5 Ways To Find More Joy In Your Life

5 Ways To Find More Joy In Your Life

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5 Ways To Find More Joy In Your Life 〰️

What Brings You Joy?

The question seems simple enough, but when was the last time you really considered it?

The past couple of years and, in fact, the past couple of weeks have been challenging for a lot of us.
If finding positivity and joy has been difficult in the middle of all this chaos, know that you’re not alone.

For that reason, I have put together a list of 5 easy ways to infuse a little more joy in your daily life so that you can tap into your happiness reserve whenever you need it the most.
Practice joy as much as you possibly can and watch your physical and mental health improve, your stress lessen, and your beautiful smile return.

Let me know which tip you’re ready to implement today!

1. Stay Present & Look Around

Go for a walk and look at the simple beauty that surrounds you. You may witness a flower blooming, a butterfly dancing with a flower, a bird soaring, a smile on a stranger’s face, and bubbles blowing in the wind. You may hear the song of a bird, smell the scent of fresh bread in the air…

When you are present with your surroundings, you live in the NOW. The past is behind you, not affecting this moment, and you are no longer worried about the future.

These few minutes of simple joy may help you get through the day or at least the moment.
Staying present is a practice. Avoid judging yourself if your mind wanders. The more your practice, the more present you will be, and the more joy you'll encounter.

2. Enjoy The Silence

Let your mind rest.

While complete silence may not be possible, reduce the volume level surrounding you.
Turn off the news, your TV set, and Spotify, and listen to your breath.

Listen as you breathe in; stay present as you breathe out. Observe the ebb and flow of your breath. Become aware of the silence at the top of your inhale and the bottom of your exhale. Stay present.
Joy resides in the natural suspension of the breath. At that moment, we find what weighs us down when we breathe in; and we may be able to release it as we breathe out. If you can extend the exhale a little longer, leaving more room for joy to enter.

Meditation is a great way to ease into silence and tap into yourself & your inner joy. If you’re new to meditation and unsure where to start, download my free meditation or/and join me live on Zoom every Monday & Friday - Your 1st class is free: enter IAmWorthIt to redeem.

3. Turn Up The Music
& Dance

The opposite of silence, but sometimes we just need to move & shake off the heaviness of the emotions we carry.

So turn up your favorite tune and start moving, singing, and dancing. Allow yourself to simply be. Tap into the spontaneity of your inner child. Free yourself!

Bonus points: Clothing optional. Especially if you’re at home - I don’t necessarily recommend shedding your clothing in public as our legal system would frown upon it…although if it brings you joy 😁

4. Journal

Dump out your thoughts.
Finding joy isn't about ignoring our pain. It's about facing what feels heavy on our hearts, recognizing our sorrows to giving ourselves a chance to process these feelings.

There are no wrong emotions. When we acknowledge our pain, we also recognize our joy. One doesn't exist without the other.
— Read that again —

See, joy and pain are both sides of the same coin.
So write out all your emotions, give yourself permission to feel them all, and choose the one that serves you best when you can.

5. Schedule Joy

Do more of what you love.

It sounds so easy. Yet, if you’re like me, you may choose to prioritize your work, business, family, and friends before you attend to your own needs.

It is a sure way to run yourself, and the fuel that sustains you all the way to empty.
It creates feelings of overwhelm, stress, and anxiety, to name a few side effects. In addition, it may leave you with a sensation of not being enough, doing enough, and always being behind.

If it sounds familiar, I invite you to STOP, open your calendar right now, and schedule something that brings you joy. It could be a walk on the beach or in a park, a call with a dear friend you meant to catch up with ages ago, a coffee or tea date with your BFF, a yoga or spin class, or a solo dance party (see #3) … you get the idea.

If it’s on your calendar, you are more likely to refill your cup & find joy.

Awakening Our Senses

“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

— Carl Jung

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When we focus on life with all our senses engaged, we start perceiving things differently and more fully.

Discover a sensual inner richness and self-awareness that help us live our lives with joy & gratitude while staying fully present.

The notion of awakening suggests a new sense of being in this world.

Have you ever asked yourself:

What's my purpose in life? Who am I, really?

That's a sign of awakening spiritually.
According to Carl Jung, it is the process of coming back to oneself.

Awakening our senses is an invitation to see, hear, taste, smell, and touch deeper realities through physical senses.
Some of these senses have become taboo as some spiritual practices or the society we live in require that we deny or limit them, therefore, denying a part of ourselves.

However, we experience life through our senses.
Awakening them may mean living a fuller life as we tap into our full potential.

We become more curious, adventurous, playful, true to ourselves, sensual, and compassionate, making us, in return, better humans.

