Tag: #wellness

Mindful Time/Mind Cleansing

by Ana-Alicia

I just sit here, listening to the rain sounds, looking outside the window, the barren trees, the birds flying, the cloudy skies. I look at my plants surrounding my space. I take deep breaths. I am immersing myself in the moment. There is a sense of appreciation. I have risen another day.

The morning time is my absolute favorite time of the day, for others it is the afternoon or evening, but for me I thrive in the morning, this is when my mind is the most active and alive. This is the easiest time for me to be mindful and present.

I use the first couple hours of my day, after I wake up to be present and mindful. I tend to my plants, I do yoga, I meditate, I pull some tarot & oracle cards for myself, and then I read. This allows my mind to cleanse. This brings me peace. This allows me to find peace, before the business of the day consumes me.

I try not to fill my mind with negativity and nonsense as I wake up. I allow my own thoughts and opinions to have a say first. I don’t want to be clouded by the outside world just yet. Giving myself a little me time. Putting the focus on myself first. We should all try to have a bit of me time throughout the day, if you can, especially when your mind is the most active. This sets my day up very well. Have a mindful day everyone, much love.

Mindful Message

by Ana-Alicia

Try not to focus on the negative headlines you see, rather focus on how nice and sunny it is outside, or the nice warm home you are living in, or that you have the ability to use your five senses in the world. Train your mind to focus on what you have, and what is good in the world. Focusing on the negative does nothing for you. There is nothing you can do about the negative aspects of the world. But if you look towards the positive and beauty. Peace and joy will enter your life. Choose the path that makes your life more peaceful. Life is already difficult. Make it easier on yourself, and put your mind to good use. Be an inspiration. Be productive. Be proactive. Be creative. 

January Guidance

by Ana-Alicia

Some things to focus or be aware of this month.

A month of investment. Invest in family. Invest in the future. Focus on getting your needs met. This month we may struggle to tend to ourselves and love ourselves. We got to learn to take care of ourselves, so that we can tend to others.  You may struggle to support others and give them attention, that can be due to not being able to care for ourselves. You may feel disconnected from others. Relationships may struggle. This month may be a time to work through your relationships with others. Work on miscommunications. Figure out if this person is right for you. Self-love and bonding are important for this month.

It is time to be more focused, logical and rational. Look at seeing things for what it is. Be strategic, build structure.  Work on fixing the problems in your life, rather than wallowing. There will be disappointments. You may feel down in the dumps. You may feel the need to disconnect. There could be a sense of apathy, and not caring for life and the people in it. Maybe disconnection is what you need, so you can work through your emotions. It may be the month to take control of your life, be the owner of your life. You may not be able to control everything in life, but you can work on the things you can control.

There are our delusions and there is the truth, time to seek the truth of the situation. Every challenge is a lesson learned. It isn’t fun to have challenges in life, but it is a disservice to us not to take something from the situation and make changes. This is a month of getting your material needs met, but also learning to declutter anything that isn’t worth much to you. Own what you value. Keep what you value.

This is also a month of love and appreciation. Work on self-love and work on loving others you hold dear. There are opportunities and possibilities out there for you this month. Find it and take it. It is a new year, so time to switch things up and change your perspective on things. It may also help to work with others. If you have a job that requires that, this is a great time to work on team chemistry. Although you may be great at your job, the help of others can be beneficial.

Make Something Out of Challenges in Life

by Ana-Alicia

I recently experience a difficult situation. I have thankfully moved past it, but at the time it was hard. After the experience, I really wanted to make something out of it, and learn from it. I think it is a wasted opportunity to not make changes, or make improvements when life hands you a challenge. Challenges are lessons to be learned.

I had to rearrange a lot of my stuff, because they had to fix our carpet. I realized I had too much stuff. This situation taught me things can easily be lost, or damage, so I decided I need to rid myself of things I had too much of. I have now decided to put a couple of things on my no buy list, this includes, clothes, books, tarot/oracle cards and notebooks. It made take a more minimalistic approach to things.  Collecting too many things is too much when it can easily be lost. Attachment does create suffering. I was stressed about all the things I could lose, but if I lessen all the things I have, the next time won’t be as stressful.

I think it is nice having less things. I can go through my clothes with so much more ease. It has pushed me to finally go to the library and rummage through all the collections of books they have there. This situation has given me an appreciation for what I have now. It also showed not to spend too much on things, but rather on experiences.

During the time I was away from home, while they were working on my house I came to this conclusion. I need to switch my mindset to how to take on this challenge? What can I do to improve my living situation? This is a test the universe and maybe my soul has given me. I see there being 4 stages. Resistance, depression, acceptance, then resilience, then learning. Take something out of a difficult situation, make something positive out of it. I am now in a better place, and I am much stronger for going through what I went through. The experience does suck, but the aftermath can benefit you in many ways.

Personal Growth

by Ana-Alicia

Is about learning about your shadow self. Looking at your flaws, and recognizing that it is part of you, and that is okay. We are a working progress. Trying to be perfect, or being perfect is impossible, but improving and being better is.

