Bran waffle in your diet is good inspo for healthy and happy eating. It’s a great year-round breakfast or brunch idea.
And if you can’t do dairy, this one you’ll love!
To brighten the a brown waffle color, lemons add sunny yellow and pucker-up tartness. And actually lemons are winter fruits that we celebrate more in summer! 🍋
You would never know that these waffles have bran and lemon in them!
But bran topping or blended in bran is loaded with fiber, and a handful of all bran may be the fiber you need (without all the sugar).
Bran is a whole food and grain which means that the bran, germ, and endosperm stay intact.
In common terms, that means that extra vitamins and fiber are included and not just the starchy carb middle layer found in many ordinary grains.
Bran is also a low glycemic index food that good for anti-inflammatory.
So it’s a good start, and when you mix bran in your waffle batter, you don’t have soggy bran like in cereal. 🥣
Bran also makes for a good foundation for other flavors like citrusy lemon that comes through.
The burst of sour sweetness wakes up!
And when you add another flavor dimension like anise seed or spice, you have one tasty waffle that’s also good for your stomach gut.
You can make pancakes with these ingredients, and if you like crunch and the idea of not waiting for your stove to heat up, you can make fresh waffles.
All you need are a few extra waffle ingredients and a waffle iron.
In case you’re debating whether to get one, I did the same. I wondered if it would be another tool that would take up valuable kitchen space.
And I’m proud to say it was a great investment because waffle irons are not expensive compared to other plug-in kitchen tools. 🔌
Mine gets used regularly, and yours would too!
They also take up little space standing upright like a book 📕 that I discovered when I read the paper instructions it came with.
…I would’ve never thought of that because I’ve only seen them in motion use either sitting on a table or at a self-serve hotel breakfast bar.
And that’s the story of how the waffle idea caught on with me (…and maybe for you too?). 🧇🧇🧇
…Oh, and the best part is if you don’t feel like cooking or waiting for your stove to wake up from cold sleep, a waffle iron is a fast-heating, convenient tool.
It’s as fast heating up as a curling iron for your hair that most of us grew up with.
…Once upon a time, I had a wavy iron. I’m glad that trend died and didn’t resurrect!
…And that no waffle iron hair took its place. 😊
Let’s keep the waffles for the kitchen.
And since they’re so easy to whip up in one bowl in 5-minutes, you can free-zer up your freezer space.
Just think, this weekend or today, a happy breakfast or brunch is served in minutes! 💭 And with a bran waffle stack idea, you have a healthy breakfast that could be a daily one.
The possibility of sweet pairing flavors is endless with easy and sweet one-bowl made waffles.
Like, you can amp up your waffle fries with healthy, savory potatoes with a french fry crunch 🍟. For other one-bowl easy waffles, check out my brunch waffles and recipes.
Bird yoga pose is one metaphor in life that can help you soar and help with your body balance, strength, and flexibility. It’s a healthy way to kick start your year. Learn what these poses are below. 🦅
More about this “crouching tiger” looking photo below 🐯
Today I’m gonna share how bird yoga pose (and actually 4 bird yoga poses) can help you get some of the tight kinks out.
Below I spend time on Pigeon Pose because I think it’s underrated for all the benefits (especially if your joints need some flexing).
And I believe everyone can use yoga no matter what profession we have or how active we are (as we tend to do repetitive actions that the body can get irritated with).
At some point, some part needs a stretch… and if you keep up with stretching, then the body cells remember the stretched feeling… and you don’t have to grease up the joints as much to get there.
I remember I took a season away from yoga at the beginning of my yoga journey and I thought I would have to start all over again.
I was surprised and happy to find that was not the case. I did lose muscle, but the time off actually restored certain smaller worn muscles. They appreciated the time off 😊
It’s like getting rest on the weekends. You probably need more self-care time than you initially think.
…Like if you take a few days off, your body kinda can unwind but isn’t totally relaxed. It’s ready to jump back into busyness, but that’s not good for your body.
And if you take a purposeful year off like I did to discover, travel, and recoup, you may sleep like a hibernating bear (and bypass a mid-life crises later on if that still exists).
You could call it a gap year or sabbatical.