Taste

Not only does taste help us enjoy delicious food, but it also reveals our most profound desires & avoidance in the form of cravings.

Tip to develop this sense:
Try our fresh food that are in season.
A juicy tomato bought at the farmers market in the summer month takes me to another world!

Sidenote: For more information about food cravings, check out Nousha Salimi’s Instagram HERE - She is a plant based health coach who is an expert on cravings!

Sight

70% of our sense receptors are located in the eyes. How we see the world around us informs our inner world.

Tip to develop this sense:
Look around you and notice the colors in nature, the flowers blooming, a beautiful sunset, a lush forest…
Take the time to notice the different tones, the vibrancy of some colors, the neutrality of others.

Touch

It is said to be the oldest sense.
A loving touch or soothing oil covering our bodies creates a bond and is healing.

Touch helps us bring attention back to the body in a nourishing way.

Tip to develop this sense:
Hug your loved ones often, get a massage, cover your body in luxurious lotion or oil. Take the time to touch your body and send it some love.

Hearing

Sounds surround us whether you live in a loud, crowded city or a quiet cabin in the country.

Each day we give our attention to specific sounds while tuning out others.
Think of the sound of the rain on a tin roof or the cracking of small branches under the hoofs of a deer.

This sense creates a powerful response in our bodies and minds.

Tip to develop this sense:
Close your eyes and listen to the sounds that surrounds you. Notice the loud noises, sound of a siren, or a motorcycle driving by.
And then the more subtle ones, the dripping of a faucet, the electricity buzzing through the walls, the wings of a bird flying away.

Smell

Did you know that scientists believe human beings can detect over 10,000 different odors?

Smell is the fastest trigger to recall a pleasant or unpleasant memory.

Scents can stimulate our system and provides a different way to come alive.

Tip to develop this sense:
My favorite place is the farmers market, walking around a smelling the fresh fruit and veggies.
I also like sitting on the beach and smelling the ocean. It awakens me!

Awakening Our Sixth Sense

After awakening all five senses, we have the opportunity to develop our sixth sense.

It allows us to develop our intuition and connect to the energetic ebb and flow of the universe that surrounds us. It helps us feel a strong bond and at one with all around us.
It makes us feel like we belong.

Are you ready to awaken your senses?

Check out my weekly 20-minute Nidra classes and monthly Nidra Bliss workshops.

PS - Don’t miss the Yoga Nidra Bliss Workshop in May.
It is all about Awakening Our Senses!

PPS - Sign up to receive the weekly Karmic Newsletter and receive a free Yoga Nidra Meditation Download
+ access to exclusive discounts & offers.

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10 Ways To Cultivate Self-Love

“You alone are enough, you have nothing to prove to anybody.”

— Maya Angelou

Love is probably one of the more popular subjects we write about, especially as we approach Valentine’s Day.
We are bombarded with messages of what to buy our lover and rating how much we are loved from the gifts we receive.

It feels that if we are not receiving flowers, jewelry, chocolates, a sweet card, or taken out to dinner on V-Day, we are not worthy of love.

Well, I am here to tell you:

You are worthy!

It may be difficult at times to accept our worth, possibly because we are surrounded by a social media culture that sends us visual images of what beauty & self-worth are supposed to be like, viewed through filters, ephemeral moments, and glimpses of what life could be if only we were… or we had…(fill in the blanks)
It gives us a distorted image of what we should look & be like to be loved or deserve love.

That’s because we look outside ourselves instead of looking in.

You probably have heard that to receive, you must be willing to give.
Maybe you already do and offer a loving hand to everyone you meet.

But, are you giving yourself Love?

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“Love yourself unconditionally, just as you love those closest to you despite their faults.”

— Les Brown

What is Self-Love?

self-love

/ˈˌself ˈləv/

noun

regard for one's own well-being and happiness (chiefly considered as a desirable rather than narcissistic characteristic).

Definition from: Oxford Languages Dictionary

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Self-love means:

• Accepting yourself as you are in this very moment.

• Talking to yourself with kindness, softness, and respect,

• Nurturing your growth and wellbeing without sacrificing your physical or mental health to please others.

• Giving our body the nurturing, rest, exercise, and comfort it needs.

• Not settling for less than you deserve.

• Putting yourself first. (oxygen mask on before you attend to others).

• And so much more…

What does self-love mean to you?

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“The things that make me different are the things that make me.”

— Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne

What does self-love look like?

Well, it is unique to you.

It doesn’t have to look a particular way.

It fuels you, brings you confidence, makes you resilient, and allows you to shine brightly!

