“Don’t Worry Bout a Thing” is a good song to hum to. Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder knew how to perform a positive mantra in a catchy upbeat song.
That’s how you can begin to stay on top of your worry.
…‘Cause every little thing is gonna be alright. Baby, don’t wo-rrry… ‘bout a thing.
Worry won’t change a thing.
Imagine if you were learning to surf in the ocean water. All kinds of fears and anxieties could creep up in the back of your mind.
If fears of the water are on your mind’s forefront, you’d probably not surf unless you’re young or a sports extremist and that was your passion.
The fear of drowning, getting bit by a shark (like Pro Surfer Bethany Hamilton), being caught up in a strong riptide, or being swept away by a powerful tsunami wave, could become reality.
I’m sharing this with you because obviously, you’re not in this situation now, since you’re online. But we all have our own dangerous situations.
If they came on suddenly, you would develop worry, that would activate adrenaline rushed anxiety pulsing through your veins, as seconds went by. That could turn into a paralyzing panic daze fast if a big wave or similar formed.
I recorded a happy and calm “a day in the life” dog moment in this portrait painting 🙂
I once adopted a rescue chihuahua mix dog where I learned from him how to cure social anxiety. He was the cutest and sweetest dog ever. In my meeting with him, I knew he was the perfect dog for me then.
He acted calm (not jumpy like the Jack Russell terrier type). Walking around, he also acted curious, interested and engaged.
So excited, I did the paperwork the next day and took him home. I’d never had a dog before, but I was convinced he was a pet owner’s dream. If you have a dog, I’m sure you understand as you probably think the same things with your dogs!
Faith conquers fear. And the opposite of fear is love. So when you choose faith, you’re choosing love. This article is meant to help encourage you in your daily journey.
None of us were handed a life manual. Because if we were, we’d have all the answers we needed but we don’t.
We live life. And we let life play out.
And our best life is when we learn how to positively go forward, grow, and let go.
Letting go and healing of the past is one productive way.
Another is letting go of what our “shoulds” are in our daily walk.
We trust that the world of miracles we see every day translates into our beliefs for the things that matter most to us like relationships, family, resources, and provision.
And finding our unique purpose to do good, make impact, and give back to our world.
But what commonly hinders our growth in the modern world is our fear, that’s a form of anxiety or worry that gets into our subconscious minds.
That’s where it starts.
…Like a thief in the night, we don’t see what’s happening unless we are critical observers, looking in our own minds for us to be the solution instead of our own problem.
Having faith over fear helps to counteract your hurtful thoughts but doesn’t prevent your moods and emotions.
Faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” – Hebrews 11:1
So if we know faith is believing before seeing, we know it’s a free-will choice.
You can choose to bypass how you feel. You can shake and pray it off.
You can pray to not have fearful thoughts take a stronghold over you, and replace them with higher, loving thoughts that are more self-serving and better.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” -1 John 4:18
Believe there’s a better outcome or a bigger picture answer for why you’re going through your sour grape situations or when life serves up lemons.
You can flip the script on your trials and tribulations.
Those lemons you receive in life can give you the exact breakthrough you need to get over the hump.
Maybe that’s what your soul needs to heal and evolve, that grows you into the bigger purposes of your life.
Beyond being comfortable and happy that can keep you stuck.
The better way is to live open, authentic, and curious.
This invites in new opportunities to grow and unleash empowered happiness and contentment from the inside out.
And keeping faith as priority, you bypass feeling self-pity or self-inflicted victim mentality when triggered by fears.
These can be show up from childhood or past experiences (like my PTSD story).
But letting faith in the room like fresh air allowed my being Born Again and doing shadow work that helped to restore me and feeling love in a way that nothing or no one else could.
You weren’t meant to do everything on your own. You were meant to get help from outside you (and inside you), that makes you stronger, and builds you deeper inside.
That’s the healthy cycle of life.
People who stay frustrated at life can live in a vicious hamster wheel life cycle, letting their minds run them.
Without your pro-activity, your mind on its own is a lazy machine that is meant to protect you from danger.
If you’re tired, you just don’t want to think super hard after a busy day. If you have a foggy mind that can happen to anyone at anytime, then going to your higher place helps to escape.
