Recent Fourth of July 🇺🇸 photo memories in the Cinque Terre via boat ⛴️
When a new season starts, it’s common to feel nostalgia. Seeing spring cherry blossom trees, fall fiery leaves, summer pool floats, serene lakes, and fireflies do this for me. 💬
Those are the common memories I grew up with living in the DC suburbs where July 4th fireworks still fly in star spangle awe over the Nation’s Capitol 🎇
Summer is a time of swinging transition. You can dream of fun memories you can make. And in nostalgia, bring back fond memories that you’ve held onto.
These days we’re all globally connecting with people from around the world. That naturally makes us think more (and are more aware) of places around the globe that we’re not physically in, but imagine in their different time zones, and what their lives could be like. 🌏
For me, working with digital nomads who scoot around the globe 🛹 with a backpack as easily as stepping out the door makes me more grateful for the world I’m in, and to not take life for granted.
They can be on a 12-hour time difference but working in the same synched zone. This brings us together. 👭
Like me in your situations you can realize how you have more similarities than differences with other cultures. Maybe you’ve felt that way from your work or school experiences.
When I was younger, we were world’s apart with no way to connect. But no matter what decade you grew up in, you probably dreamed up adventures. 🚀
I dreamed of going to Alaska from travel photos I had seen in magazines and television. The outdoor Alaskan experience seemed so different than my surrounding reality. And while I never made it to that outdoor nature experience, I did get a taste of international travel just a few years later.
I think of that first European vacation trip as unforgettable because I was just a kid. I haven’t forgotten the Venice gondola ride experience with the musician playing an accordion with soothing romantic melodies, fine dining foods such as spumoni ice cream and a view of a picturesque Swiss lake! That was a great modern Ayurvedic balancing experience especially at such an impressionable age!
And with that nostalgia I can bring back at any time, that serves as a source of calm and good mood change.
And, so then when I went back decades later, it was no less adventurous to see some of the same places with adult eyes.
Some tastes have changed, but some haven’t. And that’s for all of us. We all have those general experiences to celebrate.
And, what does that tell us?
…We’re naturally changing daily and we’re innately the same in our mind and bodies from when we were born. That’s the core of Ayurveda in a nutshell.
And we can see that in our daily experiences and in travel trying new foods and experiencing new languages, countries, and cities.
One city that makes the happiest place in the world list time and time again, is Copenhagen. It’s a strolling city. It’s also a bicycle city. 🚲
And I grew up always riding a bicycle (so that strikes nostalgia)…
The charming architecture and cobblestone street design make the historic European city postcard and travel magazine photo worthy.
Picturesque Nyhavn area of Copenhagen 🇩🇰
When you’re in a calm area like Copenhagen with lots to see, you can think of other nostalgia memories that are in your wheelhouse.
For me, I think of peaceful ocean boardwalk cotton candy 🎡memories.
The peaceful memories mean less stress today, and more joy and happiness.
And if you’re missing that wanderlust feeling in new experiences, you can try this…
Turn on media to watch PBS adventures showing the tropical jungle or the Savannah desert life. Instantly your mind switches to a new gear (and you didn’t need to get any vaccines to experience 😅).
Or, watch the wildlife of Alaska that satisfy my inner child that never made it there. I don’t need to travel there to experience. And when I think of the stress effort it would take to fly there, I’m actually relieved.
And that feeling of relief reduces stress which is always welcomed.
The brain, btw doesn’t know the difference of whether we see a waterfall on our screen or live and in-person. It’s how we choose to interpret the experience.
So believe you do have an immediate say in your mind-body balance! 🧘🏻♀️
And that’s why experiencing those great movies, books, and stories you encounter that make you laugh, cry, appreciate, and wonder… are the perfect escapes. 💭
They don’t get the ooh…ahh from your friends, but the memories and nostalgia feelings are just as real, and whenever you recall them.
You may not take an Instagrammable photo… but who cares?
Everything we know about in this world has been photographed and shared. So capturing your photograhic memory is what matters most. 🧠
The most photographed woman in the world you can capture in today’s memory 🧜♀️
Some other ways to get those instant happy nostalgia feelings:
You can share about your experience and what you thought in small talk or a book club. Being in community with those you have affinity for not only are feel-good moments, they also help extend our healthy lives.