Growth is about facing fears. Part of growth is about challenging yourself and doing things you may not want to do, but may need to become more resilient and a better version of oneself. Awareness of your good and bad traits is important for our journey of growth.

We strive to reach higher heights. We are always searching for more. What is my life purpose? What more can I do? How much higher I can go? We are always on a journey to improvement. It is important to recognize your dark side. By doing this, it helps you confront your demons, and allows you to work on them. We all have flaws. We all have room for improvement.

We shouldn’t be judgmental or critical of ourselves, and others for that matter. Remember everyone has room to grow. You are not alone. Life is a journey. Life is hard. We are here to learn, to improve, to face challenges, and grow.

Be kind, be compassionate, be gentle to oneself. Working on ourselves, and through our struggles is hard, but with baby steps you will see improvements. The first step is awareness, and you can move forward from there.

There are still things I am working on, and I will continue to try to improve these flaws, or bad habits. Remember, we can never be a perfect being. We are not here to be perfect. We can try to strive to be a better version of ourselves. If we fail, we keep trying. All you can do is try. The effort is what matters. Effort will lead to success in some form or other.

Set Intentions

by Ana-Alicia

Your thoughts manifest your reality. I heard that, and thought I should try making more positive/personal growth intentions for the day. I tried 3 for each day this week. I did succeed at being more positive, and making an intention to go to work with a more positive attitude. I have to say I felt much more happier at work this week, then any other week. The others didn’t work out so well, but that is part of being human. You will make mistakes. The important thing is not to dwell on it, and continue to move forward and set intentions. Another day is another chance to improve, and make your intentions become a reality. It is all about progress.

Although I don’t always follow the intentions I set. I am always aware when I fall off track the moment I do it, so it can help me stop the bad habit at the moment, and not allow it to consume the rest of my day. I say, ‘well I am not following my intention for the day, lets try again.’ And I leave that mishap in the past. Intentions are what you intend to do, but it won’t always be followed, as we are humans, and fall off our path. You become aware, learn, and move forward. It is a growing process.

Let Go of Control

by Ana-Alicia

We may be able to control some aspects of our lives, but mostly the universe takes most of the control. Life is unpredictable. Let go of the need to control everything. We can’t fix everything. We can’t change everything. Life is unfair. Bad things happen. Getting angry and upset does nothing for you. Put that energy in making positive changes for yourself and others. Let go a little bit. Life life. Enjoy the beauty it has to offer.

Having a plan for the day is great, setting an intention is also great. Expect the best, but leave room for changes. As someone who plans ahead, this can be hard, but I am also aware life is unpredictable, and things won’t always go according to plan. It helps alleviate the devastation of things not working out. Be prepared and be aware. Improvise and be creative, figure out ways to make the best of unpredictable situations.

Aesthetics of Joy

by Ana-Alicia

What brings you joy? What is joy? Joy is sparked by external sources. It is a wonderful feeling to experience, and shouldn’t be ignored. Although this feeling is short-term. I can help increase our happiness levels. There are plenty of outside sources that can help put a smile on our faces, and I think that is a wonderful thing. I just finished reading Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee. She talked about 10 sources of joy. I would like to discuss these sources, and share my thoughts on them.

Energy

Light, ripples in water, waves of the ocean, the sound of music/soothing sounds, rain, waterfalls, or feeling the breeze. All these things gives us joy. Colors makes us feel more joyful and safe. Just imagine a colorful house, or bright house, and how much joy you get from it. Being around bright colors can also make us feel safer. Having a bright window can improve mood, productivity and energy.

Abundance

We have this need to want more, to enjoy things in bunches. This made me think of my plant collection, or tarot/oracle collection. I prefer to have bunches of them, rather than just one, or two. I think about how I like to go in nature when there is more life, leaves, and color, rather than in the barren winter months. Looking at lots of colors is better than looking at one. This can also do with liking variety, and have different types of the same collection of things. You can take shoe collections, or book collections. We like lots of varieties of the things we enjoy. It helps heightens our senses. The differences brings excitement. The abundance of the same thing can be exciting as well, like glitter, polka dots, balloons, stripes, or confetti.

Freedom

She makes comparisons to nature, and our sense of freedom amongst nature. In the woods, jungles, beaches, or parks. She also equates it to leaving work. There is a sense of freedom leaving work on a Friday. Your weekend is free to mostly do the things you want, which creates a sense of freedom. We are free from the restrictions of work. Freedom can come from a change of scenery. Nature gives us a sense of freedom, because there can be so much to explore. It seems endless at times. It brings us back to our roots. It makes us feel at home.

Harmony

It doesn’t surprise me that harmony can spark joy. Balance is essential in life, so a preference and enjoyment of harmony makes sense. She compares harmony to the joy of seeing The Rockettes synchronizing kicks. This reminds me of a vegetable arrangement of color coordinated vegetables. It was pretty fun to see. It really caught my attention. The different color of veggies lined up together was pretty cool. We like connections, coordination of similar things. I think of the Kpop groups I like, seeing them dance in harmony is so exciting and joyful. Nothing like an arrangement of things organized together that adds a bit of joy and excitement to our day.

