornness, I was never still enough to listen. This is where meditation and journaling have helped me.

Take action, and don't give up on your dreams! As you steadily realize what drives you, you will begin to just do what makes you excited & invigorated, bringing joy in your life!

<3 Cheryl Joy

The Next Step to Just Be Authentic: Eat & Enjoy being satisfied with Real Food!

We have to remember that, what is most important about healthy nutrition and eating well, is that we need food in order to survive. Our bodies were made to eat so we can supply it with nourishment and energy. In our modern world, the convenient access to food and water has improved quality of life. It has also been detrimental to the quality of our health, with processed, junk, and fast "food".

This is why we have to choose what we eat wisely, because it's not about the calories in the food, it's about the quality of the food that's essential. Here are some tips to improve your authentic self by feeding yourself authentic food!

• Remember: Real people eat real food! We really are what we eat, so how can we be authentic when we eat manufactured, processed substances, that claim to be food? Go to the local farmer's market, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or just go to the produce section of the grocery store! Even better, plant and grow your own produce or ask friends for their overflow of vegetables and fruit from their gardens.
• Plan your meals & food shopping trips. Having a meal plan and shopping list helps focus your grocery shopping to what is necessary, leaving the chance for spontaneous & random purchases at a minimum.
• Set up an experience. In our distracted, digital society, we often don't experience our food. We miss out on what is going on around us, the socializing while eating, which is often relegated to special occasions. Take time to set the table, even if it's only for yourself, and stage a lovely ambience for your meal.
• Eat with intention. Even without watching TV, reading a book can also be a diversion from the awareness of eating. Being mindful about what you are eating; how it tastes and feels in your mouth, the sights and sounds around you, the feelings you experience while eating. These factors all contribute to the enjoyment of a meal, so don't cheat yourself out of this joy!
• Take time to enjoy and savor food. When we take the time and effort to plan our meals with real food, setting up an experience with intention, the act of eating can become a meditative act. The food tastes better, the moment feels special, and eating becomes more soothing, satisfying instead of a rushed, haphazard activity.

So remember to always---Eat & Enjoy being satisfied with Real Food! This will bring you more fulfillment & gratification, thus avoiding unhealthy overeating, bringing you more joy in your life (and tummy)!

Dinner made by my oldest daughter...Quinoa, roasted vegetable, & tri-tip tacos with freshly-made guacamole and salsa! (Her and my son left out the tri-tip, since they're vegetarians).

The Next Step to Just Be Awesome: Meditation & Mindfulness

I can't begin to tell you how meditation & mindfulness have improved my life. Headspace is a website and app that I have been using. They have a free 10-day meditation series that you can use on it's own, with the option to add more. In just a brief amount of time, I feel more at ease with who I am, what I am doing, and why I am doing it, as I've had questions with this, as many of us may do, as I discuss here.  Even in the instances of chaos in my life, and in my brain, I can more easily center myself, being more intentional in the moment.

A good place to start meditation & mindfulness is with the Active Relaxation exercises from the 30-DJT Journey. If you haven't already started these exercises, because you just "scanned through" the blog posts, I encourage you to at least try these Active Relaxation portions of the day, here, here, here, and here!  It's also important to just be active to help bring life joy, so if there is one Active Movement exercise you are willing to try, please try the 5 Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation!

These Active Relaxation exercises, along with the Active Movement exercises of the 5 Rites/Yoga and natural walking, can bring you an appreciation for yourself and everything around you!  You will also find that you are more authentic in who you are, as well as what you eat, because your mind & body starts to crave things that are Real!  This truly can help you find your optimal self and purpose in life, bringing you to reach out and help others, and may even help you find what gives you joy in life!

<3 Cheryl Joy

LiveJoyDaily starts with Awareness of Life

With us wrapping up our 30-Day Joylife Training Journey this coming weekend, I thought it would be a good time to introduce my new website, LiveJoyDaily.com!  It's still a work in progress (just like all of us in our lives) so we'll be able to see it grow and evolve together! I wanted to be able to continue this journey with an awareness of what we have accomplished; carrying it through beyond the thirty days.  So please give me suggestions on how I can better serve your needs with this new venture.  You can comment below, email via the LiveJoyDaily.com website, or message me if you are part of the joy life club Facebook group. This site is not just for my benefit, but for all of us to better experience the bliss of life!