Another way is to take a streaming voice map tour where you get to experience another place, city, country, or culture from the convenience of your digital device. Maybe you don’t get the full 3-D experience, but you do at least get a 2-D one for a fraction of the price and cost for traveling to another location.
A good goal is to make every day feel special in some way. This could be as simple as turning on those moody jams 🎶
And wherever you are and whatever you’re doing today (and on this SUPER special holiday day), commemorate with a moment of gratitude that you can recall next year in feel-good nostalgia.😊
Tired Kapha is an accurate way to describe seasons when you’re feeling lazy. These are some common life situations that make us tired…
Plant-based whole wheat pizza for some light energy! 🌱
✔️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 Kapha runs the show (when Vata and Pitta are still in the background).
We all have tired Kapha 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. 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):
…Have cold brew coffee ready to go while the fresh warm coffee is brewing. ☕️
…Have savory leftovers to tie us over for an energy-giving meal. 🌯
…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, it can be even more tired to show you a sign that you’re depleted. Sometimes tiredness shows up a day later.
And if 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. When we’re tired, we gain more appreciation especially when we’ve rested.
Being tired means we’re trying… and better to fail at many things than to be successful at nothing. Trying is purpose.
Without purpose, that can lead us to a different type of 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 IAm 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.
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 tired Kapha 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.
Volunteer experiences were introduced to us as teenagers. Everywhere on this planet there’s help needed… I was a 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.
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…
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
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.
1⁄4teaspoon ground cloves(or 1/2 tsp of allspice if that's what you have on hand)
6tbspunsalted butter (or substitute with 1 TBSP coconut oil)
3/4cupdark brown sugar (reduce to 1/3 cup for less sugar and still have a delicious and nice cookie!)
1large egg
1/2cupmolasses
1/4cupoats
Instructions
In a large bowl, add dry and wet ingredients.
Melt coconut oil add to bowl.
Roll out cookie dough to about 1/8" to 1/4" cookies.
Bake on 350°F for about 10-12 minutes.
I share the traditional old-fashioned recipe (below) that I’ve been using FOR-ever and that I spiced up even more this year! XOXO
Every year is a ‘lil different, and as a creator, I like to challenge myself to make new creations and not stick with the same cookie cutter ones over and over again… haha. As a healthy recipe developer, that means evolving into even healthier bakes.
And this helps me so that I keep outta Kapha imbalances in the kitchen. Btw, the level of Kapha dosha is relative to each of our bodies, but eating healthy, balanced meals always helps to prevent trouble down the road…
Which is part of the natural order that this life is… it’s not a matter of if… it’s a matter of when. And you can stay on the healthy side starting with body-mind awareness.
One of the symptom intersections is your feelings that constantly shift. They help guide you, and other times steer you down a rabbit hole.
And if you want to stay feeling peaceful, joyful, and happy (and be productive) all the time (…like when I’m relaxed baking healthy gingerbread cookies), then keeping the Kapha mind balanced is important.
Some examples of what will make the difference are your steadfastness to boundaries. And your commitment to yourself and to others involved. And finally, plowing through and making it easy on yourself in everyday situations that come up.
And that all starts in the mind.
So… when negative thoughts enter, dismiss them by replacing them.
The problem for many people is they don’t even know when they’re getting pulled down by negative information and thoughts…well, because that’s their mind.
And we don’t naturally challenge our own thoughts. That’s not something we’re born knowing how to do.
What most of do learn is how to challenge other people’s thoughts and opinions. Sound familiar?
Especially this time of year when it’s easy for stress to settle in trying to get end-of-year goals accomplished and fit into holiday-hoopla 🎉 that can be overwhelming for the mind-body. And not always bring out the best in us.
Our mind-body is connected in such a way that if you have a Kapha mind where you’re stuck in negative strongholds, feeling lazy, or find yourself accumulating clutter, that can easily turn into a couch potato Kapha body imbalance.
One easier way to know if a Kapha imbalance is causing our negative moods is if we’re feeling depressed or withdrawing from certain activities we’re usually drawn to or have been in the past.