Then once restored and feeling like a million bucks, your body wants to get back in action. And that brings more meaning and purpose to your life.
In contrast, ignoring the body can catch up with all of us at some point, but the good news is we have a chance to make healthy changes along the way.
When we’re in a busy season, carving out time to work out is hard work, and so many of us don’t get to do it, or we prefer to spend our time with other fun or catch-up activities.
Plus, how exciting is it to talk to others about your workout instead of a fun outing event you had?
…But like many good things for you, they are not exciting.
Like habits. But little by little (and in micro-habits) they make a difference… and the sooner you do them, the sooner they stick.
Yoga fitness is one (less intense) way you can do and stay consistent with fitness habits. 🧘🏻♀️
And if it’s important for you to check off working out for your week, consistent yoga could be your Savior… and you never know, could pivot you into other fitness areas as you discover more about your body.
You can do yoga anytime and anywhere without a change of clothing (or babysitter).
If I told you some of the unique places I did yoga, you’d probably laugh… like I did once on a cold, swept restaurant floor and on a busy, warm sanded beach…
Wearing stretchy pants, I even showed off my Bird of Paradise pose to my co-workers.
I found that adding fun challenges with step and move goals, kept me motivated. And keeping the eye on the prize helps… like staying energetically healthy as life progresses.
…I think we all want that in our lives so we can have a high-quality of life as our generations are living longer.
That’s where the bird yoga pose and poses I mention below can help. The poses can relax and stretch you (both body and mind).
And since none of us can fly on our own (at least not today), this is the closest we can get to being a bird. 😁
An inspirational bird yoga pose (that can be goals) could help encourage you to work on all or one of these core yoga areas: strength, flexibility, balance (holistic fitness), and body alignment because one side is usually tighter than another.
…Or, one slight tweak move in a muscle can be all you need for that nagging pain you or others have been complaining about in conversation.
Yoga isn’t a rigid practice (…it’s individualistic), so you can call it stretching if it’s less intimidating and can stretch your imagination to wanting to give it a GO.
The name of poses are really just to help you know which poses to get into, but your body and its needs are you-nique, so tweak the poses in a way that makes you feel good (and doesn’t hurt)!
In case you’re new or consider yourself a yoga beginner, yoga stretches should not give you a wincing pain or any agony where you’re biting your lip.
So that helps for you wanting to come back for more and to try all the bird poses!
…And if you’re not in alignment for certain poses (likes ones bearing the weight of certain body parts), you won’t necessarily feel the misalignment at the moment.
It could show up in a day or two, like when you work out with weights.
…So use good form in the pose moment.
Stretches should feel like you needed the stretch, and the longer you hold the stretch… the less tight it becomes, wearing off the tight kinks.
Of course, if you have any injuries, avoid those areas until they fully heal.
But other than those caveats, yoga can solve most daily and accumulated nagging sore muscle issues!
I’m living proof 😊
So with that encouragement, here are 4 inspirational bird yoga poses to work on and towards (and btw, you won’t end up on all 4’s even if you start out that way, so you can test out your flying ability just a little).
Crane Pose – is a good mat pose for building strength in arms
In this one, you’re supporting your body with your arms. Your feet start off on the floor and then lift off.
You want to be careful not to twist your wrists (the good form is keeping them straight on your mat and perpendicular to your matching left and right shoulders).
When I went through a short season where I stopped doing my arm exercises like push-ups, getting in a Crane pose was like starting over.
I had to build back the arm strength that this pose requires. Your body may feel that way or may not have those issues, but instead other ones in other areas.
Yoga is a journey and that’s what I think keeps it interesting. You’re always working on something.
For you, it could also be strength and/or a combination of flexibility and balance (or all of the above). We all start somewhere with our one and only body, so keep trying.
Pigeon Pose – is a floor or mat pose good for developing flexibility in the hip, legs, knees, and butt(ocks)
When you have tight quads or hips, this pose can help get you outta that quandary.
As with most yoga poses, there are many variations… and if you want to keep your arms and legs on the mat the whole time, that’s an option.
You want to find the body spots that are tight and sore and work on those. You can do this by moving around your pointed straight back leg after you get in the Pigeon Pose (that btw, your leg isn’t supporting the weight of other parts of your body so it’s OK to move it around in this pose if that doesn’t offer your body any pain).