At that moment, you can find wholeness and love to be free to live authentically.
Remember, you have a higher intellect or source that you can tap into to collaborate with and get better answers than the ones you can see.
Here’s a better way on how to access your faith and higher self…
Find a daily spiritual practice that has variety, and is 100% yours.
Have a daily silent practice in peace, prayer, or meditation without noise and device distractions.
Doing this as a regular habit can remind you in your darkest moments, that you have a higher thinking place where you can get deeper answers.
It’s also where you find creative solutions if you carve out some time.
If you are consistent with some quiet time, then you will feel in contrast what wholeness feels like and when it’s missing.
Having a quiet daily practice is different than religion that’s all about regurgitating and memorizing the right things to say and think.
Do what feels good for you as there is no right or wrong for healthy growth.
And create your own path way.
Piece together what works for you like an organized mosaic tile.
A pattern that makes sense will form.
It can feel like a mess or your thoughts can be jumbled at the beginning where you have a lot of distractions and noise in your life.
That’s normal in transformation work and going through growth processes.
But the more you stay intentional on finding more peace, joy, and living purpose-filled, the more spiritual growth you get.
You become more aware and self-aware.
Like when you’re sharpening a skill, the more you prioritize, spend time in, and focus on, you get good at it.
Then as soon as you get comfortable with your peaceful self, your season will usually change on you.
That’s how life evolves you.
You help yourself out by taking steps forward and leaning into busy activity, and knowing when the timing or season is off or has come to an end.
If that’s the case, take your foot off the gas pedal you thought you should be hitting, and go in another direction to live in an authentic flow where you don’t need to know the exact outcome.
Life in faith helps take you to where you need to go without your need to suffer if you don’t fight what is coming your way or about to happen whether you choose the situation or not.
You’ll eliminate feeling fear and anxiety in your life that doesn’t need to exist for your survival.
Be encouraged and have faith that miracles are happening all the time for you in love.
On your faith journey, you get to enjoy and witness the process as you connect the dots for your best life.
Mental health awareness week is a good time to reflect on how far you’ve come in your life. Healing wounds from childhood trauma calms anxiety.
If you held shame inside as a child, you grew up with a distorted view of life. Then you most likely had emotions you repressed inside you such as anxious feelings, sadness, and frustration. As a child, you learned and used anxiety to cope.
When you became an adult, you expressed anxiety in unlikely moments when your brain confused current situations with the past. That’s what post-traumatic childhood wounds can do, and can stay with you. It’s the elephant in the room. And no one teaches you along the way how to heal on your own.
I know this because that’s my story in a nutshell.
Mind-body types knowledge helps you in your life. The body keeps score and you can learn how to get your Ayurvedic body score to optimize your life, help you build your holistic practice, improve balance and mental health, and find your purpose.
In 2008, I went through Deepak Chopra’s Perfect Health Program in Carlsbad, California that cost me more than any vacation I can remember. My reward has been a life changer, as I’ve used some of the life skills every day and still to this day, over a decade later (and you can use to help balance your body type).
I believe everyone can use this helpful body type information for enriching their whole life, including better health to slow aging, modern holistic practices that can be done at home, balance, finding passionate work and more creativity… to name a few ways.
How I Discovered the Program:
I was personally struggling with remaining angry emotions from a stressful, uninspiring corporate management position I had just left.
Some roles aren’t the right fit, and there was one in particular I held after a line of unsatisfying work that mildly put was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
You could be good at your job and hate your job. That’s how I felt, so I left that position (but my story had a good ending as a new role was created for me at the same company).
Hating the one position I held led me to strong irritated feelings and heat throughout my body. I felt moody, out of sorts, and off (my usual) balance. I hadn’t started the position feeling that way.
I had small fleeting flare-ups with internal anger throughout my adulthood, but never this strong and for so long, that I could clearly isolate myself from one work situation and place.
This is how I came to delve deeper into learning about the mind-body connection (that has since grown in national awareness).
I had to do something pretty immediately, as my daily quality of life was affected. I knew I needed to find a permanent solution to help me deal with my stress-related and unhealthy burnt-out feelings.
