Personal Growth Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Kapha Tiredness – How to Restore

Kapha tiredness is an accurate way to describe seasons when you’re feeling lazy and sleepy.

Morning coffee and walk for Kapha tiredness energy. — A morning coffee and walk in the park can be a good way to wake up tired Kapha energy.

These are some common life situations that make us tired…

✔️Taking care of everyone and their demands

✔️Getting up early for routine work

✔️Staying up late to get more done

✔️Allergy congestion and headaches

✔️Burden from a stressful or emotional situation

✔️Colder seasons

These all put our bodies on overdrive where more rest is needed. And if we’re not giving that to our bodies, then we’re outta balance. Our tired Ayurvedic Kapha runs the show (when Vata and Pitta are still in the background).

We all have Kapha tiredness traits in us and some of us are born Kapha dominant.

In those tired Kapha heavy seasons, whether we sleep 5 hours or 9 hours, we’re tired (and maybe walking around like human zombies).

Because overall we’re not getting enough sleep. And Kapha metabolism may slow down.

These are a few easy, but effective habits to help your body push through (and not cut corners when you’re called for more):

…Having cold brew coffee ready to go while the fresh warm coffee is brewing makes life easier. ☕️ There are many healthy caffeine sources for energy other than coffee.

I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was over 35. Other caffeine sources can be black tea, green tea, and matcha tea.

And there are many other healthy energy sources besides beverages such as:

…Have savory leftovers to tie us over for an energy-giving meal. 🌯. Energy foods include prebiotic pickle juice that’s fermented, eggs with B-vitamins, and pasta.

…Do jumping jacks or running in place to get your heart beat up and blood flowing for instant brain energy.

You could add a spice kick like cloves or cinnamon, or punchy flavors like lime, onion, or cilantro to your meals.

I remember myths (we used to refer to as rumors) that you can’t catch up on sleep. But actually, you can!

And if your body gets a dose, your Kapha tiredness can grow. That’s a sign that you’re depleted.

And if you’re never tired, that can also be a waving flag to pay attention to…

Because this life is meant to have work burdens and unpredictability for our best life of meaning.

Short-term stressors give us growth and can wake us up temporaily. But if we’ve been tired over a season, then for our good we need to do something about it to prevent burnout.

One thing we can try first is to gain more appreciation for what we have so we change our perspective and outlook.

We can also try new things. Failing at many things means we’re trying, and trying is leading us to purpose.

Without purpose, that can lead us to more stuck tiredness and weariness.

If you’ve ever watched the animals in the wild either live or on film footage, every moment is a form of work for them. They sleep out of necessity, but they are always on guard if not hunting.

…Or just surviving the natural that’s getting harder with climate change.

Finding shade in hot temps and shelter in cold seasons is a challenge.

They live nomadic lives that are very different than the house cats and dogs around us, that still have those primitive instincts but to a much lesser degree.

Today’s household pets are kinda like us modern peeps compared to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. 🐯

And what we can learn from wild animals is that: they do it anyway.

They are motivated to stay alive and keep their young alive. They do it tired and for survival.

Laziness would be a luxury.

And in our daily human modern lives, it’s complex because we aren’t often faced with li-gers to deal with.

But our minds are and make it complex. Beneath our rational mind, if the ego intercepts at any moment, then we’re driven down a lesser path.

And for those who don’t even know that they’re being intercepted daily is the biggest danger of all. Those are the male lions of today and the pride in us.

Usually, it’s muddled in modern fear. In those moments for any of us, we all have a choice to either live in denial (stands for “Don’t Even kNow I Am Lying”)… or flip the switch back to healthy thinking.

I’ve written many articles and posts on healthy thinking. And that comes from learning from my own suffering from unhealthy thinking and ego attacks.

Similarly, anyone unaware that they’re under daily attack is the most dangerous to themselves and others especially without a plan

In my case, I moved away from the prideful environment I lived in and gained awareness. It was the same area that had tiring demands and a faster-paced life.

So, if you’re tired or busy, you’re more likely to be unaware.

Changing your environment (work, moving, etc.) could also be your remedy and just what you need too for Kapha tiredness.

When you’re younger you don’t have those choices, but now you do.

Like, when I was a child, they commonly used smelling salt to keep us on our toes and from fainting in body-shocking situations. It worked. As we got older and went through more experiences, our body systems learned to adapt better.