Play

We all like letting our inner child out from time to time. We find joy in going to amusement parks, playing games, playing sports, coloring, painting, going to the beach, or park. From childhood to adulthood. Play is an important aspect of our lives. It sparks joy. I think back to a time I went to a game place. I had a blast playing the games there, especially badminton. There is just something enjoyable about playing around, letting your inner child loose. When you think of a fun place to play. You can think of Disney. No matter what age. That place sparks joy. The rides, the characters, the entertainment. It is a great place to play.

Surprise

She discusses how the moment of surprise can spark joy. Surprise is a wonderful thing, because it can center us back in to the moment. Think of surprise parties, surprise engagements, or a gift. I remember the joy I felt when someone gave me a gift I didn’t expect. The same events tend to happen daily, so when something new pops up, it creates joy, only when it is a welcomed surprise though. Surprise can be doing something different or unconventional. I think of being surprised by deer’s, or other creatures on my walks, and how joyful that can be for me. We all like to spice things up a bit, surprise is a good tool to do so. We get stuck on familiarity, but maybe adding a little surprise to our day can help spark a bit of joy in our lives.

Transcendence

Seeing balloons in the air, or a hot air balloon, or going on a hot air balloon ride, or watching the sunrise. There is something about seeing things go up, or one being in the air. I enjoy spending my mornings at the beach watching the sunrise. I take at least one day to do so. We find joy in seeing birds in the air, wondering what it would be like to do so ourselves. There is something about going above. It helps one gain perspective, and see the world from a different view. Although, I am no fan of planes. It is quite an experience to see the city from above. Joy and happiness tend to associated with upwards movement. Feeling up, uplifted, high spirits, high energy, or being on cloud 9. While sadness and misery are associated downwards. Feeling low or down, low energy, or hitting rock bottom. The sky is the limit. There is so much potential from above that sparks joy in our hearts. Being above, going higher can allow us to see the big picture, and appreciate things from below more.

Magic

Magic shows incite excitement and joy for people. Magic creates more possibilities. It creates more meaning. It is also something different out of the mundane ordinary life that passes by us daily. Santa clause, the tooth fairy, Easter bunny excites children. Movies like Harry Potter excite people of all ages. Even as we grow older the thrill of magic excites us. I think of tarot cards bringing excitement and joy to my life. There is a sense of magic when reading cards. As we get older, we get a bit more realistic, but mystery and possibilities of things still stick with us. She talks about the Aurora lights, although there is a scientific reasoning to it, it still seems magical to experience. You can say the same for a rainbow. The excitement seeing a rainbow brings. Magic incites curiosity, creativity, insight and discovery. Things out of the ordinary showcases there is a possibility for more, and that excites us.

Celebration

Coming together with others, communicating, dancing, laughing, and eating together. We as humans enjoy coming together with our loved ones. Birthdays, holidays, wedding, anniversaries, baby showers etc,. They all spark joy, although the preparation can be stressful. The actual event is quite fun. The cake, food, drinks, decorations, music, people. All of these things together spark joy. Nothing like being around the people you care about, and celebrating great moments together. We also enjoy celebrating are own moments. Promotions, awards, a new job, or home. We find ways to celebrate for those things as well. Celebrations have been part of society, since the early historic days, and it stays with us to this day.

Renewal

I find the beginnings of a new season to be the most joyful, and most exciting. She mentions the excitement of the first snowfall, or a flower blooming. I find excitement seeing the leaves turn colors in Autumn. I also enjoy seeing the leaves on trees become full in Spring, and seeing more green around me. I remember being really excited to start my new job, although there was some anxiety, it was mostly excitement. It feels great to start anew. A new home, a new job, the birth of a first child, a marriage beginning. The possibilities excite us. Transitions and beginnings can spark joy and excitement.

These are the 10 aesthetics of joy. I quite agree with this list, and think all spark joy in my life. Which one resonated with you most? I really enjoyed reading this one, and discussing it. I think it is important to always find joys throughout your days, even if it is minimal. Applying any of things, or being mindful of these things can help bring a little more joy and spark to your daily life. I also recommend picking up this book as she discusses much more in the book, and shares more examples.

Getting Out Of Comfort Zone(Experience Life)

by Ana-Alicia

I recently went to D.C on my own. Although it can be scary going to places on your own. It is better to face whatever fears you have. I ended up having a really great experience. I was able to explore more of the city, and see a museum. I now plan on going again later this year to explore more places there. I spent most of my winter days at home, so I felt I needed a change of pace.

I also recently went to a Birthday celebration for my friend. I was nervous/anxious to go, because there would be others there I am not familiar with. I decided to go regardless of my fears, one for my friend, and the other reason was just to do something I don’t normally do, and just live. I ended up having a blast, and enjoying the company of all the people there. It is important to experience life, have fun, and do new things. You will most likely not regret it, and end up having more fun, than you thought. You will also make some great experiences. Try not to let your fears stop you from living life, and gaining new experiences.