And as we know, the ego tries to fool us, so to outwit we have to be doubly smart, pausing before reacting and making wise choices that influence our day.
Those stubborn Kapha mind mood tendencies can linger. But if you know what to do, you can get out of excessive Kapha faster and into feeling good. And erase hovering dark clouds that can easily become your weekend. Or gradually settle in for a season if you’re not careful.
But we can change this pretty easily one choice at a time…
We can turn off the external negative messages and listen to more uplifting ones. And that includes shutting off the news after getting the accumulated hour-or-so daily scoop.
This subtle shift helps for subtle situations…
For example, you could be having a bad morning where everything seems to go wrong and deciding in your mind that it’s going to be a bad day since the start was rough.
But by allowing uplifting thoughts to enter in to influence the rest of your day or lean into gratitude for what you DO have, that will help brighten your perspective that becomes self-fulfilling.
I know that can sound pollyanna-ish, and is not always easy if you’re in a miserable situation like a job you hate, or a living situation or relationship that isn’t working out.
BUT, you can better program your mind to work for you. If we can walk and chew gum and think thoughts at the same time, then we can do this! We are capable.💪
One way we can help ourselves is having a consistent activity where we’re learning and improving. That takes the focus off of our thoughts. You may already do this.
In the activity that calls you, you don’t want to miss a moment in what you’re doing. This improves your skills and helps your head game. You then look forward to the activity in your day that helps your entire day.
And something else you can easily do…
Change your environment. Maybe you start doing your activity in a warm, sunny spot. That can be outside. These days, there are no limits to where you can work or catch a break as we’re a virtually remote society that can access anything anywhere.
As a Vata, I like to mix up where I work. I use a desk, a closet, outdoors… it just depends on my mood. And that’s how I get things done productively: I change my scenery options.
And maybe that’s you… or you like the same zone you always are in as that’s your designated spot. And if that’s you, then maybe having a photo or a reminder of something to look forward to in the future like some R&R or an adventurous trip, will also help.
And if holiday overwhelm is taking over these days, let the reason for the season keep you grounded. Let Scripture verses provide comfort and wisdom, and help guide you.
And stay cozy warm uplifted and listen to cheery Christmas music 🎼and jingles… and better yet find your creative outlet. Get into your groove.
For me, this last weekend was partially about creating healthy gingerbread cookie dough.
And a Chai Oat healthy gingerbread cookie was on tall order to provide more holiday baking inspiration that’s both healthy and happy.
I wasn’t the only one as the Cookie Wars marathon was all over the media networks. And gingerbread was one of the themes like every year… it’s nice to be able to count on some things!
And I’ve been using the same base recipe that’s more happy than healthy.
This original recipe has been with me since 2004 when I printed it out. It was adapted from a Joy of Cooking recipe.
And I’ve been tweaking it up every year.
And backing up, decades ago, it was common to use shortening for cookies and Southern sweets, so finding a butter recipe with 3 grams of fat per cookie was a big deal because that’s what people cared about (the fat in calories). These days, we know there are healthier fats we can use to bake with…
So, I’ve evolved this once-a-year December recipe using coconut oil to give a nice consistency and dough to work with.
Planting a healthy gingerbread tree
Ahh… an early winter healthy gingerbread cookie tree!
I added my notes in ( ) and below to my enhancements to this collaborative recipe. 😊
Easy Chai Gingerbread Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour (add oats)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 3⁄4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup oats (optional)
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves (or 1/2 tsp of allspice if that’s what you have on hand)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (substitute with 1 TBSP coconut oil)
3⁄4 cup dark brown sugar (reduce to 1/3 cup for less sugar and still have a delicious and nice cookie!)
1 large egg
1⁄2 cup molasses
You can mix this all in one bowl. I like to bake on 325°F because cookies bake quickly. This’ll be about 15 minutes but it’s good to watch the oven.
This week, I’m breaking down the secrets of Ayurveda and how it can free you from feeling stuck. And how it restores calm, improves mind-body health, and allows for daily creativity which leads to your best life new opportunities, and passions.
…Plus, I’ll clear up the common confusion about Ayurveda if you’re wanting to learn more… and how you can apply simple, but completely effective Ayurveda ways to your lifestyle where you’re at… and with a special invitation offer below.