I also knew I needed to attend something deep and experiential to have a change and lasting impact. I was looking for a hands-on solution that provided skills I could use throughout life, for preventative reasons.
I had already been following Deepak Chopra’s teachings through books and audio.
While researching, I discovered his Perfect Health Program that is based on Ayurveda (life science), an ancient 5,000-year-old scientific method of determining health and wellness through the mind, body, and spirit connection. In essence, the healing power of mind over body.
The concept of the mind-body connection is, if you have baggage (in your mind) that you’re holding onto from the past, that can translate to disease and disorder.
Cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornish in the Lifestyle Heart Trial proved that 48 advanced heart patients could reduce fatty plaque deposits blocking coronary arteries with their healthy lifestyle changes (exercise, yoga, meditation, and specific diet).
Ayurveda and The Perfect Health Program would take Ornish’s breakthrough study and apply principles to any disorder.
Deepak Chopra had been reporting Perfect Health approach successes for over a decade before his book Perfect Health (The Complete Mind Body Guide) was published. Many thousands of others had gone through the same Perfect Health Program I attended.
Perfect Health Teachings:
For my situation, to help get me back to a calm equilibrium, I performed yoga and silent meditation for the first time through the Perfect Heath Program.
But the most valuable information I learned was about the mind-body connection concept (and how my previous approach to balancing life, preventing disease, and other health issues, was more about external activities than internal wholeness).
To begin to learn about your current mind-body status and balance your mind-body type, it’s critical to know there are three Ayurvedic body types (called Doshas).
They are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Most people dominate with one Dosha (but we as humans all have traces of all three Doshas).
It’s easy to remember as wind, fire, and earth (or the rock-n-roll band Earth, Wind, and Fire if you been on the planet as long as I have 😊).
I’m a pure Vata determined by body frame, weight, eyes, complexion, hair, joints, sleep pattern, body temperature, feelings under stress, and temperament.
The human mind and body communicate and sends signals to each other that result in your (human) action, characteristics, emotions, and health problem tendencies related to the Doshas.
For mind-body type, you can have a single, double, or triple (all 3) dosha(s).
It’s more complex than 3 body types (as we are).
Vata types typically act in indecision, bounce back and forth working on multiple activities, are extremely forgetful, feel anxious and worried, and have mood swings. Health issues can range from stomach, insomnia, and anxiety issues.
Pitta types can act hard-charging, or get easily stressed, angry or irritated. Health issues can range from severe heart attacks to mild heartburn.
Kapha types typically act easygoing, calm, and can be resistant to change. Health issues can range from depression to sinus or chest congestion.
Before attending the program I read Deepak Chopra’s Perfect Health(The Complete Mind Body Guide) that the Program was based on.
I realized that I naturally have a Vata Body and Pitta-Vata Mind combination.
Usually you have 1 of 3 body types. Mind is more complex.
Enter The Deepak Chopra Perfect Health Program Solution:
At the Chopra Center, I took a self-scored test and discovered my Pitta mind-body imbalance was off the charts, that needed correcting and counterbalancing (also called “pacifying a dosha”).
That discovery came as no surprise based on my symptoms.
That explained why I could jump on the littlest thing, and why I could feel actual heat emanating from my body.
These symptoms led me to desperately seek help.
There I also attended classes, health consultations, detox cleansing, and received dosha-specific massages.
I also tried group meditation and yoga for the first time.
Yoga is good for all body and mind-body types (and not just Vata).
Yoga, btw was just catching on the brink of mass appeal popularity in America.
A few participants in the same classes I attended had developed fibromyalgia, a musculoskeletal pain disorder.
They were also primarily Vata body types so they had limitations in what their bodies could do at the time.
This condition led them to seek help. I realized those with a disorder also could benefit from a mind-body connection solution.
Since they had a primarily Vata imbalance (that was also their dominant body dosha type), they received warm blankets during their massage.
That sounded so comforting nice to me, as it was chilly weather outside in the wintery season.
But, I had a different imbalance (Pitta) for my Vata body.
With different imbalances happening at any season of life, there are better balancing and holistic practices even for the same body type.