The purpose of LiveJoyDaily is to provide a practical resource for Mind-Body-Soul Health & Wellness information in an intentional, innovative, and interactive way. LiveJoyDaily's mission is a commitment to give guidance, motivation, and reassurance to anyone wanting to improve their well-being, through clarity of the mind, cleansing of the body, and restoration of the soul. The goal therefore, is for us all to reach our optimal selves through health & wellness, thus finding joy in each of our lives! The Joy life club blog will still exist to augment the website, or it can be read on it's own.  The blog is accessible as usual, through thejoylifeclub.blogspot.com, or with a link from the LiveJoyDaily website. 

 

We need to increase our awareness of what is really happening in our lives now! Once we stop and ponder the moment, is when the wonder of life unfolds before us. Once we let go of thoughts like, "should've, would've, could've", our minds will naturally ease, bringing more clarity to each situation.  This is why LiveJoyDaily is so important to me---to let others know that we can all "Live Joy Daily", but first, we have to "Just Be".  This is what I believe is my great work---what I know, what I've experienced, and what I have the enthusiasm to share. So come and be a part of LiveJoyDaily with me! 

The next challenge for everyone is to join me in 'The #LiveJoyDaily Movement', starting with a very simple photo exercise. Feel free to participate as many times, or for as long as you want by---

• Taking a photo, on any given day that you are living joy, and hashtag the photo #livejoydaily.
• Sharing this #livejoydaily photo on your favorite social media site(s), and tagging your friends. 
• Passing it on and asking your friends to participate in 'The #LiveJoyDaily Movement' photo challenge also, and telling them to continue to pass it on, thus spreading the joy to the world of social media!

The most important part of this challenge is to be aware of where you are and who you are with, enjoying each and every moment of life! The goal of the challenge is to notice those moments of joy in life, taking a breath and pausing, bringing this awareness of life inward...and just be! Let's start this, 'The #LiveJoyDaily Movement', and as always, find what gives you joy in life!

<3 Cheryl Joy

 

 

Just Be 10 Little Things to Bring Your Life Joy!

As we are wrapping up the last part of our 30-Day Joylife Training Journey, I wanted to give you a few little things to just be, to bring your life joy!

• Be Rested: You need to get at least 7 - 9 hours of sleep per night, but if that's difficult, try a nap! When done appropriately, naps can be effective in making you feel refreshed and rested.  Here's an article that gives the benefits of napping as well as tips on napping, even recommending caffeine before napping here!

• Be Social: Have a social group or network you can rely on for support and for interaction!
• With your friends: Organize a book club group, join an adult sports league through your local parks & recreation department, or just get together with friends to play board games Saturday evening.  At work, my husband plays basketball every Friday with co-workers during lunchtime. My friends and I have a book club, 'Ladies Who Read', which really becomes an eating & talking club at times!  Here's a link on how to start a women's book group.
• With your family:  Family reunions and family vacations are a wonderful way to reconnect with family members! Last Thanksgiving, we went on a cruise for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary, as well as for my in-law's 50th two years ago.  Even a weekend barbeque or weekly Sunday night dinners can be enjoyable with your family.
• With your significant other: Something my husband & I are going to start is RVing with our new Airstream!  My mother-in-law said that you have to pretty much be social, since RVers are a culture in of themselves!  More to come on our Airstream adventures :D

Author Jamie Ford and I, author of 'Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet' and 'Songs of Willow Frost' !!! He remembered the 'Ladies Who Read', mentioning us in his blog here, stating we "were especially enthusiastic!" We all had a joyful time during this event!

• Be Mindful: Put away electronic devices and be present! This is quit difficult for some (myself included!), but being mindful of life as you're living it at the moment is important to you and to those around you! Here are some tricks & tips to try to be more attentive & intentional in what you do---
• Mindfulness is coming back to the present moment, stilling the mind & body
• Stop and step out of the thinking process
• Intentionally decide where you're going to focus your attention on
• Just breathe and calm your mind & body
• Focus on & experience where you are at, who you are with, what you are doing, and why---Be Present
• Meditation helps you learn mindfulness to increase awareness & clarity
• See link here for How to Meditate for Beginners

• Be Smooth(ies): Real food smoothies can be fast, easy, and healthy! Here are a couple of my favorites.  For each recipe, just blend the following ingredients in a high-speed blender (I LOVE my Vitamix!)---
• Blueberry-Pineapple Surprise Smoothie: 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 cup frozen pineapple, 1 handful of leafy greens, 1 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons chia seeds, Purified water or Coconut water, optional, depending on consistency desired.
• Green Veggie-Fruit Smoothie: 1/2 peeled banana, 1 peeled orange, 1/2 cup sliced fresh or frozen pineapple, 1 handful of leafy greens, 1 tablespoon Agave or Honey, optional to taste, 6 - 10 ice cubes.