Pigeon Pose can help with your largest muscle groups like your quads, your glutes (butt), plus the tight muscles surrounding your knees that you wouldn’t easily be able to get to in everyday positions.
We underestimate how much we need our knees to easily work to be mobile.
In Pigeon Pose, each side won’t necessarily be equal in terms of tightness and you’ll realize that quickly.
So give more attention to the side that needs the longer stretch.
The easiest way to get in this pose is to start in Downward Dog (your “V” with all 4’s planted) and then hinge your body and arms forward with one leg you want to have in front.
Then sit down on the mat focusing on squaring (aligned) hips to your shoulders.
The opposite leg will rest straight (not bent) back behind you with the top of your foot on the mat.
You should feel long and that can feel good in itself!
With this bird yoga pose, you can also work on opening your shoulders if you can reach back and grab your bent leg and foot.
This is a chance to look up to the ceiling or sky.
It’s a nice break for your neck.
If you regularly cook, clean floors, or work on a laptop on your lap, you may not realize how many hours you’re looking down all the time, and that hurts your neck that supports your head, brain, and reminder… your mind control center.
Well, when it’s put that way!…
But anyway…
In this active Pigeon Pose, there’s a good opportunity to look up (and restore your neck).
OK, this reminds me of movie theaters… have you ever sat in the front row of a movie theater? 🎭
I haven’t been to one in ages. But when I was a teen, movie theaters were often packed and we’d arrive later and not having a choice, had to sit in the front row just a few feet away from the big screen.
That felt like the worst movie scenario at the time. We had to crank our necks and gaze up for the entire movie.
Looking back now, we didn’t know the yoga neck-posture benefits we were deploying back then. You may remember me next time you’re at the movie theater 😉
So deploy that head up move in your active Pigeon Pose… or you can gracefully go into a more passive Swan Pose (like in the theater production Swan Lake). 🦢
This is almost like a resting child’s pose, but a great stretch all around as your arms are stretched long on the mat and your one leg behind you.
I love this bird yoga pose as you feel graceful as your body is stretched from one end of the mat to the other (maybe why ballerinas love it too).🩰
If you have tight quads or muscles you can’t seem to get to in your regular stretch routines, this pose can do the trick over time or days.
The longer you can hold the pose (like minutes at a time), the better the benefit. You feel the healing working when you ever so slightly move and the tightness eases up.
It feels good just talkin’ about it 😉
Here’s a Good Reminder!
Eagle pose – is a good standing balance bird yoga pose
On earth, eagles are harder to come by in the world. They were an endangered species and can fly higher than their prey and vultures.
That’s the meaning behind: “I can fly higher than an eagle” song verse in Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings” song.
This one takes a little body coordination memory. Just remember, the same side where one leg is lifted off the ground is the same side where the arm/elbow will wrap underneath the other. Don’t overthink it!
Then in union (the definition of yoga), the hands will meet.
When you’re in this pose, you feel good for being able to stand on one leg in balance… and you can do this anytime and during commercial breaks.
Or even in regular clothes, like this photo of me below where I’m in a dress wearing big costume jewelry ready to go to a holiday event, but still getting the benefits of my eagle here 🦅…
Eagle Pose
Bird of Paradise – is a pose that challenges flexibility, balance, and leg strength (…and isn’t a bird at all. It’s a tropical orange flower that could be found in this type of paradise environment at the Miami Botanical Center).
When you can do this Bird of Paradise pose, then you can be thinking you reached yoga paradise
The Bird of Paradise pose is a complete mind-body pose (and not one in awareness where I want to be wearing a dress without showing too much of my flower if ya know what I mean!). So you’ll just have to trust me here and give it a try yourself.😉
And if you want to know the mind-body mechanics of the bird yoga pose, I wrote a past blog post on this great mind challenge bird of paradise pose.
If you can do this pose, then you have a good shoulder opener, leg strength builder, and torso flexor, all-in-one.
Plus your mind will be stretched in a good way (focused and in the moment).
Just something to consider especially if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed and stuck in life… Bird of Paradise yoga pose can be a nice little goal to take your mind off for a brief moment.