It gives you the courage to explore, experience life in your own way, and step forward to meet your destiny.

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“Self-love has very little to do with how you feel about your outer self. It’s about accepting all of yourself.”

— Tyra Banks

Ten ways to cultivate self-love

1. Practice Saying Positive Things To Yourself Every Day.
   Talk to yourself with love and compassion as if you were talking to your best friend.
   Take a break from self-judgment.
   Look at yourself in the mirror and say: (insert your name), I love you. Set a timer, start with 20 seconds, add 10 seconds every day until you reach a minute. Practice it every day for 60 days.

2. Be Compassionate Towards Yourself.
   You will slip up. It is part of being human. So when you tell yourself, “Cathy, you’re so stupid, I can’t believe you did that., AGAIN” or whatever less than kind words you use that pop into your mind, apply compassion. Concentrate on what you have learned instead of the mistake itself.
   Mistakes are what allow us to grow.

3. Set Healthy Boundaries.
   Choose yourself over pleasing others, even if it means disappointing your friends or loved ones.

4. Nourish Your Body & Mind With Loving Food.
   Eat to feed yourself healthily and allow yourself sometimes to indulge.
   And healthily feeding yourself means also paying attention to what you consume through all your senses. Pay attention to what you watch on TV, read and listen to, and feed yourself what you need to thrive.

5. Ask For Help
   You do not have to do it alone. When you feel overwhelmed, or before you start feeling overwhelmed, reach out to a co-worker, a friend, a mentor, whoever can help you with your task or issue. Lighten your load. There is power in collaboration. And connecting with like-minded people feeds our heart.

6. Celebrate Your Small Victories Instead Of Brushing Them Off As Unimportant
   These small victories are part of your journey and allow you to get to the top.
   Each step up the ladder matters; each celebration gets you closer to your destination.

7. Trust Yourself
   Listen to your body and your intuition.
   When you feel like staying in instead of going out because it serves you better, embrace it.
   When you want to go for a walk in nature or on the beach to clear your head, although you have a deadline to meet, take that walk. Clearing your head will help you at the end.
   You already know what you need; honor yourself.

8. Allow Yourself To Feel
   It’s okay to feel sad, angry, anxious, outraged… there is nothing wrong with you.
   You are simply being beautifully human. Acknowledging our range of emotions is necessary to love ourselves fully. Hold space for yourself. Give yourself what you need.
   A good cry is often a great release so we can move forward.

9. Indulge In Self-Care
   Book a massage, get your nails and hair done, schedule a therapy session, acupuncture, plan a trip in the desert, mountain or beach.
   Whatever makes you feel luxurious, do more of that!

10. Do Something Every Day That Makes You Feel Good
    Schedule it on your calendar and make it a priority.
    Examples of fun things to do:

    1. Move your body

    2. Schedule dance breaks,

    3. Meditate,

    4. Walk through the city streets, on the beach, or in a park.

    5. Play in the snow,

    6. Sing out loud,

    7. Listen to your favorite song,

    8. Catch up with your BFF,

    9. Make plans with friends,

    10. Insert YOUR Fun Thing Here.

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““You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.””

— Rumi

To practice self-love, start with one of the above suggestions that speak to you.
Infuse self-love slowly in everything you do.
Watch your world change!

If you’re feeling anxious about applying self-love in your daily life, come to my Yoga Nidra Bliss workshop on February 12th.
We will explore how to release what gets in the way of loving ourselves fully while relaxing our bodies deeply as we follow a profound guided meditation.
Click below for more details:

A few more quotes about Self-Love - because we’re worth it!

“If there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.”

— Beyoncé

“I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.”

— Madonna

“This life is mine alone. So, I have stopped asking people for directions to places they’ve never been.”

— Glennon Doyle

Happiness

Have you read “the untethered soul” by Michael A. Sanger?

In the book, in chapter 15, he talks about unconditional happiness. I would also call it true happiness.
He says:

“The highest spiritual path is life itself If you know how to live daily life, it all becomes a liberating experience. But first you have to approach life properly, or it can be very confusing. To begin with, you have to realize that you really only have one choice in this life, and it’s not about your career, whom you want to marry, or whether you want to seek God. People tend to burden themselves with so many choices. But, in the end, you can throw it all away and just make one basic, underlying decision: Do you want to be happy, or do you not want to be happy? It’s really that simple. Once you make that choice, your path through life becomes totally clear.”