Getting more experiences keeps us growing and helps us from growing tired and the Kapha tiredness in you.

To grow less tired, find something that you can use your gift and talents with. At home, that could be dancing, singing, yoga, or gardening.

Or working on a project like muddling coffee beans or dips, decorating, or painting. It doesn’t have to require much, just change your tired feelings.

And from there, when you’re wrapped up in the moment, then you can think of other wake-up opportunities. Because when you’re alive, that impacts everything you do in the season.

So I have a quick question for you…

Do you remember the last time you were excited about possibilities? You know that feeling where you felt lit up and endorphins awakened your senses.

You probably had strong desires to pursue and stay up late because of the hope in possibilities.

…And if that was too long ago to remember, then you especially want to get going with something new…

Because one day, your biological age will catch up to you. And you’ll realize you aren’t the same age or person you were in your younger adult years (and even a decade ago).

And that could lead to thoughts of regret if you didn’t pursue all that you wanted in those unrepeatable years.

The way to ensure that doesn’t happen is to make every day count.

I know when I worked in the “rat race” that was not how I felt. I did a job, went home, and then did the same work the next day. I was lucky I didn’t spend my time all in one place so I could grow quicker and have more stressor experiences.

Those times and experiences helped me to get to today, the only time that matters.

Tomorrow is the next most important.

And this is for everyone. Your experiences do the same for you (looking different in each of us)!

And especially if you feel stuck, one thing you can do almost immediately is volunteer or try a new activity.

Volunteer experiences were introduced to us as teenagers.

Everywhere on this planet there’s help needed… I was a volunteer candy striper in a local hospital.

And while I was not cut out for the work, I learned to be dedicated and give back my time.

We always have something we can offer even when we don’t have the gifts and talents.

And it’s always a learning opportunity that stimulates our minds as we’re growing and excited about new possibilities. This helps our Kapha tiredness and breaking out of a slump.

Most volunteer general tasks are easy enough to do that even most young teenagers can do. For adults, it can be a welcomed break to do something easy and can open up more doors.

The most valuable is when you do it for a cause or purpose outside of you, then you’re growing and making an impact that awakens our souls.

It’s healthy to think of volunteering not as work, but an opportunity to serve. It’s providing more than what we’re giving. But we won’t know what that “more” is until we raise our hand to participate. ✋

These days you can find volunteer opportunities online or in-person and this can be what sets you apart from the rest. And you gain gratitude for your good fortunes.

You always see friendly volunteer faces that are glad to see you. And that happiness is infectious. You’ll also develop more positive skills and learn sides of yourself that you didn’t know before.

…And that can help you get out of any tired season. 🤗

And if you love bread and want a light bread recipe, you will love this pita recipe…

Easy Pita Bread

Pita is a great accompaniment for meals. The same ingredients used in general bread making is used in pita bread making. The technique slightly varies that gives the desired hollow pita pocket.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

flour of choice (e.g. wheat and plain flour)
water
instant yeast
salt

Instructions

Mix ingredients and form a bread dough. Knead for a few minutes by hand is fine. Set in a covered bowl to proof rise. Then punch down dough.
Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick or as thin as you can without holes. This is different that most bread methods because you're uniformly flattening the dough.
Cut out your pitas. For mini-pitas, you can use a drinking glass to cut out. And then pickup and move pita with small cake decorating spatula to baking sheet. Alternatively, you can roll out dough on the baking sheet "as is" and pull up the dough scraps that won't be used (and you'll be left with the cut outs).
Bake on 350°F oven (good for apartment ovens) and keeping heat energy low. Then bake until puffed up and golden browned, depending on size.

New Spring Manifestations, Goals, and Healthy Carrot Cake Recipe

New spring seasons are a time to celebrate growth. It’s when we see the birthing nature buds. 🌱 It’s also a new spring reminder of our year… a time of personal growth renewal, another chance to decide on goals, and a possible new direction change from a less active winter or Kapha season.

New spring means new growth, recipes, and a good opportunity to bake a carrot cake. — Gluten-free, moist carrot cake with natural sweetness is the perfect anti-inflammatory dessert for Easter that spring revolves around. Recipe below 🥕

…And maybe that’s why spring is so often associated with spring cleaning or a spring makeover…And a fresh coat of green.