Last time, in Part 1 of Ayurveda, I talked about why you want to care about the mind-body connection. If you missed that blog post or aren’t sure, you can go back and read that one too as it could make a game-changing difference in getting your best life today…
I also shared how change and permanence are part of the natural order in this life. They keep us going and growing.
You get to choose whether you want to do this life holding onto anxiety, fears, or worry, or letting them go daily for your emotional freedom and better moods.
…You can restore daily calm even with life chaos happening around you. That’s a healthy choice.
You can change how anxiety, overwhelm, irritations, and triggered situations stick to you when they don’t have to …but, interruptedly rear their ugly head into your system and you just want them to go away!
As humans, we experience these negative emotions to varying degrees. And everyone grows weary and tired at some point.
And, that’s when we want to be vigilant to snap out of those emotions after we purge, process, and know what’s behind them so we can take necessary action, and so that we don’t stay stuck in those places any longer than necessary.
…How?
You step out and sidestep into your daily calm and productivity with the strategy of partnering with your mind-body to soothe and get the most out of the situation and your life… with small effort and adding healthy enhancements.
At some point, you probably figure(d) out that Life is about being in the process. And filled with trying lessons.
Sometimes it can take several similar, but different scenarios to play out to catch onto the lesson and make changes for a better today, tomorrow, and life.
But, when you see your part and role in what happens next, your eyes are open and you can apply wisdom. That takes awareness in the moment or in reflection.
And if you have knowledge or know what to do, you can save yourself from unnecessary pain… and sometimes your life. Like if caught in a rip current wave, you survive by not panicking, calling for help that’s nearby, and swimming parallel to the shore if you can.
You also can survive your daily life situations and undesired moods weighing you down if you know what to do.
Getting through your non-life threatening situations can be challenging for a day or two, as moods can stick like mud, but don’t have to play out and grow into a season!…
And you don’t want them to, because health and stress are on the line, and your moods can worsen and influence you to make poor decisions and miss out on great opportunities.
[In physical health terms, moods are like inflammations… you want them out or on the way out within a few days, or else it could spread like poison ivy inside and become a bigger problem.]
But the really good news here is… you can nip-in-the-bud those less-than moods weighing you down as easily as they entered.
How?…
Co-create the right and comfortable environment that your mind-body wants, and therefore is what you also want!
Remember, you are not your mind-body. Your mind-body runs 24×7 and never shuts off when you’re asleep. Keeping your mind-body in mind (no pun intended), for your optimal life you want to do what will turn things around fastest for you.
That doesn’t mean you need to move or uproot your lifestyle, that just means a few healthy tweaks that your daily mind-body wants.
Ayurveda (the science of life) helps to restore and bring natural balance and order back into our lives despite constantly changing situations… and naturally, the way it’s intended.
In our work-life balance modern world there seems to be a gadget for everything to solve our daily problems and make life easier and help us live longer. But we don’t always use (and sometimes ignore) the most effective tool that’s already built inside us!
In Western world, our health is often seen through the lens of food, fitness, wellness, and self-care. In our healthy efforts, we don’t always get to the root cause and directly restore or heal what our mind-body needs. And that can lead to a long (sometimes painful) season.
…BUT be encouraged, it’s restorable and not your fault!
As you have free will to choose. You do what you feel like doing or think will help based on the (limited) knowledge you have at the time.
And also because…
Our Western Society… The Good and Bad
Conditioning that you and I have received since we were children, that goes like this… Oh, the doctor will fix that…
And as an adult, if you were sent home with a prescription for resting or exercising more, you’d be dissatisfied as most of us know that’s helpful but not what we want from our doctor. We expect a procedure, prescription, or two.
The problem is your body doesn’t want medicines if it can handle the foreign body disruptor on its own. But we don’t know what exactly our body needs because we can’t talk to our body or get inside for those knowing answers.
So, our common Western way is curing with medicines, “just in case,” and because we’re conditioned to expect those protocols.
But, too many antibiotics in the system damage gut health, and surrounding systems that alter your body. Good probiotics can only help so much to reverse effects.
