Art: Because We Can

I have not posted for a while, and I apologize for the delay.

Last weekend I went to an art opening. There were actually three that same night, but one was plenty. There is something about going to an opening that excites the mind more than just stopping in to view an exhibit. Obviously, the extra glow comes from the many people engaged in conversation about the paintings and sculptures as well as the food and wine!

Going to exhibits usually inspires me to get back into painting and creating...Typically, this does not actually happen because I typically do not have much space for it. In order to cultivate joy, I think we must cultivate our senses and our ability to express. We can do this by creating art and by actively viewing it. I am fine going to a showing on my own, but I prefer to have people I can chat with about what I see, feel, hear, and sometimes smell at an art show.

I was tipped off by the opening by a flier at my hair salon. My favorite part about going to the salon is flipping through the pages of the art magazines they have laying around. The best is Hi Fructose.

This cutting edge, counter-culture art magazine has a fabulous collection of images, articles, and videos. The descriptions of the work and artist insight makes this a must-see sight for people like me who find refuse in the arts.

Here is one sample:


Chair Arch: A film by The Glue Society for 42Below Vodka. from Glue Society on Vimeo.

Using Technology to Uplift and Unwind

Meditation is a key element of cultivating joy: just rest, relax, and try to clear your mind of worry. I also cultivate joy by exploring what resources are available. I recently made a new discovery of resources on YouTube while searching for free music for meditation for music. Not only did I find suitable sounds with cool graphics, I also located a few video clips with guiding words for balancing chakras. Whether or not you believe in chakras and the flow of energy in your body as a way to address health and peace of mind, the you may may want to give it a try if you are interested in meditating.

With a YouTube account, you can create your own relaxing meditation sequences.

Joy in the Body

How can we feel happy in our physical forms? I don't mean being happy with how one looks.

I mean feeling energized, alive, awakened!

I am glad you asked. Excellent question.

In my opinion, movement is key.

A simple, quick, morning routine to get the blood pumping is first on my list of things to do for cultivating joy in the body.

I strongly suggest resisting any impulse to buy something that you believe will help you get into a workout routine if you don't already have one.

When starting any new program, I highly adise to spend as little as possible.

Far too much advertising appeals to our desire to feel better in our bodies, as well as looking at our bodies. Begin with doing something that requires the minimun amount of time, money, and energy. Build on time and energy first and slowly...then, if you absolutely feel you are ready to join a gym or use new equipment, spend..

I try to begin my day with a simple sequence of asanas (yoga poses) known as the sun salutation.

I recall one friend adopting this strategy when we were working a terribly draining summer job in college. She actually did feel energized from it.

Next, take more, short, breaks while working (if you can). We sit and we stand for very long periods of time at work. Get moving. Take a break once an hour or two to walk around or stretch for 5 minutes.

There are more than a few sites dedicated to helping you avoid the ever more common work related injury of our computer age: repetitive stress injury. Find some exercises you can do to help you move your body in ways to help you avoid this malady.

My problem, with this advice, is that I am so mentally engaged I barely notice an hour, or two, or three, have passed! Do your best. Pay attention to the aches that arise in your body and do something about them. If you have had a long day of sitting and standing, give your self at least 15 minutes to just stretch or walk and just move. This will do wonders. Park farther from the office. Use the stairs. Do what it takes to encorporate this rejuvenation after stressing your body.

You may even want to ice your sore areas while you watch T.V. or while reading before bed. Ice will reduce the inflamation. Of course, a massage is also a great idea. If you can't afford that, you may want to invest in a massage chair pad.

The effects of sitting and standing for too long accumulate!!

You must be attentive to why your body hurts in order to help it feel joy.

Finally, eat well and stay hydrated.

I can save my lecture on what it means to eat well for another day. I would like to believe that most people know that a diet high in starch, sugar, and fats is not good for digestion, weight, or vascular health. Eat more fruits and veggies. I am vegan, and I will write more on why another time.

Eating well means that your body will function as a more effective machine. A well running machine is not slowed by faulty digestion, which can create bloating, headaches, and sluggishness. Staying hydrated will improve your digestion, keep you feeling energized, and possibly prevent a headache.

Move around, take breaks from your work, listen to your body, treat its needs, eat well!

This is my recipie for culitivating joy in the body!

Spring Comes with Joy and Pain

Soon seeds planted sprout
green growth glows, glistens
listen--long, low songs linger
Life springs Life for all

As the minute buds on trees emerge into fully developed leaves and blossoms, I feel a new life enter my awareness. With this, unfortunately, also comes the harsh pain of stuffy sinuses. Why?? It is a tragic twist of fate for me...The time I most long to be out doors is also the source of so much suffering.

Many people suffer from allergies. I try to bear it and save my outdoor activities for late in the afternoon, then when I am tired and feverish from exposure, I do not feel like I am laid up for the entire day.

