Are you awake?

Have you ever met that person and really I am assuming here we all have.  The person who YOU can see how much potential, opportunity, possibility for love and gifts they have but no matter what they can not.  Insight and intelligence comes from all of the things they create yet somehow, they continue to sabotage any possibility of it turning into something positive.  It's almost like when a situation does go wrong they look at you and say "I told you so, this is just the way it goes for me".  It's amazing because for most of us we want to shake this person and say "WAKE UP"...can't you see how beautiful, loveable, funny etc you are?  We want to scream "why can't you allow yourself to be seen, heard, loved, happy, fulfilled?".  Now what if you crossed out the you and replaced it with an I.  I need to "WAKE UP", I can allow myself to be feel beautiful, heard, loved, happy and fulfilled.  Throughout all of our lives we have been compared to so many things and if it didn't "measure up" then perhaps we are just less than.  Realistically though who gets to decide how to measure when you deserve to be heard, loved etc.  The answer to that is you not anyone else.  The reality is simply by being alive means you deserve to be loved, you deserve to laugh, you deserve to have dreams and of course you deserve to be happy.  So the next time you want to give someone a shake for not having the clarity to see the amazing being in front them.  Ask yourself what part of my being am I denying/hiding/shaming and maybe give that part a shake.  When you start to show up and experience all  the gifts within you others will do the same.  Yes life will pull it's fast ones and throw it's curve balls.  However,  instead of expecting the negative and assuming life is out to get us.  We can realize that life is on our side, helping us to learn the lessons that will help us shine even brighter...should we choose to wake that side ourselves up.  

Harnessing Your Happy Powers.

Happy Powers, we all have them but whether we use them to the best of our ability is another question.    Happy Powers are available to everyone of us.  If used they have the power to improve your personal ranking on your happy scale.  Happy powers can be tapped into anytime, regardless of what might be going on in your life.  Yes this does require effort and we have to choose to use them.   No, I am not talking about wine (although a glass every now and then for me is nice too:).  I am talking about moving your body, sweating a little or a lot on a regular basis.  Taking the time to see how important exercising (dare I say the word) really is in the grand scheme of things is HUGE.  When we exercise, move and sweat we release endorphins, dopamine HAPPY HORMONES!  Without thinking about our mental state we get an automatic pick me up.  This sensation helps us to see and think clearer, function and move better and maybe let things slide off our backs a little easier.  As we continue to take care of our bodies we can experience life overall in a better place because we really do feel better!  Not to mention without our bodies we wouldn't be able to experience anything anyway.  One of our priorities for sure needs be the one thing we have that allows to be and feel alive, your body.  The fantastic part is when we focus on looking after ourselves with exercise and nutrition all the experiences we have improve:).  If your looking for advice on nutrition just hop over to my fab friend Jenn Pike's blog http://jennpike.wordpress.com trust me it's all there!  We all have a super hero that exists within us and one of those amazing powers is the ability to be happy.  Just like an athlete or  musician we need to practice and exercise those muscles of bliss so the joy can be unleashed.  So many will say they don't have time, they have an injury, they are too tired on and on.  You can start by just jumping up and down in your kitchen, marching on the spot, pressing your arms up and down for a minute or two or going for a walk.  Just start to move and get your heart rate up.  Stimulate the release of those hormones and then start to move more and more and feel better and happier.   I know I was extremely lucky to be studying Kinesiology in university after my Dad has his heart attack and suffered brain damage.  Having to exercise in school definitely gave me a better chance at coping with my world coming to a crash and burn at that time.  Many people also use the excuse they can't afford a gym membership, they don't know what they are doing or they just don't like the gym.  You can even check out 'you tube' there is an endless amount of videos on how you can move your body in different ways and even get your exercise on.  Just search Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Dance, kickboxing whatever you like, the list really is endless.  Your local library will also rent exercise DVD's you just need to choose to walk through the doors.  Get a friend to do it with you and then you'll release even more dopamine, as being in a community environment will do that.  Of course if you can find your way to a gym or studio that is hugely beneficial as well.  Either way knowing, understanding and owning the fact that these hormones or as I like to call them happy powers exist in you is a start.  You need to choose to get moving so these super powers have the opportunity to unleash your feel good potential!  Then, actually releasing and using your powers is a one way ticket in the direction of a happier healthier you!

be happy , be healthy.

Mieka :)

For more information on how to discover your happy check out my Happy Flow Yoga workshops coming at the end of September. http://yogapilatesfitness.ca/happyyoga.html