So that’s the bad, but there’s a lot of good in medicine…
Like when used for a disease outbreak where massive chaos in the body has already erupted and medical intervention is needed. Your body needs help.
We can learn from Steve Jobs’ story in more than his genius Apple tech abilities. He passed away too young from cancer. Wisdom leaves clues.
Western medicine doesn’t usually prescribe natural herbs to cure cancer or other diseases.
Anything supernatural can happen in our favor at any time, but that’s not the common or wise protocol. God created doctors and gave us our brains to make good decisions to see doctors when needed.
…So then where does Ayurveda (science of life) fit in?
Ayurveda’s sweet spot is in health prevention, and helping change unwanted common everyday moods and annoying flare-ups.
It’s risky for most conditions that require medical attention. …and I wanted to clear up in case that wasn’t clear and obvious. So good, now you know what Ayurveda is good for…
Ayurveda works for what it’s meant for. But as a practice, not mentioned much in our society partly because prevention can’t be measured. And that’s not where medicine focuses attention.
So, it can get brushed aside or seen as a health fad.
…Even though Ayurveda has been around working as an Ancient healing system for thousands of years.
People smartly use it as part of their daily healthy lifestyle.
They can be part of the routines and habits we stack and track in our day.
When you have a healthy lifestyle and know how to use Ayurveda in your daily life, then you’re better off leaning into your balanced natural essence. There are no downsides to report.
And a decade later… in my opinion, it’s still the “best-kept secret.” And why I’m unpacking it here.
Your mind-body is a direct source that knows what it needs… and Ayurveda cracks that code.
Enter Eastern-Western Ayurveda Awareness
American society tends to lump natural, holistic, alternative medicines, and Ayurveda as mystical and woo-woo, when really what Ayurveda needs is rebranding.
Ayurveda is not just what you see as available products on the market.
Two things that could make people iffy in the beginning about Ayurveda (I know I was!) are:
1.. Messy oils, strange elixirs, and take-time-out routines. They don’t always mesh well in a Western modern society that’s go-go-go where schedules are filled to the brim and even fitting in eating can be trying.
2. Silent practices when you don’t have a door that stays closed or that can shut out the world around you. And without a list of to-do’s or worries for the day running in your head.
Those daily practices are more Eastern (slower-pace life) than Western techniques.
And what works in Ayurveda for Western-style living and restoring mind-body techniques, can be woven into your busy day with very little effort or inconvenience.
You can skip the Eastern-style practices and you won’t be missing a mood-improvement beat… I promise!
And some universal practices you may already be doing sometimes or regularly… like, yoga is a today-popular Western Ayurvedic general practice. Sometimes you have time to fit in, and sometimes you don’t, but it’s not the end-all-be-all to making moment-to-moment restoring changes because yoga reset to feel-good feelings lasts for a 90-minute class, a cup of tea, and maybe a relaxing spa visit, but then you’re back to your life, triggers and interruptions in your mind, and your work.
Even though I love yoga!… maybe you too?
In 2008, there were few studios when I had to search around so I’m glad it has taken root.
Another popular example is eating plant-based anti-inflammatory foods. Yup, that’s part of a healthy Ayurvedic lifestyle. Wherever you are, you have access to markets, online stores, farms, and gardens (…or you can start your own).
…So you may already have a ‘lil Ayurveda in you! 😉
…So, is an Ayurveda lifestyle right for you?
These are questions you can ask yourself and things to think about:
Are you interested in preventative health?
Are you interested in unleashing more daily creativity?
Are you a lifelong learner who is open to the deeper self?
And do you want to live sustainably healthier and longer?
…Like Blue Zone Centenarians who live healthy lifestyles that are part of their culture. They don’t live like most Americans (and not even the Adventist Health Blue Zone community in California).
Some live more simply, slower lives, eating from the land, and need less mood restoring without all the complicated high tech. 😉
And so many countries rank higher in longevity than the States, that’s ranked closer to the bottom. That’s a hard pill to swallow considering all the conveniences we have.
…Even though I can’t imagine my identity with any other culture.
So I added Ayurveda into my lifestyle to make up for the deficit.