You can change your outlook one bird yoga pose (and day) at a time… like I did being one with this Takahe bird (or blue hen if you prefer).
Gut health is something that rules our happy life. This article is about reminders and what you can do about keeping the gut happy.
…And fermented foods is one way that makes for your healthier and happier life! 😊
Easy steps to make sourdough for gut health. 👣
Like, baking sourdough is one way to take healthy measures to get a happy gut. And a great new year initiative. 🎉
For one, making sourdough is an immersive experience to learn about what fermented foods are.
In the process, you see how easily bacteria in the air (that we often avoid) is created and grows, and these become baked-in prebiotic foods to support our healthy gut bacteria.
I learned about these sides researching and writing articles for health and wellness publications… and going through the baking experience myself like so many during the pandemic.
Sourdough was a trend and maybe still is with you. 🥖
…If you’ve never tried making sourdough, it’s much easier to make (and regular bread too) than it sounds.
Actually… it’s sooo easy in steps, that it fits on the small square infographic image above that I created. ⬆️
…And that’s just one way to promote gut health.
A healthy gut is a happy life connection.
…Where remember, over 90% of the happy hormones (serotonin) is made in the gut.
So if you have a less-than-balanced gut, then the happy moods can subtly run off… but often can be mood restored with TLC (self-care) and Ayurvedic restoration if it’s not caused by a health issue.
…If you don’t know why you have a sudden chip on your shoulder or are more emotionally lately, gut health could be one reason.
So it’s good to ask yourself:what have I been eating lately? And what in my life and lifestyle could have brought this temporary mood on?
The mind-body connection is as real as the happy gut health connection.
And if it’s lifestyle or mood-related, you can get your healthy and happy gut back on with some tweaks…
Eating more fiber from mostly veggies and fruits for morning starters is a good move! 🥕🥦
The fiber ones that are non-digestible are prebiotic. There’s a subset of plant-based foods or produce out there that qualify. 🍏 🍌
Prebiotic foods such as asparagus are abundant in spring. And garlic and onions peak… (see these ones peeking out here 🧅).
Along with probiotic healthy bacteria (like that found in Greek yogurt), prebiotic foods will encourage more good bacteria.
And so, mixing your banana (prebiotic) and Greek yogurt (probiotic) is a good idea. And when you add nuts or seeds and whole fruits, that makes a gut smile even more.
Starting your morning habits after a tall glass of water or ginger water sets you and your body on the right foot.
You can prevent leaky gut, dysbiosis, SIBO, and IBS caused by food habits.
Encouraging good gut bacteria growth in the body is similar to supporting positive, loving thoughts in the mind where you want to crowd out the negative, bad ones.
✋ Avoid Reminders:
Antibiotics destroy the gut microbiome and changing gut health flora. Take antibiotics when absolutely necessary.
Such as, most people wouldn’t take antibiotics for a common cold virus (as it wouldn’t help and is not necessary).
But it’s common to take antibiotics prescribed by a doctor as precaution for a growing bacterial infection. And supplementing with probiotics (including yogurt) help to support the gut damage.
If you think of a healthy gut like a well-run garden (vs. an unbalanced jungle that can turn into weeds ), then you have a good mental picture of healthy balance vs. dysbiosis (gut imbalance).
…And you’re the gardener. 🧑🌾
Avoid the skin on foods that are non-organic.
Skin has nutrients but a lot of the modern healthy foods we eat today are sprayed with toxins in the process that negate the benefits and damage the gut.
So eating skin on certified organic foods or ones you personally plant and care for is the only real way to be safer in protecting your gut microbiome.
Stress is a killer. Our bodies naturally clean and detox during sleep, but stress puts wear and tear on our body’s natural defenses and adds a strain on its healthy housekeeping.
Avoiding stress at all costs is the best way.
With stressful seasons and situations that you experience, take daily deep breaths.
It’s amazing how the world looks different after a few deep breathing exercises like: Ujjayi, Lion’s Breath, or 4-7-8.
My favorite way is getting on my yoga mat to let the world and stress melt away. 🧘🏻♀️
The story of your stress is displayed in your gut, starting from cravings and what you eat… down to how food is digested and how it determines your bathroom life relative to other days and seasons.
