Hannah Crerar is a yoga teacher at Golden Yogi studio and shares with us from her blog Hannah Yoga and Soul

DELUSIONAL THINKING

Picture this: You are so dehydrated in the desert. And then you see it – water appears in the distance. This excites you. You keep your eye on the prize… You walk and walk, getting more and more exhausted. Despite the lengths you travel, the destination is always just out of reach. That is the teasing nature of a mirage.

I was deep in thought about us humans and how we are programmed when this image of a mirage in the desert came to mind.

Money, power and status are like the mirage. These “destinations” or “objects of desire” give the illusion that they will fulfil you. But when we desire more, bigger, and better – we are in a constant unfulfilled state, as when we get the pay rise/new car/thousands of likes on instagram – we often end up wanting even MORE, even BIGGER and even BETTER. So we think we have to walk further. Newsflash: it’s an illusion.

What if you just stopped walking towards the mirage? What if you decided to stop where you are? What if you started digging? If you dug deep enough into the earth you would find the satisfaction you were searching for all along! The water lives beneath the surface. And it’s the same with us – everything we are searching for lies within. Of course we know instinctively, water doesn’t float above the ground. It is the same in life – the things we desire most, often cannot be seen. All the goodness we need is WITHIN.

When we realise this, it’s so freeing. The enjoyment we seek in life is far less limited by our circumstance…

HAPPY DAYS

Positive psychology has discovered that the happiest lives are a product of happy DAYS. Unfortunately studies show only a fraction of the population think about happiness as a DAILY requirement. Cliché, but every moment counts.

As promised in the last post – here are a few easy, accessible things we can do to fuel the soul with it’s daily dose of happiness and it all starts withIN:

1 POSTURE = a straight spine creates instant mental clarity, free flow of breath and energy. It provides a feeling of strength, power and centered-ness.

2 SMILING = this little trick causes a release of neuropeptides, dopamine, endorphins and serotonin which work to fight off stress and make you feel good (no need for a prescription or a trip to the pharmacy). BONUS: smiling is attractive AND contagious.

3 DEEP BREATHING = deep belly breathing calms us and activates the parasympathetic nervous system so we are better able to rest, digest and reproduce. Calm energy is good energy to be around. When the body is calm it can do all the healing it needs to do.

4 MOVEMENT = to shift something mentally, a physical shift is very useful. Conscious movement allows stagnant energy in the body to free itself. We live in this body so we may as well move it in ways that feel good. Stretching, running, swimming, jumping – just let the body talk.

5 THE SENSES = one of the quickest ways to get PRESENT is to tune into the 5 senses. Right now, notice what you can see, feel, taste, smell and hear. Being present with your sensations will draw you INTO the moment and out of any future worrying or past dwelling. Make time in your day to delight the senses. This may be through a hot bath, a good song, an ocean view or a hot drink. There is an abundance of ways to consciously connect the outer world with the inner world.

6 CONNECTION = We are hardwired to connect – to see and be seen, to listen and be heard, to feel and be felt. Connection with others is so important and the more personal contact, the better.

7 GRATITUDE = The conscious mind can only hold one thought at a time. An attitude of gratitude will automatically give you something to feel joyful about – no matter how small. Remember success and joy aren’t a simutaneous occurrence, you’ve got to choose to see the positive.

8 AFFIRMATIONS = More powerful than our thoughts are our belief systems – and these lurk well below the surface. Repetition of positive statements and thoughts help to train our brain and reprogramme our belief systems. Louise Hay suggests repeating the thought “I approve of myself” over and over throughout the day. (I can personally vouch for how powerful this can be). Remember you are worthy and loveable so why think otherwise. Read more about how words can rock your life here.

9 GIVING = Deepak Chopra revealed that the quickest way to be happy is to make someone else happy. When we are of service, we feel a sense of purpose. The recipent is happy and we recognise that we have something to offer. Giving is certainly not limited to money and material objects. Give your time, your concern and your stories. There are people out there who need exactly what you have to offer.

10 RECEIVING = Sometimes this can be tricky, particularly if you have grown up learning to block complements, or praise or help from others. When you recognise you are worthy of receiving what you desire, you are opening yourself up to far greater possibilities – when you show the universe you have increased your self worth, it will open the floodgates so that more opportunities roll in. Another plus is that when you receive you are allowing the giver to feel he/she has fulfilled a purpose.

11 MEDITATION/ CREATION/ FLOW STATE = Getting centred or into a meditative/flow state is incredibly healing. There is the traditional seated version of meditation but there are many other ways to tap into this flow state. Whether through painting, singing, cleaning, playing an instrument, playing a game, drinking, joking, dancing, running, writing, cooking or travelling – if you can find some creative outlet in which you can become SO involved – you will find that the outside noise and the ego falls away, and you are able to touch base with the most authentic part of yourself. We are all innately creative and there are a million and one outlets – use them all and have fun!

12 REFLECTION: Take time to focus on how you have evolved overtime. Recognise your likes, dislikes, patterns, behaviour, thoughts and beliefs. Sometimes we have to pause and take stock of everything to get clear on HOW to show up in the next phase of our life.

YOUR TURN

Ask yourself now…What do I DO? What do I LIKE doing? Remember happy lives are a result of happy DAYS so please make the conscious choice to do a little more of what you like and what fills you up from withIN. You are so worth it!!

Hannah Yoga and Soul