And you can too. The thing is… you’re probably already habitually doing Ayurveda to some degree in your healthy every day routine. You’ve been using all your senses since you were born.
…But probably not for balancing moods consistently as you didn’t know what really works with your specific mind-body, type, and imbalance combinations you’re experiencing. That’s really what it boils down to.
And when you do change your moods and imbalances, then you can get to your inner creative self more easily and consistently.
Creativity Inside Us
Sometimes there’s a creative block. And we don’t know what we don’t know could be, or are missing out on our greatest passions that give us joy.
I was creatively mind-blocked in my corporate management work life.
I couldn’t be fully creative beyond short spurts of free time where I delved into hobbies for creative outlets.
In those few moments, I experienced calm, joy, and felt weight off my shoulders. I could get into a creative flow where I lost track of time and those were usually well into the weekend or on a Sunday.
…Have you been there or can relate?
Unleashing the creativity inside feels free-ing. And when I got longer stretches of time away from work, I realized I had creative hidden talents I didn’t even know I had, that were waiting inside me for the right-ready time.
…And you do too. Plus, ones that you haven’t uncovered because you have gotten there yet to take action.
After you remove the anxious, stressful, and overwhelming layers and feelings, you can get a direct path to your creative juices and energy.
That’s your ticket to your happiest and best life. When you feel lighter and good, you feel on top of the world.
You feel empowered at the very least, and maybe even superpowers to take on activities you didn’t know you could perform (like sing or dance… you get the point).
And that’s a time when you get the most out of your life and push the pedal forward and make breakthroughs.
It’s the opposite of these types of common feelings (that keep you uninspired and stagnant):
–Tired: where you don’t want to do much let alone work on a creative pursuit. You lack energy but with a good night’s rest you can be renewed and passion-filled again if you’re re-energized, aren’t triggered, feeling burnout, or are depressed.
–Anxious: where you’re trying to manage your anxiety symptoms to stay afloat… trying to stay relaxed while your body-mind takes over. That’s a bad time to make good decisions, let alone try and be creative.
–Irritated: where you’re trying to get over negative feelings and a critical-judgmental mind that permeate your system when energizing the wrong thoughts. Good creativity doesn’t emerge in non-loving attitudes.
But, you can change the channel or get your relaxed self back as quickly as you got in your tense state. Like in the shower, the ideas can come. Or in a joyful activity where you lose track of time.
And, if you’re feeling balanced and calm throughout the day as the normal way, that changes everything. You can switch to your creative self when you want without losing valuable time.
And those steps take you to your next move in life, passions, and pursuits.
And if that’s where you are ready to go and be your very best today, but maybe feeling off or not quite there yet, start with the body balance quiz that shows symptoms on the body as part of the mind-body connection.
And in creativity, I made this swirly dessert (nostalgic of Cherry Garcia and the tie die T-shirt era…). 🍥
Positive thoughts like “you got this” can make a positive impact in your day.
And starting your day with a heart healthy recipe (🍓 below) like this delicious quinoa bowl can get you excited.
Easy strawberry quinoa cereal recipe below. 🍓
If you’re wanting a better day, you recognize the difference between positive thoughts and negative ones. Thoughts all start in the divided minds we’re given, that’s either hurting or helping us. And if this is new territory for you, start there.
Maybe you recognize which bucket your negative or positive thoughts belongs in, but you don’t know how to toss out the draining ones. They can show up anytime: when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or when triggered by a memory, situation, or person.
And then the subconscious mind (ego) feeds off the nourishment of holding onto negative feelings or pain as a form of protection and masks its agenda from you. But now you know better. Bypass the unnecessary time wasted in dramatic sorrow. Be proactive with positive affirmations, meditation, yoga, or healthy distractions that are great ideas to reset and get rid of thoughts that have no good business being with you in the first place.
Sounds like a plan, right?
But then going about your day or even seconds later, new thoughts occur from news headlines you read, someone offends or irritates you, a situation stirs an emotional chord, and then you’re right back to negative thoughts and moods. It’s daily and non-stop. Your mind and the negative thoughts grow even if you think you’re living in a safe bubble.
The unhelpful thoughts never have a chance to go away until you decide the one thing you can change and have in common in every thought is YOU.