That’s an important point.
To calm the fiery heat condition I had, the outside patio doors were opened for me in my experience in the middle of the cool winter, while I was laying down on the cold massage table in Shavasana (Corpse Pose).
That’s what my imbalanced Pitta mind-body needed (and all heavy Pitta mind-body types need) for imbalance restoration. It felt odd because my brain was sending the message: I want warm comfy blankets (like my new Vata body friends told me about after their experience and before mine).
Similarly, a hot steam shower sounded good (fitting for the season) but would have made my imbalance worse.
From the program I learned, I could help restore balance again with some of the following healthy changes and additions to my life.
I started these things right away:
Sounds: Turning off loud sounds, and deliberately listening to light and calming sounds like classical or relaxing music. Silent meditation (restful awareness) would have been good except I had lists running through my brain that I didn’t know how to silence as an inexperienced meditation beginner.
A typical balanced Pitta mind has a get things done attitude. I already learned I had a partial natural Pitta dosha mind, so having a Pitta imbalance was adversely affecting my mind.
Smells and Foods: Adding foods to eat that were sweet, bitter, and astringent (and drinking relaxing chamomile tea which is not usually one I like). I gravitated to rose-scented candles. When they burned sandalwood incense in the Wellness Center’s bathroom, I was drawn to that scent that calmed me, while that same scent repelled others who needed other scents to pacify their other specific imbalances.
I could barely smell orange scents that a balanced Vata Dosha type, normally would gravitate towards. The same principle applies to and explains why certain perfumes and colognes smell better sometimes than other times.
I took a variety of natural herbs specific to the program and for my specific situation that helped with restoring balance and heat in my body (to lower my internal thermostat).
Exercise and Activities: Jumping in a pool in the middle of winter would have been great for me… as would ice skating and other wintery cooling sports. Hatha yoga became part of my weekly balance regimen (usually good for anyone at anytime).
Other types of yoga would be also exceptionally good for other balanced body types like hot yoga for cool body types like Vata and Kapha. Or rest and relaxing yoga classes for Pitta body types.
With simple daily lifestyle choice tweaks I learned and then made at home, I noticed my heated body and feelings of strong irritation started to disappear gradually.
And so, here’s a process you can take to learn more about how to live healthy for your specific mind-body Ayurvedic situation (our different body types):
You’ll learn (for free) what your primary dosha body imbalance (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha) is in this snapshot moment based on your situations, stressors, or season that can be different than your natural body dosha tendencies.
You’ll also get suggestions you can print out on how you can begin to counteract and restore your imbalances back to balance.
The information is so revealing and can be life-changing (as it was for me).
It’s also fun as you get to learn new lifestyle enhancements and tweaks that will benefit you and your health your entire life (and wish you knew sooner).
You commonly can have a different mind imbalance (than body imbalance). Like a Kapha mind imbalance with Vata body types is common that creates misalignment.
And you can be “tied” in the highest mind imbalance score, which means you have 1–2 mind imbalances (it’s rare to be tied in all 3). The same applies to body imbalances (e.g. balance your body type). Don’t let that intimidate you.
Just focus on the ones that are the highest scores. The idea is to lower those. For example, I had a score for Pitta Mind, so that was one I needed to work on.
Remember there’s a direct mind-body connection and correlation, so both are important.
Your imbalances will naturally differ at various times in your life.
That’s why learning the skill of how to get balanced is helpful for various seasons in your life, and especially when you’re feeling something is “off.”
Getting back to balance allows you to:
Let your authentic body-mind nature shine through.
Live the positive aspects of your authentic body-mind nature.
Downplay the (seasonal) aspects of your body-mind nature holding you back.
Step 2: How to Apply This For Your Life
After you know the primary dosha imbalances you have, then for starters, make the following lifestyle modifications. You should overall feel good about your taste, smell, sound, and activity modifications.
Many people have a Pitta imbalance (like I had) since many people have demanding, and stressful jobs especially in the Western world.
These are a few changes you can make for each imbalance.
Pitta: If you’re irritated/angered, listen to classical and light music, smell scents like sandalwoods, and do yoga.