The moods you think you’re feeling may not be the one your body is actually experiencing.
Remember, you are not your body or mind, but they are part of you.
You can tell signs by what you’re drawn or repelled to in foods, scents, and activities. That’s one way Ayurveda is useful to daily, modern life so you can make changes.
And that’s why I was hooked after I learned about the science …as we’re not prisoners to our situations and moods that are served up… we’re empowered to restore to our healthy and happy, best life and season.
…And we’re better off for it in daily joyful living and living healthy longer.
You can restore your moods and gut in one-fell swoop effort with your healthy moves when you know what to do (and then do it).
Mood foods are a good way to start and most fall in the anti-inflammatory food diet categories that’s catching on.
Anti-inflammatory foods are the ones I focus on, as I found on my healthy living journey that they matter most.
They help to restore gut balance and bigger picture… they’re known to prevent certain common chronic diseases like heart diseases, Diabetes, cognitive decline, and certain cancers.
You can find anti-inflammatory profiles in many beverages, spices, and colorful polyphenol-filled rainbow foods when you look around. 🌈
…Like this butterfly blue tea drink filled with quercetin and other antioxidants that I made from bags of tea I purchased.
Keeping a daily happy gut with anti-inflammatory plant-based foods and creative healthy beverages, you live comfortably, have more energy, and get to fulfill more each day.
…Now that’s something to look forward to! ✨
One gut health pairing idea: a pear granola crumble (substitutable with apple) that’s tasty happy pair-enhanced with cinnamon. Use Ceylon cinnamon for additional anti-inflammatory benefits. 🧡 😋
Hot chocolate is something that everyone one loves, especially during cold sweater weather ❄️ And it’s the liquid chocolate taste that is timeless.
It needs no improvement.
…And what if certain flavors could change or restore your mood to a better one this season? …Even better,yes?
And if you’re feeling heated, your body will like the hot cocoa recipe below.
Even if you can’t drink coffee for reasons, cocoa is usually a good alternative… and raw cacao is anti-inflammatory.
Healthy Tip: Avoid the dutch processed and sweetened cocoa that often comes in packets.
Then you can add your own few marshmallows or fun zhugh at the end where you control the sugar and smile. 😊
These great ingredient tips (below) will activate those better moods.
(And that’s one aspect of Ayurveda that helps you to a healthy self.)
The first ingredient is red chili flakes that’s great if you are feeling cold that’s common for the winter season… or if you’re feeling extra Kapha or Vata, that naturally lean toward cold.
That’s why Kapha moods are typical for winter season when we want to be cozy and hibernate.
Adding a few fiery chili flakes (instead of snowflakes ❄️) will bring out the heat punch in this cocoa. The color is good too for awakening.
You can substitute with cayenne pepper for even more heat.
Tip: Don’t let the camouflage brownish cayenne color fool you… cayenne heat will sneak up on you so don’t add too much at first before taste testing.
And then if you’re feeling hot (and not cold), as in angry or irritated by triggers, then you’re going to want to add a cooling spice or herb like mint. Or no spice at all.
You can still have hot chocolate because it’s cold outside and you’re chilly in your bones. You can feel hot and cold.
A cooling spice will soothe the skin heated-effects that are based on your Pitta mind-body moods.
In those cases, a little cold and hot will be comforting to you in the winter.
Doing these body healthy moves, helps to restore your temporary imbalance or the mood season you’re in… that as pointed out, could be different than the weather outside.
A peppermint chocolate would be good for the heated (see recipe below). I even made mine in my favorite mug (Starbucks!)
Or if your heated season is dialed up way high, a frozen cold cocoa beverage may be called for that you can dream about jumping in!
Hope is what keeps us motivated in any situation that well… seems hopeless. And in hopeful or hope-filled moods, we grow our spirituality… that opposes the outward feelings we have.
This article is about changing your moods back to hope and happy ones where you started and how you find your H.O.P.E…
First of all, our lives are rigged in our favor: we are meant to be blessed.
Often what is unfavorably happening to us in our situations is actually meant to help us in some way.
Finding what that is helps you.