And so, I share in this detailed blog article what needs to change to get the happy and helpful thought life you want.
This is the second part of the article from last week on relaxing your mind for the best ideas.
Managing thoughts is essential for lifelong learners, and as a prerequisite to being your most productive self, unleashing your creative self, attracting people to your energy, and living your optimal life.
Years ago, I thought traveling to exciting, new places and feeling in woo would conquer negative thoughts, as they temporarily disappeared when senses were heightened (like when you’re newly in love or starting passion work). But those fickle feelings don’t last and things always change after the newness wears off.
So then I dipped my toe in collaborating and aligning myself with the Universe and how to manifest the best life (that’s woo woo to some). For me, I was on the right path and things were looking up, but I still had to do the inner core work in my mind. When all that eventually clicked together, then I could feel the woo hoo! And that’s what we all can celebrate in our lives if and when we get there.
It takes all the pieces–knowledge, process, and application. And if you’re feeling lost, it helps to have a guide.
These are a few guiding and starter points that helped me and hopefully can help you or anyone else who’s trying to figure out a better (thought) life.
The first part can be the hardest–knowing that it all starts in your mind and not someone or somewhere else. This seems elementary after you learn this, but the ego wants to steer you in another direction like something else is the cause or problem. So if you’re busy or not paying attention, that can happen and go on until you’ve had enough.
Another point is, don’t let nagging thoughts (or drama in your mind) that won’t leave you alone play out for longer than needed which is no more than a minute.
And in relationships, especially. It takes just one step to cross the invisible boundaries of another person with your words that originated from thoughts. Walk away from your thoughts to give yourself more peace. Below I have some suggestions on what to do.
So, How to Change From Negative to Positive Thoughts…
Our thoughts are natural to us, and they cause us to take action that can appear inconsistent or as disconnects to others.
To change this, operating from awareness is imperative. Initially, this may feel like work and working harder (like walking uphill with heavy boots instead of sliding downhill). But it’s totally worth it.
You learn a life skill to purge those unwanted thoughts that pop up impromptu and when triggered. I think there should be a required course on this that you learn early on (and would solve some of the world’s problems as people are the problem or solution).
But anyway… changing thoughts gets easier when you’ve learned the skill and it becomes more automatic. The negative thoughts won’t disappear immediately, but much quicker than before in your thought choice, and you’ll be wise enough to know you don’t have to act out or say aloud negative thoughts. Which btw, doesn’t change your personality. It makes you more attractive to the right people.
And that’s part of what separates our discerning brains from animals, young children, or when we were younger…
We all started out immature compared to who we’ve become today.
So here’s how you can reset and get your loving daily juice. To promote loving thoughts, witness your thoughts (I’m sure you’ve heard of this). And practice being aware of what’s coming in. If it’s garbage, then reject or walk away.
If it’s something that you have feelings about and need to process or work through, then allow yourself that grace. Again, you don’t have to air your thoughts to anyone, and not putting energy into negative thoughts is going to help you avoid wasted time. Let them pass through and find the loving side of those thoughts (i.e. how can these thoughts help me?).
In the beginning, as you’re learning or practicing, you want to draw a line in the sand and separate thoughts as helpful or hurtful, good, or bad. Make it easy on yourself and not leave thoughts in the confusing gray zone that’s part of the baggage carried around.
And let’s be clear, these are thoughts and not the actions that could follow. We want to nip them in the bud.
The good thoughts you accept and the bad ones you reject for your own good. If it hurts others, then you toss in the reject pile and you figure out a win-win or kinder way to confront if that’s needed. Ask yourself daily and often: What just came out of my mouth and what’s going on in my head? Hit the archive button if it’s a worry thought until you can find answers, and hit the delete button if it’s a harmful thought to you or anyone else.
Know those thoughts will still be there if you need them, which you won’t, but your brain tries to convince you that they’re important to protect you when they’re not needed (for survival). You can blame the ego (yet again) on that.
So, after you start to live life this deliberate-thinking way and focus on positive thoughts, you can see the difference in the quality of your life and the better air that’s there. You’ll feel more peace, and that helps your stress level and health.
You allow room for ideas to come in, and you become more useful to the world with your abilities. You become part of the solution.