And with a new spring, there’s usually a lot of unpredictable, plus an up-and-down roller coaster winter weather season. Some things haven’t yet bloomed in our lives.

But one thing is for certain… we’re one season more mature by nature’s design. We get to be a year wiser. We don’t have to look out the same lens as last year. And that can make all the difference.

This welcomed change is especially great if, well… a year ago wasn’t so great.

And looking back 3 years, frozen in time we came together as a world when we started a new normal.

In my own reflection, the wheels underneath me were turning where I left positions that no longer served me. And that springboarded completely different seasons with new work, some that I still do today.

The fresh starts kept me productive. That’s where growth is and was highest, when I was most sensitive to new surroundings, new people, and there’s a steep climb learning curve.

You step out of your comfort zone. There’s excitement and nervousness with new beginnings. It’s the butterfly coming out of the chrysalis. 🦋

And in exchange for uncertainty, each day is an opportunity for bright possibilities and step-up manifestations.

…One day can pivot into a new direction. And each step brings more clarity and moves us closer to what our life’s purpose is about even if we can’t see it in the process or even today.

If nothing else, we all did and saw life differently just a few years ago.

And today, by focusing on learnings (and not dwelling on what didn’t work), you set yourself up for success. A winning mindset sees the positive and flips the script to help propel forward.

You may be embarking on, inching toward, or considering starting something new in your life. That’ll help you move one step closer to where you’ll be next.

When I left my corporate work in 2019 I didn’t know what the next steps would be. I had no plans in place. But the writing on the wall was clear.

And it wasn’t having a writing career.😊

I just knew I had no business being in the space I was occupying anymore. And after-hours one day, I heard a distinct whisper in my corner of the office that stuck with me: “you will not get this time back.”

My first reaction was, “oh no, not again” as I was just starting to get used to the new people, systems, and work projects I was around. And the hoopla of all-hands-on-deck Convention Center events.

The constant wouldn’t be those temporary experiences, but the life I had outside… The life I built and the friends I’d known forever are still my friends.

When we connect, we just pick up where we left off. It’s like a comfy pair of shoes that always fits and you still love ‘em.

That’s probably how it is for you in your life.

And then the new friends made were about shared similar interests. Being worlds apart made for interesting connections. Just a couple decades ago, that wouldn’t have been easily possible.

So we’re growing one way or another. We’re mixing the new with the old as we’re blending in-person with digital. And that helps us evolve. And it helps us bridge the life and identity transitions.

In my own transition, I was a mentor in the corporate space when my daily work in the corporate trenches had ended.

And that’s when new work took up residence and writing became the daily …every day I showed up to the keyboard and started typing. I didn’t realize how much I had to say and all the lessons I had accumulated to share with those who may want some answers in the same areas.

I was making a cup of tea when I burned my finger on the tea kettle and that became my first published article. How random!

Random finger blister burn that started my writing practice. 🫖

And that’s how life miracles and blessings are. You can start something big in your life just from a simple occurrence in your day. And then you work in and manifest what happens next.

And today since I’m sharing about this particular new spring season, it’s a great time if you need a nudge or poke 😊, to find a new purposeful feeling in your life.

Maybe that’s from taking a hike,yoga classes, trips abroad. Or time off to journal. The world is at our fingertips.

And when you can get relaxed and find space to explore a new side of you that you never did before, that creates new openings.

..And you discover you actually are creative (as nature intended)! If you want to know how to create consistently daily, I wrote an article about that just for your encouragement.

…My daily writing and creativity would’ve never started, had I stayed in my corporate career.

So if today you’re feeling a bit stuck… take some time to see what you’d be interested in doing that makes you feel alive… that’s not a one-and-done experience. It’s something you can build on.

Get mind-body space to take it in. Maybe a ‘lil yoga?

Another example I had was in 2020, when I started baking that spring in lockdown. It started with simple scones baking like this orange scone recipe.

orange scone

… And then my baking never stopped. Baking was never on my list of want-to-do weekly projects.

It seemed like work that went against my healthy values. But I found ways to look at it differently and do things my way.

So that’s how your amazing crafts can be. You put your stamp on how and what you do. And yes, they can be found in this new spring season!

Start by carving out a ‘lil time to explore. Get a new spring in your step. And let that lead you into a new spring. Maybe this carrot cake will inspire your creativity and help balance your Ayurvedic Vata-Kapha transitions.