I hope all of you were able to take a look outside to see new life emerge from the shadow of a cold winter. Plant something, nurture it. This will nurture your well being.

Healthy Relationships

Why does depression make it so difficult to reach out to the people we know care about us? Is there a trigger in our brain that is set off once we arrive at a particular point in the realm of sadness where we feel we do not deserve help or the comfort of a friend?

Reach out to those you know. Tell them how you feel.
I hope you have been able to cultivate relationships with caring people who do not judge you.

I suspect that people who suffer from depression grew into life with a shortage of healthy relationships. You need to be able to spot them when they are in front of you. You also need to be able to recognize when they are unhealthy. And, you need to gather the will to sever ties with people who are downright terrible for your self-esteem. I really do not need anyone in my life who makes me feel bad about myself. I do that just fine on my own, thanks.

I also suspect that the cognitive errors common among people with depression can make it hard to know when a relationship is healthy. We tend to believe we can read minds, know the future, and think of things in terms of all or nothing. Do what you can to identify this type of thinking when it occurs. To begin to explore cognitive therapy, I would like to suggest reading the book "Feeling Good" by David Burns, MD.

Here are a few tips on a health relationship as summarized from Go Ask Alice

• respectful
  
• secure & comfortable
• not violent (I know...it seems like a no brainer)
• can resolve conflicts
• enjoy time together (really....you need to think about it.)
• sexual by mutual choice!
• honest
• communicate clearly and openly
• more good times than bad

If some one is manipulating you, making you feel bad about yourself, criticizing how you dress or talk or look, or is overly jealous or possessive...if you are afraid of the person's temper or if he/she is violent....then you should probably END that relationship or at the least begin to discuss ways to make the relationship a healthy one.



Keep in mind that you as well as your friend or partner may have learned some unhealthy behaviors and attitudes that you may BOTH need to unlearn. If your partner or friend shows signs of wanting to make changes, then you should cautiously proceed and set benchmarks of progress.

Writing for Happiness

It has nearly been 1 entire year since I last wrote on this blog. I've been busy. Why?

I've had work. I have been compelled to watch mediocre programming and to sit atop a strategic placement of ice packs and heating pads. Mainly, I think I have not been writing because I just don't feel like it.

Joy is a fleeting experience. Optimism is a state of mind that too often eludes me.

Can writing bring happiness?

Reflection can provide a space that allows us to distance ourself from our feelings. There are times when writing our feelings strengthens them, giving them the momentum needed to drown out any other thought or cognitive cog that could chain the driving emotion we began hoped to disburse through writing. However, writing can also help us to be able to look at what we are thinking from a reasonable perspective.

Have you ever written out those nagging feelings to realize that you were basing your anger, fear, naive hope on an unrealistic vision of the future. Perhaps you had been reading minds? Someone said something to you that just stuck somewhere in under your shoulder blade and you had been annoyed all day. You write it out and realized that you completely understand the situation and there really is no reason to be upset.

Writing, of course, does not just help us see the cognitive flaws in our thinking. It can also provide a forum where we can dream of what could be if the impossible were true. It gives us a space to map out a route out of the despair, anger, and apathy...

Try writing. I hope it helps.

Enjoy the Act of Eating

The act of eating should be enjoyed.

Sit at a table. Or at least sit down, and try not to do anything else. Just slowly enjoy each bite. Talk casually with your friends and family.

Okay, read the paper. Maybe, MAYBE, watch TV. But, don't play your GameBoy or check your email.

This advice is based on one of the weekly tips I received from RealAge.com.


According to the RealAge.com tip of the day for March 20:

Normally, if you eat the same food for a period of time, your palate gets "tired." You feel full sooner and don't want as much. This is known as sensory-specific satiety. But get distracted -- by reading the latest celebrity gossip, catching up on e-mail, or playing computer games -- and this appetite-control mechanism gets turned off.

Chew slowly and savor the taste. Savor the moment. By paying attention to the act of eating we are attentive to ourselves and our own needs. When we are attentive to he fact that we are eating, we feel full and probably keep feeling full.

Enjoy the act of eating at reduce your chances for over-eating or compulsive eating! Savor eating and enjoy something so simple it is easily lost. Eating has become something you do while you do something else.

Binge eating is more common than anorexia or bulimia, as published in published in Biological Psychiatry and recently addressed on MSNBC. But why do we binge eat? Part of it could be because we are not even aware that we are eating, doing too many things at once.

Far too often, I see people walking and eating. I think the issue started to get to me when I went to little league games and saw kids eating pizza while walking. At first, I thought they might trip. But if kids are doing it, where did they learn it? Parents, other adults. I started to think of all the times I ate Cliff bars or sandwiches while driving, how is that for a safety issue?

How many things can we pay attention to at one time. I would like to think that my body feels more full when I sit down and enjoy eating my meal because I am giving my body the focus and energy it needs to process food.

Enjoy the act of eating. Savor the flavor and cultivate joy in a simple pleasure.