Find A Mantra for Positive Thoughts
Pre-social media days, we were not part of an aware culture like we are in today.
In those days along my journey, I came across these words: “Whatever the question, love is the answer.” I don’t know who the author is that wrote that, but I knew back then that I wanted that. So I printed out and framed those wise words that are now ingrained in memory.
With intention, I used that as my mantra. And even though I didn’t know how to apply it in every difficult situation, I knew that if I aspired to the meaning behind the words, it would one day catch up with me and my self-actualized desires.
So, if you have similar aspirations of a learner mindset, find a mantra or intention (or use the one I used) to go to if you’re trying to change to more positive thoughts and aspirations. It can be used as a distraction from negative thoughts. And you eventually become your words and what you think of.
Use Your Internal Guide
As mentioned, it can be helpful to have a guide and for those ahead of us in certain areas and times in our lives. But the best overall guide is your internal compass.
But we want to change them because sour moods can crowd out positive thoughts and exacerbate our need to judge, be critical of others or ourselves, and get easily irritated which can cause our negative words or actions.
Being in healthy alignment with yourself is better because, in the end, you and your caretakers are the only ones that will be with you. And you’re the only one that’s with you (and your thoughts) always, wherever you move or travel to.
Sometimes, listening to your internal guide can be countercultural and a bit uncomfortable when you make decisions that aren’t popular or go with the flow. And especially if you’re a harmonious or extroverted person who just wants to get along or people please.
That can make it difficult to live in integrity (doing, saying, and thinking the same thing). Robots will have it easier than us in this way, but sadly the tin man is missing a heart. 🤖
As humans, when our thoughts don’t align that’s when we have a new chance to re-adjust.
Years ago, no one talked about mental health or wellness as part of the daily talk. Now we embrace “knowing better” in our lives.
We don’t have to just take our thoughts (or others at face value) that turn into actions that don’t always get good results and can even get us in trouble in a hyper-sensitive society. Plus, we have more options to change the channels in every sense. And we’re more accountable.
We need this accountability. It makes us better as individual people and all together in our complex world.
So these are some accountable thoughts and maybe some personal growth homework (should you choose to accept the mission?) for turning sour cherry thoughts into sweet ones.
As a bonus, you’ll become a better person as a byproduct. I know because this is all stuff I went through. It takes one to know one, and we’re all here to figure out our best life and selves. So, no judgment here (and actually that’s one of the assignments) 🧡
Pause on the gossiping:
Here’s the better way: if you wouldn’t share the news with others and the person you’re gossiping about in the room, then find a way to filter and say less. And if you’re not sure, ask. More likely you’ll just zip your lip and that’s fine too. It’s really that simple. But even simpler is just not gossiping at all. That becomes an automatic, better way.
When you find you can’t sit and talk in the same conversations with those who gossip, then you know you’ve changed that about yourself. You end up productively filling your time with better ways that lead to better things.
Learn to not judge:
We never know the full picture of what’s going on with anyone else no matter how much we think we do. Take the objective and loving-kind stance.
If you want to have an optimal life, the sooner you learn to let go (of judgment) and to stop controlling so much, the sooner that will start. A prerequisite for this type of freedom (that it is), is to stop judging others at the first judgmental thought that enters and let the negative thoughts pass through.
Quit complaints:
If you say negative things, then you become a negative person when what you really want is happiness.
So if the first thought that enters your mind is to emphasize complaining, that hurts you. Maybe you’re used to complaining to get your way (and learned the squeaky wheel gets the grease).
But also what’s happening in the process is you’ll be seen as a complainer. People who don’t complain will stay away from you, so you’re in company with complainers or those who want you to complain for them or their causes, bringing more negativity in your life and less in theirs.
…If you can make these 3 life changes, you’ll be well on your way to a more peaceful life. It’s simple, but not always easy in the beginning. It takes desire, self-control, and holding yourself accountable. Be patient and easy on yourself. The good news is these traits are changeable with practice.
And if you find people to support your efforts (and let go of the ones who aren’t), it’s easier. Your supporters are your best allies.
Ultimately you decide what type of life you want to live. And you get to decide what thoughts you keep. Copy that.