Perform cooling activities. If your Pitta imbalance is strong, being cool/cold in the winter will still appeal to you (defying logical tendencies).
Vata: If you’re anxious/worried, then listen to music without regular beats.
Have an orange-scented candle near you and perform a varied motion activity like Tai Chi.
Kapha: If you’re feeling tired/lazy, then listen to heavy music and loud sounds like classic rock-n-roll.
Smell scents that wake you up like evergreen firs. Perform heavy workouts or exercises.
Deep yoga breathing exercises can really help also especially if your stress is in your chest.
Hopefully, you understand the process and some starting ideas on how to begin to counteract (pacify) your imbalances.
By discovering your imbalances, you can help prevent undesired daily moods, negative emotions, and health issues later down the road. You can feel peace when you balance your body type.
The sickness you should seek to avoid is the one that you are most prone to, and that is indicated by your prakruti.
Step 3: How To Take Your Newfound Mind-Body Types Knowledge And Find Your Passion Work and Purpose
You can also apply this information above to discover your passion and purpose work (and by default, the work that would drain you and not be a good fit).
Inspired by how else I could use this valuable information, I creatively discovered this on my own.
I got out of positions doing unenjoyable hum-drum work using my skills and experiences that I was not passionate about. At these unfulfilling work choices, I questioned the impact I was making.
So one day I started creative(ly) writing. I did an experiment with this specific season where I was doing fulfilling writing work.
While writing regularly naturally feels like passionate work and I feel relaxed, I had a high Kapha Mind with a slight Pitta Body imbalance (that’s one of the mind-body imbalance combinations that can happen with any of the body types).
Kapha is not usually a strong imbalance for me. Having a lesser imbalance (lower score) would have been the best result, but having a Kapha imbalance was better for me than the other dosha imbalances.
Recall, my typical body disposition I was born with (Prakruti) is Vata (of the 3 body types), and my mind is usually Pitta-Vata.
When I was most stressed and went to the Perfect Health Program, I had a Pitta mind and body imbalance.
Any type of work that could make me feel anxious/worried (Vata tendencies) or angered/irritated (Pitta tendencies), would be the most stressful and worst combination for me.
Hypothetically, if my score had indicated a Vata imbalance during this time that I pursued fulfilling writing work, then I would likely have been severely or doubly anxious, forgetful, indecisive, etc.
It could have resulted in some kind of dysfunction or deepening health issues later down the road.
As in most cases, there were lifestyle factors not accounted for (like what I was doing during the hours I wasn’t working in the 168 hours per week).
For the most part, I did not have high stressors in my life.
I also took this similar inspired body balance quiz in the winter season, which is typically a heightened imbalance for Kapha, as it’s commonly associated with cold season and resisting (hibernation) tendencies.
Taking those additional factors into account, writing was not hurting my overall balance.
I further confirm it was helping my overall feelings (of satisfaction) when I write.
Similarly, you can find or come close to discovering your sweet spot passion work by figuring out if your imbalance is acceptable.
If you’re stressed and have a high Pitta imbalance that could be a tell-tale sign that you may not be doing activities that are good for you.
Before this knowledge, I had been looking at finding a balanced life, completely differently.
Previously I sought work-life balance, working flexible hours.
That’s part of the balance, but that doesn’t include the type of work you do, and loving what you do during those 40+ hours.
Now I look at balance as doing passionate work that enhances life. Then having a fulfilled life outside of work, to have them blend together.
That seems to be the trend as many companies are trying to make the workplace more like the home and optimizing wellness for optimizing work-life balance and that helps balance body types.
For example, yoga offered at workplaces.
To optimize what I’m doing, using the Kapha Mind imbalance I have as an example, I do the following to help myself out…
Exercise and Activities for Kapha/Pitta Mind-Body Types:
Sounds: Listening to loud music can get me going (Kapha mind). The opposite, calmer sounds like classical music (piano or jazz) are good for Pitta. Sound vibrations are primarily first picked up by the brain, but then permeate into the body cells (mind-body connection).
Exercise: Cardio work out. Since my Pitta body imbalance is low, the Kapha mind is the pacifying remedy I need to seek most. So rather than cooling down exercises, I seek high activity.