My Blueberry-Pineapple Surprise Smoothie...so thick that I needed a spoon to eat it...so good!

• Be Fun: Forget about exercising and just move around a lot! Find activities that you enjoy, and just get out there and have fun! I enjoy hiking and walking, and will find out if I enjoy SUP and kayaking, which I'm sure I will!  Other play activities include sports like tennis, racquetball, golf, skiing, or games like dodge ball, kick ball, or tether ball.  Or just going on a bike ride, because really, who can't ride a bike?  Here's a link for biking & walking/hiking trails. 

• Be Fresh: One way to rid of toxins from your body is through oil-pulling! It's easy and safe. I've found that I don't have pre-menstral acne anymore and my breath is so much better!  Here's how to do it---Oil-pulling is best done in the morning before you eat and brush your teeth.  Place about a tablespoon of oil in your mouth (I use organic, extra-virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil). Swish the oil around in your mouth for 15 - 20 minutes, being careful not to swallow any, since toxins are being pulled into the oil.  Spit the oil out into a plastic bag because the oil will solidify and clog your plumbing.  Rinse your mouth at least twice with filtered water, then brush and floss your teeth.  Do this everyday, and you'll reap the benefits of ridding your mouth (even the body) of toxins, as discussed in this link.

• Be Real: Shop for Real food at a local Farmer's Market, and you will more likely prepare your own, authentic meals!  Recipe ideas for your seasonal finds can be found in this cookbook here. Here are some of my favorite seasonal fruits & vegetables---
• Winter:  Carrots, Clementines, Grapefruit, Kale, Kiwis, Meyer Lemons, Shallots
• Spring:  Apricots, Asparagus, Carrots, Greens, Lettuce, Mint, Peas, Strawberries, Navel Oranges
• Summer:  Avocados, Blackberries, Cherries, Chickpeas, Bell Peppers, Cilantro, Eggplant, Mangos, Melons
• Fall:  Apples, Artichokes, Arugula, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Grapes, Sweet Potato

• Be Relaxed: Not everyone can get away for a weekly, or even monthly massage, so do the next best thing...a daily self-massage!  Here's how---Start with your right hand gently squeezing the back of your neck, moving down your left shoulder, along your outer upper arm, down your forearm on the pinky side. Interlace your fingers while gently bending your fingers and rotating your wrists.  Move your right hand again while gently squeezing along the thumb side of your forearm towards your inner upper arm, then gently rub the left side of your chest, then the left side of your stomach. Repeat with your left hand, gently squeezing the right side of your upper body. Next, use both hands to squeeze each thigh from top down, along your knees, shins, ankles, and feet. If you can, interlace your fingers with toes and gently bend toes while rotating ankles, if not, just do this part at home. Move your hands again while gently squeezing the soles and heels of your feet up behind your ankles, calves, back of knees & thighs, moving to squeeze the buttocks. Continue squeezing up your lower back and flanks, as far up your mid-back as you can go.  You can end your self-massage with a gentle temple and scalp massage!  The benefits of self-massage are endless, as seen in this article here.  NOTE:  The massage I describe is a 'dry massage' that can be done anywhere, verses the massage in the previous article, which uses oil.  Therefore this type of self-massage is best done where you have immediate access to a bath or shower.

• Be Creative: Don't loose yourself in daily pressures and deadlines! Take up hobbies that you love again or find new ways to get those creative juices flowing! Hobbies I'm taking up again are writing and piano. Hobbies I'm going to try out are art and gardening!  Here's a great site I found called 'Find Me a Hobby' here.

• Be Grateful: Basically, appreciate others and what you have. Make a list of "5 Things you are Grateful for" at least once a week, like I did in a previous blog, as noted here.  You'll realize how good your life truly is and all you really have, if you focus on the positive instead of the negative. 