— Michael A. Singer, the untethered soul

he goes on to say:

“Most people don’t dare give themselves that choice because they think it’s not under their control. Someone might say;, “Well, of course I want to be happy, but my wife left me.” In other words, they want to be happy, but not if their wife leaves them, Bur that wasn’t the question. The question was, very simply, “Do you want to be happy or nor?” If you keepit that simple, you will see that it really is under your control. It’s just that you have a deep-seated set of preferences that gets in the way.”

— Michael A. Singer, the untethered soul

My interpretation is that if we want to be happy, we must choose it.

Let that sink for a moment (and exhale deeply).

I don’t believe he is saying that we shouldn’t feel other emotions like anger, grief, sadness, outraged and different feelings we may qualify as inappropriate or negative.
In my opinion, all emotions are valid.
But can we also choose happiness amid a lousy day?

“Sometimes I have bad moments, but I never have a bad day.”

— Shawn Dirkx

My greatest teacher regarding happiness is my son.
When he was a young child, I always asked him how his day was after coming home from school.
He always answered with a single word: “good.” That went on for weeks and months.
One day after the standard “good” answer, I asked Shawn, “when you come home from school, and I ask you how your day was, you always say good. Do you ever have a bad day?”
He looked at me, thought for a moment, and said: “No. Sometimes I have bad moments, but I never have a bad day.”
He was seven.

What will you choose today?

Fluctuation is a natural way of life. But sometimes, we must be reminded and supported to find true happiness during chaos.
I am here to let you know that you are not alone, to remind you to breathe through whatever you are going through today.

We can move forward in life with joy when surrounded by friends, family, a coach, or a mentor.
We can choose happiness as we cry on our bestie’s shoulder.
To me, having that friend at that moment is true happiness + walking on the beach, gentle waves lapping over my feet. :)

So I invite you to share your happy moments with the world.
We need them more than ever!
As our light shines brightly, we spill it on all around us.

I am here to support you and guide you, always!

With Love from Santa Monica,

Cathy D

The Power of Thoughts

Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Have you been manifesting your desires and not
fully receiving what you want?

Is your current reality preventing you from receiving what you manifested?

It all starts with a thought and often a need when it comes to manifesting our desires.
What do you really want & deeply need as you're reading this?

Check in with yourself, breathe deeply, and let your heart tell you what it wants.
Focus more on the raw desire and try your best to avoid justifying why you want it.
In other words, you don't have to have a logical explanation of why you want what you want.

See, our thought patterns and limiting beliefs may be what gets in the way of getting what we manifest.

Despite your best effort to ignore the nagging inner voice, is your mind telling you:

" I don't have enough time, money, or/and support to work on a "childish" dream."
" I am not worthy of receiving x, y, and z."
" If I succeed, will I be judged and disliked? What will people say about me?"
" Who am I to get what I really want?" (imposter syndrome)

As we ask these questions and make these statements, we create an environment that doesn't nurture our dreams.
We want love, a great relationship, a better job, money…
But because we don't have these things yet and feel deprived, we start manifesting from a place of lack. So by saying I want… we are saying that we don't have it.

What if, instead, we were manifesting from a place of abundance?

When you desire something deeply, believe that you already have it.

Our logical mind may not believe that statement, especially when you have to pay bills and your bank account is close to a zero balance.
It may feel like you've been asked to believe in a fantasy that is far from your reality.

However, the power of manifestation resides in the belief that after you ask the universe, God, Goddess, Angels, Guides… the entity or higher power you believe in, you accept and know that you already have it.

Take a deep breath, as it may make you feel uneasy (to say the least).

Yet, this is the secret of a Sankalpa, the resolve we practice in Yoga Nidra.
As we are being guided in the meditation, we are asked to see ourselves receiving what we desire the most, feel it, and accept it as if it was given to us at this very moment.
As we see it happening in our mind's eye, our consciousness and subconscious believe it is real.
We believe we are receiving our deepest desires. That is one of the reasons why a Sankalpa is so powerful.

When our thoughts converge into accepting what we manifest as reality, we are in complete alignment with the power of the present moment. That is when we discover that we are so much more than our body, thoughts, and ego. We find out the essence of who we are.
That is the foundation of true manifestation.

Eckhart Tolle says:

"If you cannot come into alignment with the present moment and discover the secret of the present moment that is inseparable from who you are, then no matter what you achieve, either through hard work or through manifestation practices will not satisfy you. And your powers of manifestation will also be greatly diminished."

Manifestation, like meditation, is a practice.
It takes guiding our thoughts in the direction of our destiny, taking each moment one breath at a time, trusting, and above all, believing in ourselves.

As we let go of who we think we are, we become who we were all along.

If you are interested in experiencing Yoga Nidra, I offer monthly online Workshops & bi-weekly 20-minute classes.