Healthy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

milk
coconut oil
shredded carrots
egg
coconut flour
baking powder and baking soda for leavening

Instructions

Mix dry and wet ingredients.
Bake at 350°F/180°C for at least 45 minutes depending on size of your baking vessel and amount of liquid. This recipe could be baked in a variety of baking pans: e.g. deep dish glass pan, oven-safe ceramic pan, or a bundt pan. When a toothpick comes out clean, then the cake is done.
Add a glaze. Zhugh with nuts and mandarin oranges (optional).

Abundant Living Over Sadness Feelings

When I was a child, a birthday cake 🎂 like this put a BIG smile on my face.😀 I only needed a slice for joy, but appreciated the whole abundant cake! 🍰

Abundant thoughts can make the difference in sadness over a sad situation and then settle in as a positive new normal. This can be important because many of us know at least one person who is dealing with sadness.

Abundant living often gets confused for wealth and having things. It definitely could help, but then some of the most well-off people are sad too, sadly. So that tells us it’s deeper, and more about us.

…And doesn’t come from external material things.

…And since we’re all made from the same human fabric, we all can feel lack (and not abundance) at any time relative to our lives. We don’t live anyone else’s (similar to, we only know and live in our bodies).

So if we don’t stay grounded inside, we may not find our well and wealth of abundance, where our greatest happiness is.

In America where I live, celebrities have their place on the Red Carpet and I think that’s fantastic as actors put in long, hard hours in their craft providing entertainment for the rest of us…

Which btw, did you watch the movie event of the year this week… The Oscars?

…I always like to see dressy attire (I think that comes from my childhood because my mom was a dressmaker, so her clients sometimes brought and left their dreamy sequined gowns around👗).

…Plus, I love good movies (…you too?). 🎥

This year I have to say Lady Gaga stole the show in her raw performance where she took off her Hollywood-glam look she came in and put on a T-shirt, then sang her heart out with the Top Gun Maverick theme song (“Hold My Hand”).

Everyone has their opinion, but maybe it made her feel less glitzy and more empowered to share her gift with the world. 🙌🏻 And I could listen to her 🎶 in dressy hoopla or not.

…In any case, it happily drowned out last year’s lingering negative-energy fiasco involving emcee, Chris Rock

…Anyway, back in our reality lives, we can learn from and drown out our own negative energy that can creep in daily if not recognized.

That includes anger like in a Pitta imbalance, and also sadness that’s generally more Kapha, and another way to express our emotions for how we feel.

We learned emotions from a young age. And now as adults, if a sad situation creeps in 🙃, we’re equipped to handle and turn our frowns upside down better with a DO IT ANYWAY mantra.

…And this helps us, so we bounce back to our happier selves, quicker.

Here are some great DO IT ANYWAY ways for you, or someone you know going through tough or crisis times:

Practice self-care even when you don’t feel like it.

Don’t skip a day without a shower. I know for some that sounds sil-ly, but people who are sad because of a situation that occurred or who are lacking abundant feelings, let their sad feelings guide them and keep them down.

So a simple act like taking a shower or bath can be a big ordeal, for whatever reason. It helps remind any of us of self-care and how we’re relevant in this life.

And that’s one DO IT ANYWAY easy goal we can do.

In abundant countries, it’s easy to forget to cherish the abundance around us like the 4 basic needs (food, clothing, water, shelter), but if we stay grounded and grateful, we can do this daily no matter how we feel in the moment. And we don’t let a day slip by unnoticed because a day can easily slip gradually into a season.

And soft, pitter-patter water on the skin and being sensitized to the comforts around us can help us feel alive as thriving people again.

While the sadness feelings may linger and fade in and out, find a way to make the day brighter.

Add a warming mask to your face. Drink a warm cup of lovely tea. Shower yourself with few essential oil drops. These could be the reminders to take care of yourself (or loved ones for themselves). And the more you douse yourself in love, the more that can come back to you.

Because YOU are loved.

And the Universe shows this to all of us, if we observe.

An example of this is:

Water is ever-flowing. It’s recirculating. It’s abundant. There’s no lack of drinkable water in modern culture. There may be a temporary drought or local drinking water issues in certain areas, but bottled water is transported from abundant areas that have fresh, clean water. And we always have some choices in the matter in our relative abundant living.