Now that's not hard, is it? Another way to bring about a joy-filled life is to simply act like your dog, because if we were more like our dogs, we would---

• Always run to greet loved ones when they came home.
• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
• Allow the experience of fresh air & the wind in our face to be pure ecstasy.
• Take naps.
• Stretch before rising.
• Run, romp, and play daily.
• Thrive on attention & let people touch us.
• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
• On warm days, stop to lie on our back on the grass.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
• When we're happy, dance around & wag our entire body.
• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
• Be loyal.
• Never pretend to be something we're not.
• Dig for what lies buried, until we find what we want.
• Be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle someone gently, when they are having a bad day.
• ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Live simply.  Love generously.  Care deeply.  Speak kindly.

Paraphrased from Upgrade Reality

In conclusion, be these ten little things, and be more like your dog!  I promise you'll find more happiness & joy in life! Tell me how you plan to execute these 10 little things, and as always, find what gives you joy in your life!

                                                                 <3 Cheryl Joy

It's a (Perfectly) Beautiful Day

It's Mother's Day 2014, and it was a beautiful day! This is my first post tonight for The Joy Life Club, and to be honest, I'm kind of nervous because I want it to be, well...perfect! I know this blog can be an expression of whatever I want it to be, but nevertheless, I fear not having things exactly how I envision it. Being an oldest child, I'm a Discouraged Perfectionist. I'm a classic case, as I found out in college from reading The Birth Order Book by Dr. Kevin Leman. There's A Lot Goin' On blog also discusses birth order as a first-born child.

Most of us stop ourselves from taking the next step, taking a chance, because we never even start. We impose unreasonable expectations upon ourselves, freezing us into inaction. I've been guilty of this so many times. I worry what people will think, I worry that I'll look stupid, I worry that I'll fail!

I. Am. Done. That's what I decided the beginning of this year. Not just a New Year's resolution, but a true action plan; being intentional in what I am doing and why. Not just setting goals, but training myself to just start and follow through. Not just doing what's in vogue, but finding what brings me joy. I am in the process of this, and here's how I got myself into gear in order to just start going!

1. I got over myself. Worrying about how I'm perceived by others is something that has haunted me for as long as I can remember. Sure I'm successful by general standards, but I would continually compare myself to others, thinking that I wasn't good enough. I finally feel released from this because I realized that no one else really cares about my insecurities and how I look to others, but me!

2. I had no expectations. In order to motivate myself, I would need something to achieve. Finishing high school, graduating from college, completing graduate school...check, check, check. I'm so goal-oriented that I always needed a race to complete in order to stay on my running schedule each week. With my right hip creaking, cracking, and painful at night, after a half-marathon in Napa Valley two years ago, I stopped running. In January, I decided to start walking during my fifteen minute morning and afternoon breaks at work...that's it!

3. I became self-centered. Being a wife, mother of three with a chocolate lab, and having a career on top of it, I am constantly on the go. When I didn't do for others, I would feel guilty. When I felt guilty, I would feel sad. When I did do for others, I would feel frustrated. When I felt frustrated, I got angry. Enough! I got help, stabilized myself, and looked inward. By becoming more centered, I am finding what I love to do, therefore finding my joy. This "self-centeredness" has allowed me to become more selfless since my "self" is fulfilled and I have the ability to be more mindful of others!

4. I stopped the seriousness. I am the first to be self-depreciating, beating everyone to the punch. But that is counterproductive because when you do that, you're basically saying that, "I'm dumb, I'm not good enough...but look, I can make fun of myself, so I'm okay with it..." Yeah...no. I was taking myself way too seriously that I would ruminate over my "mistake" over & over again. I started yoga in March, and despite hating it years ago because I didn't know all the poses, I just love it now! An article from MindBodyGreen, which I'm addicted to states, "I know that yoga is a lifelong practice and what matters most is the peaceful attitude of acceptance, forgiveness and joy. Yoga has taught me how to laugh at myself, especially in moments of epic failure. After all, it's only yoga."

And that's it! My first not-so-perfect blog post on this perfectly beautiful day! I hope this helped you think about how you handle challenges and consider ways to improve on not being so perfect. Join me on a 30-Day Joylife Training Journey here. Tell me your thoughts and as always, find what gives you joy in your life.

  <3 Cheryl Joy