I discovered an easier, non-scientific (intuitive) way to learn your imbalances after you know what to look for.
Scanning Your Body Method (For Your Best Health, Life, and Work):
Besides scoring for body types, you confirm any dosha imbalances with how do you feel? And what is your body telling you?
Feeling body sensations and moods, deep breathing restoration, and creating space in your mind are a few ways to gather information.
For example, if I want to do cardio work (as I feel energized) and I don’t want to jump in a pool, I can confirm naturally (through my mood, thoughts, and feelings) that my Kapha imbalance is higher.
After more practice, you can become an experienced Dosha/imbalance detecting pro or your own Dosha expert, knowing which imbalance you have as it becomes your natural way.
You learn what your body and mind need by being attuned and internally sensitive to your mind and body needs by your actions and reactions…
Are you anxious or worried over everything and anything (Vata)? Are you irritated or anger easily (Pitta)? Are you accumulating things or lazy (Kapha)?
These are giveaways and natural health signs. You can see signs throughout your day to day if you know what to look for.
Third Benefit For Seeking Balance:
The information you’ll discover about yourself can be used to balance your body type, and find your healthiest and highest and best use purpose work. All of this can help you from aging.
There’s another third benefit I discovered in finding your balance.
You can get deeply creative. When you’re in your happiest pure joy, then you can get in the flow. And get in your mind to exceed capabilities beyond your ordinary.
Through the Perfect Health Program, I realized that balance and stress reduction includes meditation (to become aware of the present moment). Getting rest awareness during this time helps with clarity when you’re in the real world. This can also be achieved through intentions in yoga.
Takeaways For Mind-Body Types:
#1. Overall Health and Balance Starts in Your Mind to Balance Your Body Type
Good health is preventative and not just from what I eat or intake (vitamins, herbs, etc.). Mindfulness is important for reducing stress which reduces aging. I’m able to find peaceful moments more often, where my mind is calm, and content on good and bad situations, recognizing that’s part of the journey.
I’m able to be in the moment in activities like creative writing and yoga.
Finding my best work can reduce the negative sides of my natural Dosha tendencies, where I could be anxious, worried, irritated, or moody.
I learned that my Fibromyalgia classmates had formed this disorder because of past emotional hurts that needed healing (starting out in the mind).
I was able to let go of childhood wounds that were holding me back. I had to be mindful and distance myself from myself as a child. I was able to imagine a younger me (from a photo image I had) and comfort her, telling her everything is okay now and forgiving my parents. That took the weight off my shoulders. I was able to heal and restore my mind and body.
That brought me back to internal balance (for authentic whole balance). This came from more than just participating in various external activities (that I previously thought was the solution).
# 2. Balancing My Natural (Vata) Dosha Restores Me (and balancing your dosha restores you):
I can take anxious and worried energy and exchange for peace in yoga and meditation intention.
I can make the right choices easier. Since Vata is my primary dosha, it’s easy for me to be naturally indecisive.
But I can refer to the knowledge I learned when I’m out food shopping, buying a candle, or music. Before I go to the store, I’m purposeful about what I’m looking for to help balance me. This saves time from making decisions and reduces trial-and-error.
I have fun confirming what I know about my current body imbalance, sniffing candles and spices. I don’t make too many mistakes of buying or trying the wrong thing and then having remorse. I can answer the question: What does my body need?
# 3. Finding Contentment and Peace As A Better Way of Living (Over Anger and Irritation)
From learning about how to reduce my imbalances and centering (in yoga or mindfulness), I can better keep myself feeling peaceful and calm. That’s the ideal way to be.
I’m not fluctuating, up-and-down, and dependent on my life circumstances to bring me happiness.
I’m not making decisions based on moods.
I’ve learned to be content and never again feeling like I’m riding an emotional roller coaster (happy/sad) despite life’s twists and turns. In my opinion, that’s the best part of what I learned from my experience.
It’s empowered happiness.
I hope you can discover and get a glimpse in your mind or life, to anything that may be holding you back, so you can be emotionally free, present, and restore balance. Then, discover your passion work and creativity where you have freed up space.