Our bodies are mostly made of water so we are made for abundance. Lean in on this idea and maybe visit a natural waterfall or moving body of water, and feel this external power on you…so you can appreciate the simple needs of life that are provided.

And then in the abundant overflow, you can be the problem solver for your community or the world’s greater needs, that matter most to you and are called to. You rise up!

Remember, none of us can give what we don’t have. And the more you operate from a lens of abundant living, the more you can make good impact and contribution in this life.

…So, abundance is love. ❤️

Let that grow in you so that becomes more of who you become today and tomorrow. …And what you do with your time here.

The Parable of the Talents (you may know) is about how one person buried all their talents and so then they had none. When they used one, they got more. And that grew and became many.

That’s just how this abundant earth operates from the energy generated from above. And the more you pay attention to those phenomenal blessings, you can better invest efforts in those areas.

…And also focus on what you have to look forward to. No matter what our circumstances or limitations are, we can use that to our advantage if we can look out from the right lens that starts with our thinking minds and re-writing empowered thoughts.

Our minds are the muscles to grow ourselves and our abilities.

Some of the best things in this life don’t cost anything besides willingness.

Just being open to the world’s possibilities can free us up to get the best out of this life… because then we discover what’s impactfully good for us (and not just what’s busy in front of us) that’s going to affect the world around us too.

Growing up in an affluent, busy city metro area, I learned that being busy and prideful are enemies. Trying to “keep up with the Joneses” hurts us. And not doing anything meaningful in life is another extreme.

A better way is staying balanced, staying humble, active, and curious, and trying new things to help each of us grow.

And growth is our path to abundance. And if we take the DO IT ANYWAY mantra into our day, then we have a step forward.

We’ve all experienced times when we didn’t feel like doing a task or activity.

But once we got into it, we were okay.

And after you finished, you actually felt GOOD for making a contribution or accomplishment for the day. You were glad you did it anyway. 👏

So magnify those experiences in your remembrance, whenever you don’t feel like doing something that can help you grow. Because being productive (however that looks for you) and making accomplishments, gives us more of those healthy and happy hormones. That’s what I’m talking about! 🤸‍♀️

If you prefer, you can Spotify listen to this 6-minute audio snack bite.

Consistent Ways for The Inconsistent Vata

Consistent is the balance needed for a Vata whose middle name is “irregular” and “variety.” The balancing remedy is routine.

Oat Pear Crumble dish with Vata happy balancing cinnamon and oranges! Recipe below. 🧡

Today I share some better ways to get consistent so you’re in mind-body alignment. And if you’re in a season where you’re not in alignment (or have never been), you’ll have a hard time with the “A” word because you’re not there yet. But you can make that a mantra to get aligned!

And being in balance helps us get there …This time I’m focusing on Vatas, where every month looks different, like moon periods…

And every day of the month is inconsistent in some way… on top of the world around us is changing. The good news for all of us is, like plants, we’re growing just a bit daily. 🌱

And Vata patterns change more often than Pittas and Kaphas, even though those could be secondary dials that can ratcheted up.

For a Vata looking closely at her life, you’ll see how this affects your sleep, food, and play minute-by-minute… even what you reviewed in your productive time last time looks different.

And even though nothing about the work has changed. Because your last name is “change.”

Like the wind, Vatas by nature is changing all-the-time. Vata bodies don’t withstand temperature swings well… more like orchids than enduring palm trees.

So to balance and restore, doing the opposite helps. You want to be consistent and stay on task instead of letting the mind run you by sending a list of things you need to do this minute that aren’t urgent.

If you look at a tipping scale, the way to balance it is to add some weight to the opposite side. …makes sense, right? ⚖️

And if you’re feeling like you can’t sit still, or are going from task to task more than usual, you could be heavy on the Vata. And some daily tweaks could help you restore back to your usual ways pretty quickly.

For any of us, it doesn’t take much to get off balance in our Vata, Pitta, or Kapha.

For Vata, these are the balancing tricks you can help to tip the scales back to equilibrium:

1.Consistent sleep – just like you’ve been told is a good idea, keep the same schedule as much as possible. Even if you go to bed late, try to get up at the same AM time you normally do. You want to take advantage of circadian rhythms.

If you sleep in because your body has been tired for a season, you’ll be even more tired once your body gets a sleep dose. It’s part of the process of our bodies trying to restore balance.

