Take a deep breath and think of one thing that brings you joy. Now, observe your reaction.
Today I want to challenge you to examine the concept of stress and the role it plays in your current life and lifestyle.
Have you lost someone to an unexpected death? What was your reaction when you heard the news? The answers to these questions are important because your answers give clues to the way you view the connection between stress and lifestyle.
I know I have answered this question with statements of they were too young and it isn’t fair that their children are left without a parent. Yet, when you look deeper, perhaps these responses reveal an unrealized fear of death, or a belief that this won’t ever happen to me.
Think back to your early years, perhaps your teens and twenties, when you thought you could conquer the world. Did you conquer the world? What happened?
Our society celebrates success, the best job, the most money, the biggest and best house on the block. However, do these material things and the praise of the results bring you joy?
Think back to the thing or things that bring you joy. Notice the thoughts, feelings, sensations, emotions that this exercise brings up. Now reflect on your life in this moment. Are you living a life of joy?
I hope many of you answer this question in the affirmative. If you consider that you are not living a life of joy, reflect on your day thus far. What emotions, feelings or thoughts come up?
Even in moments of joy, there are opposite moments of sadness or stress. These opposites are inevitable and it is your reaction to these opposites that tell the story of how much stress impacts your life.
Life is filled with stress, and many of us, myself included are hard wired to go, go, go, barely taking time to slow down, let alone engage in any kind of stress relief. Yet, this constant fight or flight takes a terrible toll on your body, mind and soul. Think back to the people you have lost in your life. What was their quality of life? Did you get the impression they were living the ideal life that you always dreamed you would have?
If you have been touched by an unexpected illness or premature death, you may have asked yourself how this could happen. What you may not realize is that these people you thought lived an ideal life may not have taken regular and sustained time to decompress and find relief from the stress in their life.
We all have some kind of constant stress, worries or thoughts that nag at us, keeping our body in constant fight or flight response. Eventually, this stress wears down the body, even for those who appear to eat well, exercise and otherwise live a healthy lifestyle. This is where joy and yoga enter the picture. Taking time each day, even if it is for a few seconds, to do something that brings you joy will help your body and mind break the fight or flight cycle. Your body and mind need a regular practice of rest and recovery to stay healthy. Remember the things that bring you joy is part of yoga.
Yoga is so much more than a practice of a series of poses or meditation. Yoga is a way to bring joy into your life. When you are joyful, that feeling spreads to everyone around you. You may also find a regular practice of doing things that bring you joy will allow you to enjoy the little moments in life.
Always remember to be compassionate with yourself, that you are exactly where you are supposed to be and that taking the first step towards change can be the most challenging. The important thing is to take that step and to practice as often as you can. Be well.