Project Happiness Articles — #wellnesswednesday

So, where does our courage come from?  What makes us suddenly feel heroic in challenging territory? And most importantly, how do we apply those feelings to other aspects of our lives?

A lot of us have never encountered educational curriculum when we were growing up regarding how to love ourselves. It's often challenging to know what loving ourselves looks like.

Restorative yoga is a practice that includes a series of postures designed to move the body into parasympathetic dominance and heal itself. We “get quiet” on a physical, cognitive, and emotional level. In areas of the body that have become tense or hardened, we practice creating space. By observing the mind, we allow ourselves the opportunity to access higher order thinking which can lead to more creative problem solving.

I was a sickly child and I hated being sick. In my early 20s (which was 54 years ago!) I decided that I was done being sick and done not having energy to do all the things I wanted to do. I started doing research on what creates health, and I was fortunate to read a few books that changed my life. At that time, I threw everything out of my kitchen and started to do my grocery shopping at the one tiny health food store in Santa Monica, California.

You might feel this way about turmeric, the spice that is having a big moment right now. Numerous peer-reviewed studies and research on the long-beloved spice are piling up every day, and its list of health and emotional benefits just keeps growing. 

When you were in school, did you take a class about taking good care of yourself? Probably not. Like doing laundry and effective housecleaning techniques, taking good care of ourselves – e.g. self care – is one of those vital life skills we never really get taught.

Laughter may actually be the best medicine! People define happiness in many different ways, but at its core, leading researchers have proven that happiness involves feeling positive emotions that express life is good and meaningful. Understanding, accepting and living this idea of happiness reduces your risk of heart disease, strengthens your immune system, and might ultimately add years to your life.