Our one-and-only bodies send obvious signs and blaring warnings that we can still miss in our busy modern lives full of external noise. Alarms and coffee only go so far to help us awaken.

And while 8 hours of sleep is healthy and on average what most of us need, if you’ve had enough sleep, that’s all you need.

Worrying the Vata head is worse than not getting enough sleep in the mind-body connection, because then you add silent stress to your body. With a lack of sleep, your body will let you know by your tiredness, and other new symptoms over time.

Your body knows what it needs to reset and we’re not in charge of that. And if it’s running efficiently and you’ve been good to it by not overdoing yourself, then you may only need a few hours of sleep one night to be recharged.

The recommended 8 hours is just an average and works neatly for 1/3 of our 24-hour day.

But even if you have a perfect sleep record streak from measuring your sleep… at the end of the day, that just says you’re off to a good start with your daily health. It doesn’t indicate much else.

It’s more what you don’t do in sleep that shouldn’t be ignored. Any daily health telltale signs show up on the body and should be attended to quickly so they don’t become a new normal.

And getting the right dosage of sleep amount is individual as we all have different symptoms and bodies.

So… In short balance, the goal for each of us in sleep is getting enough. 💤

2.Consistent eating – and having regular eating patterns is good. I shared how time-restricted eating (or Intermittent Fasting) could help set a discipline, like it does with me for snacking and late-night eating.

And one thing I would steer more into the Vata ways is variety and diversity in healthy foods. Pittas and Kaphas tend to stick more to the same foods.

Different healthy foods offer different nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and amounts. It’s also good to have macros: lean protein, healthy carbs, and healthy fats in the diet.

Muscle gradually declines as we age so we need more protein. Healthy carbs give us bursts of energy and keep us full enough while junk carbs rob us. And healthy fats help the body absorb foods and fat-soluble vitamins better this way.

3.Consistent Practices and Activities – keep you calm as you do your daily routines you enjoy.

That can include exercise, your craft, quiet time, reading, etc.

When you’re tired, try to plow through those moods and do at least a little bit of your routine or practice. This will teach you to keep at it, which helps with balancing inconsistency. And you’ll be working on a skill you can use the rest of your life.

And if you need ideas, you can find outlets like this one here that gives life advice on pillows:

LIFE IS GOOD…

Life is good is a consistent outlook you can apply to daily life and a daily pillow or reminder helps.

And keeping it good is part of the balance. Because we all run into situations we’d rather not at some point. It can’t be all sunshine and roses (as part of the balance). 🥀

4.Consistent Behaviors with Other Influences

It’s important to stay consistent even when we don’t live in a bubble. We interact with people and society.

And you do this in work and life where you can get tested.

I’ve had many experiences starting something new with new people involved that can be a bit stressful… and sometimes throw the balance off. I’m sure you can relate.

And to make those times easier, what I do is I stick to my gut thoughts, feelings, and boundaries. It’s smart not to react as the air shifts around you and in you.

I know not everyone has offenders in their lives (living in a bubble, haha!)…

But kidding aside, in daily life, some people have no idea how they come across to others (in lack of self-awareness). And sadly, others knowing better let their bad sides run, trying to work (play) the systems. You just happen to be someone muddled in their system.

That’s just how it is in this imperfect life where we only control and manage ourselves.

…And that should be enough to keep us all busy!

We all come from different backgrounds. Sticking to our own values and not compromising is going to do you and the world a world of good (say that 10 tongue twister 10 times 😊).

You teach people how to treat you and how to behave toward others.

I know it’s not easy.

But always remember: your life is not a dress rehearsal. You will never get this year or today back.

And you don’t want to live in your own regrets if you need a motivator.

Usually, the people who want to test your buttons are the ones who aren’t doing the right things to begin with… and they’re not the ones that you want to follow anyway.

So with the troublemakers who aren’t considerate and are annoyingly kicking up your Pitta, initially it could seem like a good idea to follow along their ways or at least not create waves. But wise not to fall into this temptation.

…But the innocent often fall and don’t follow the good rules. They cave into the squeaky grease and play along on their blind path game that leads to nowhere.

And innocently that’s ’cause they don’t want to cause friction with themselves or other people. But you teach people how to treat you today and in the future.

If you let others step on you, then expect more of that when you allow it once. That’s how it is with children, and some adults haven’t grown up yet or figured out their ego sides.