Resetting and looking at your blessed life, as not what it once was peppered with past problems bypasses today’s sour moods.
Your life has grown better.
…And it’s meant to grow even better!
Better requires more experience and to be prepared for what’s ahead so we don’t fall flat on our faces. Challenges are healthy to keep us on the course!
Staying on course helps bring us back to our hope.
No matter the situation (favorable or not), as birthright we are called to hope in our situations if we want to prosper… (even when the stars aren’t exactly aligned 🌠).
You can always find a silver lining in the clouds if you want to. Because you were lucky enough to be born that will transcend this life if you believe.
And that’s where the rubber meets the road… 🛞
That’s the difference between your former younger self and who you are today, more mature in beliefs.
Today, you get to do so much more.
The former problems you had before are no longer in your life.
You have other replaced or new situations that ultimately have created a better life for you.
…Life that maybe is not the way you planned in your mind, but is good when you look back and see the golden nuggets.
Those misalignments helped you out in some way.
And your future will be even better because of these re-routes when you keep your moods from souring your day… or you pause from knee-jerk reactions you once would’ve made and regretted.
Today’s Situations
And today you have situations you are waiting on to pan out.
That’s this life in a nutshell… otherwise, you’d stop trying for your best life if things were so easy and you wanted nothing.
…Well, when you put it that way. 💭
I realized from taking a sabbatical year-off years ago that not having a work schedule or consistent daily purpose is a double-edge sword.
Sleep and physical health nursed and healed me back to life but then gradually a new stress grew from the mental stress (of not having a purpose).
And that eventually became stress on the body in the mind-body connection. As a result, waking up at 3 am every night was enough of a wake-up call for me.
…I also found I didn’t have the same exciting stuff to talk about with friends… I was basically just tagging along to their happenings. And I wasn’t quick on my toes in responses like I had been.
So I plugged back into my optimal life. 🔌
That break was enough for me to believe anti-retirement is the best way… ALWAYS.
We are happiest when we’re sharing about what’s happening in our lives and not living in the shadows of others.
Plus, life is too short to watch life go by.
And even if you’re waiting for a few situations to manifest, you can be an active participant making impact on other areas of your (and others’ lives) that’s not like throwing spaghetti at the wall. 🍝
…You’re actually building something for the future that takes time to build with your gifts and talents.
That’s a good plan if the timing isn’t there yet for what you know or have an inkling will be, and that you’re hoping for most. Take heart. ❤️
And when your doubtful mind takes over your knowing mind, get outside.
Signs of hope can be found daily around us… like the hope reminders below to remind us to Have Open Peace Everyday.
And these flowers don’t need hope. They just bloom for our enjoyment and appreciation.
Earth laughs in flowers.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
We can rely on hope symbols like flowers on earth to find our inner peace (and distract our unproductive mind).
Dialing down our moods and loud thoughts is a healthy habit that we do as smart adults that used to get tossed to and from by our thoughts.
If we lean into hope and conviction in our beliefs, then we won’t fall when we’re in battle with our minds and moods.
Or else we’re back to Square One, tossed around like the daily wind that causes waves 🌊
So if we solidly know at our core what we believe, then we can withstand the tests.
…And if you’re a natural Vata body like I am, you and I need no more wind!
The stronger we make our beliefs for our best life, the stronger we are… and can lasso the moon that has the dreams we want. 🌙
Our belief grows with faith that our dreams will come to pass even when we see no evidence at all.
…Like flowers that haven’t bloomed but we know one day will in ripe season. 🌻
Having firm beliefs and hope inside us keeps us going.
When we listen to our gut whispers, heart feelings, or what is promised to us that we’re aware of, then we are aligned with hope planted in our heart. 🪴
Our heart dreams will come to pass.
These are gentle impressions that only we ultimately know that arrive as passing thoughts and desires.
And yet our hope is that it will happen in our future. And if it doesn’t now or within a foreseeable timeframe, then we can re-route our way of thinking today to a new plan.
There’s only good in looking at hope for our productive life.
And if our flesh feelings or thoughts make us feel hopeless (that’s part of our human moody make up), our job or better way is to find our way back to hope (and NOT give up).
