Joy to 2022!

​             Hello, friends!  Hope you have enjoyed these first couple taste of spring days.  Normally, February and March can be a challenging time to keep your spirits lifted.  Which brings me to another cornerstone of health coaching...joy!
 
            If you are feeling the winter blues, it might help to make a list of things that bring you feelings of joy.  For me, nature, cooking and yoga bring me joy.  Although, the yoga seems to get scrapped for some reason.  I suppose it may be the law that things at rest tend to stay at rest.  After taking a yoga teacher training class, you’d think I would have made this a staple in my life.  But, alas, laziness gets in the way.  I’m trying to bring it back without beating myself up for skipping it yet again.  I know my mind and body will feel so much better if I just get the routine back. 
 
            Baby steps are my solution.  Instead of thinking I need to do a good half hour to a one hour practice, I’m setting my bar nice and low and shooting for a 5 minute mini practice.  I tell myself that I most certainly have 5 minutes to spare, and my achy back will appreciate the attention. Inevitably, once I get to the end of the few minutes, I find it just feels too good to leave it at that.  Just bring those things that spark joy in you, back into your life.  Set the bar nice and low, and you may find yourself raising it once again. 
 
            Making yourself happy and being kind to yourself should be something to consider during these  last dreary days of winter.  Commit to being good to yourself without making yourself feel overwhelmed.  Before you put other things ahead of yourself, consider how your joy-sparking activity can lift your spirits.  The positive change will have a ripple effect through your life, and the lives of those around you.  

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