And last tip on that note: never, never ever reward bad behavior unless you want more of the same behavior.

To be a productive leader, you want to create and forge your own path. Be considerate but stop caring so much. And think for yourself. You’ll be glad you did at the end of whatever you’re facing.

And be consistent where you tell your heavy anxious Vata mind to stop worrying about what will or won’t happen.

Because what will happen is you’ll get respected by the people you respect, and get to do more of what you want (and work with the people you want to work with).

And you’ll get to build the consistent, work-life balance that you really want!

Next time I’ll follow up with the 2^nd part of the self-awareness series I started a few weeks ago that you won’t want to miss! 🧡

Pear Granola Crumble

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

dry oats
pear
honey
cinnamon to liking
light EVOO

Instructions

Add your layer of oats. And drizzle honey ontop and a drizzle of light olive oil so you get the toasty granola effect.
Add your cut pear slices. Add cinnamon as a divine flavor pairing.
Add another layer of oats and more cinnamon to liking.
Bake until toasted.
For healthy Vata balancing, add orange slices or zest and additional Ceylon cinnamon.

Grow Your Self-Awareness With Yoga (Part 1 of 2)

Nature surroundings help with self-awareness.

I’m starting a two-part series on self-awareness, starting with how to use yoga this week for self-awareness. I list some specific links to yoga articles I wrote, down at the bottom at the very end.

And, self-awareness is something I believe that’ll help most of us today…

And I know it helped me to snap out of a PTSD way of living that I didn’t even know I was experiencing and carrying around as baggage until I became hyper self-aware.

And most of us have some form of PTSD living in this imperfect world. If you don’t what that is, then there’s a good possibility that you’re still carrying it around in your life, and not living as optimally as you could.

It’s impossible to come out of all of our life situations unscathed. So it’s not your fault…

In this life and when we’re younger, we’re so impressionable and less in control, but our brains don’t forget these past older memories, even though we have in today’s precious moments.

And as life grows more complicated, de-cluttering the mind and spring cleaning to get rid of outdated thoughts are necessary to run the daily mind optimally.

We can achieve this better by becoming more fully self-aware and learning more about our deeper selves and what we want in this life, and then proactively making changes.

Otherwise, our lives can just go in a usual-okay way, but that’s not optimally what it could be. We usually know some older people in our lives we can point to living in these ways and who we feel sorry for… they couldn’t see how they held themselves back.

And in wishing them well, asking ourselves: are we doing that in our own life?

And that’s because of the filters we set and the lens we look out from that affect our actions and decisions that lead to the next thoughts that are influenced by us and subconscious factors. If we stand too close, we may not see our blindspots.

So our thoughts can lead us to less-than if we’re not aware…

It takes a heightened sense of awareness on our parts to break out and uncover, and a desire to discover a better existence (that’s available for every single one of us despite our circumstances)!

We can all question and sometimes argue against our own brain’s thoughts. And to be even more successful in these efforts, act like a third-party, observer witness, and referee at all times.

In my case, I know it was the spiritual alignment path that helped lead me quickest to uncover my less-than ideal beliefs I had grown into. And out of thankfully from both the desire to grow and what appeared to be unfortunate work circumstances…

My stressful, busy working life duty in Corporate America disappeared because of a layoff due to a nationwide economic disruptor.

So just like that in a day, I had more time on my hands. And while making ends meet figuring a new way out in that season of my life, led me to grow as a person. …I’m sure you can relate in your life with just the past few years.

And I leaned into growth and took a work sabbatical that lasted for a year trusting what life could bring. I explored, traveled, and had time to think and re-center.

And the one thing that I could keep going back to was yoga for centering (…that gave that, you know, overall feeling of I’m relaxed and myself again).

I started doing yoga when I was working a busy Corporate work life.

Yoga helped me along during those stretch years to stay true to myself and step out of meeting work performance goal mindsets that I would later learn were temporary.

…Most of life’s experiences are.

Yoga and self-awareness allowed me to question what does Brandy want? (And not just from work life, but out of this life.).

In self-awareness reappearing again, my authentic feelings showed up.

When you’re in a busy running-around season (…and maybe you don’t remember what an unbusy season looks like), you can’t see the thick trees outside of the forest… where even nights are consumed with preparing and getting clothes ready for work the next day. It does feel like running on a hamster wheel.