We can focus on the good things and progress that have happened as a result of or despite our situation, or what has happened.
That keeps us hopeful and chin up.
And then in better spirits, we can keep on moving, so that good things continue to happen and grow.
…Focusing on areas that are productive and peaceful in our lives.
H.O.P.E. today so that you keep building what is meant for you (and will actually last when it’s ready)…
Here’s what each letter stands for:
H – Have resilience. When we get certain about what we want in life, we don’t give up easily. And we don’t let others define what our success looks like.
We walk away from our lesser situations that somehow we ended up in (or with) 😱, and we honor ourselves as the only ones we can control.
If we fall weak to a moment of feeling hopeless, we shake it off.
…we can use our stronger motivation to NOT GIVE UP.
For me, that’s looking for answers or doing research, both internal and external. They are proactive and that keeps the wheels going. 🛞
That always provides a new avenue.
It may not be the exact right one, but just by doing something positive, my mood shifts to better and I discover something new… ingredients in food at the grocery store or a new activity that stretches me.
So we commit to do whatever it takes to have our mind and bodies get with our better life program. That’s healthy stress we can challenge ourselves with! 💪
If our goal is to be 100% successful in our unique life however we define those areas, then finding out how we dodge our moods is going to be the game changer. That’s where Ayurveda for restoring moods can help.
…So often it’s not about the number of hours in the day. We all find enough hours to do what we’re excited, motivated or dedicated to.
It’s that we feel defeated in some way.
And if our moods are down, then we spend those hours on the couch binge-watching shows or procrastinating longer and longer.
It was never about the number of hours available.
How we communicate with ourselves (self-talk) and with others will set the tone for our lives.
And if we unknowingly encourage others to keep doing the same unwanted behaviors, then we’re setting ourselves up for more of the same frustration. Where are we unintentionally rewarding others for bad behavior we don’t want repeated?
O – Ourselves is where we can find hope.
Self-sabotage in some way is often where we get stuck.
…When we get out of our own way, then our moods lift.
Getting ourselves aligned to do and think the right and better things, set us up for success.
If your situations don’t look like what you thought you wanted, figure out what you need to do to get back on the path you got off of. What were you last doing when things changed?
Also, be committed to consistency (showing up), and find daily inspiration to stay the course as part of the balance.
Dig deep for answers that are already inside you waiting to emerge if they can get past your moods. 🪷
Then, hope flowers bloom again.
And tapping into hope grows spirituality.
If you take whatever your initial mind-body serves up, you’ll fall for all the irritated triggers du jour.
But when you decide on your better ways despite the bendy course you fall in, then you stay faithful to what you know will be without losing your joy that helps your hope.
P – Prioritize quiet time to your life as life unfolds. What is your mind doing when it’s not going a gazillion miles a minute or sleeping?
There is something stressful in play or as an undercurrent running in your mind if you pay attention… it’s the theme of the week or season.
If you were to sit on a bench or yoga mat quietly and scan your thoughts as they come in, you can intercept the moods and find better answers to your life now.
Prioritizing a shift to your peace mode and letting things go lets the Universe work things out on your behalf.
Your problems mysteriously work themselves out.
But if you let your ego intercept, that boxes in your possibilities because you’ve taken aggressive action.
Your ego doesn’t want your success or peace.
The ego wants you safe from anything new or questionable.
It will trick your perceptions and even attach unfactual information so it can keep running your show.
There’s no hope in ego drama.
E – Ego-free living is the way back to hope.
Your ego will make its way back in without prompting and avoiding ego every time will produce your hopeful results that have a lasting chance.
In metro culture we’re not taught “to be”like a monk.
So finding a daily way to honor your ego without turning it on is a way to grow more aware.
When you do get quiet, you can hear nature outside or building equipment running inside. That’s when you can hear the silence of the ego.
You can observe thoughts.
And for romantics who watch the Hallmark channel, your ego calms because the movie ending is predictable. The girl ends up with the guy. But the plot circumstances are different and the drama in between is what’s going on as life is in play.
What usually makes the difference is that each character pauses or is confronted to take a look at their life and what’s important. And it always points to love.
Love is hope and the opposite of ego-living. And ego-free living helps grow our spirituality. 🧡