…Or there’s a problem to get through at work that you can’t shake off during off-hours.

…Oh, and then trying to juggle other important areas of your life. And caring for yourself and others at home.

…And now we have these remote digital devices that never let us really get away from work.

So all that stacked against a busy life, yoga can be the freedom bridge that makes the difference… and that you can say yes! to. Btw, the Bridge pose is one of my favorites (and many of them are).

…And why I still love yoga for improving self-awareness is because you’re focusing on something specific: Your Body.

And that’s something we’re all aware of daily.

In yoga, when you’re wiggling your toes and flexing your fingers, that makes you more self-aware of your body. And that’s actually how many yoga classes start off to help us start feeling body sensations and any kinks we feel in the muscle joints.

That gets you to more easily relax and work on self-awareness at the same time.

And yoga is simple in that you don’t need anything but yourself to do yoga. A mat and some yoga props are nice, but not critical.

And when you’re working on your body, then you can also work on your mind. And coming full circle, that works well because of the mind-body connection. You’re able to optimize your wellness.

And especially if you’re not good at meditating, yoga could be your path to lead you on the journey to your greater mind self-awareness. And that’s not something that’s completed in a few yoga classes. It can take years.

If you’re wired like me, meditation is a waste of time as it doesn’t heighten my spiritual senses. And it may not light you up either, lol. 😊

In my world, I look at everything in life as spiritual. I do that better with my eyes open from my first cup of coffee in the AM, looking out the window, to the first forming awake thoughts that enter and how I approach my day.

…There is no unspiritual part of the day because that part of me and what I see is abundance. I choose to do life that way which gives different outcomes, than if I shut off that side as I did earlier on.

You Do You Alignment

But that’s individual, and an individual choice, just like our preferences are that make us each You-nique. And you get to decide what’s best for you as you make your improving changes in self-awareness that will help you align.

One example I have here is, I pay attention better listening to podcasts than to watching videos and sometimes reading articles. That’s how I hear messages, learn best, and can multi-task… and part of why I just recently started audio recording these blog episodes to be in full alignment 🎧

…And I share this for your benefit because if you would like to be more aligned in your life or enlightened on your path, small tweaks help and you didn’t have to have started out that way at all! You can improve and learn as you do you in your life and keep desiring to grow.

The opposite can be true too. In my earlier journey, I followed culture’s ways like most of us. And grew up in a relatively affluent area which led me to think material gain was the riches. But so much of that came from pride and ego, that I have disabled.

I was stuck in an in-between, out of alignment, when I worked for others that didn’t have the same growth desires in mind. I had to show up a certain way to fit into the work culture. And so I shut off the spiritual side, except when I got to my Sunday weekly dose of inspiration that I wanted to feel every day. And those years I was rarely creative, finding an occasional creative hobby.

But without needing a project, you have an available outlet for your health and self-awareness with a daily yoga practice that will help you become calmer. You’re able to rest and park those frustrating and irritated areas of life on your yoga mat.

You can change you anytime (but wisdom words here: anything that affects the life decisions or finances of close ones is best first communicated 😉).

At the end of the day, you report to yourself.

Everyone (and you) can choose what he or she wants out of their life, but if you’re not happy and this becomes seasons or inconsistent seasons where you go back-and-forth in a tug-o-war, then that’s actually creating heat for your progress and a sign to change course.

It’s time… and you won’t get this time back is a good motivator.

If you listen to your gut and move in that direction, soon enough you’ll feel aligned, that’s better than staying in a pattern without self-awareness growth.

And in doing so, then get the wheels turning to focus on priorities in your life of what you DO want from this life that usually has nothing to do with today’s fleeting to-do lists.

Yoga to Disrupt the Non-Essential Lists

And if you rushed around this morning… and you have your lists running in your mind all day, healthy yoga can disrupt that interruptive pattern.

You can’t act on a to-do list in yoga moments. Yoga forces you to slow down and refocus while stretching the body (that can be a good distraction if silent meditation doesn’t work for you either 😉).

And no matter how you get to your slow down, then you can find out more meaning in self-awareness, and how that impacts you.

As promised, here’s the list of past yoga blog post articles:

Mood Boost Yoga

Car Seated Yoga Moves

Travel Yoga Poses

Yoga Poses While Baking

Creative Yoga Poses (Help Aches and Pains)

Plank and Downward Dog: