Happiness and Gratitude.... How to Geet Sum

It's Wednesday!.

Today I wanted to talk about Joy and Happiness. We hear a lot about Joy and Gratitude during the Holiday season through song " Joy to the World" etc through greetings " Happy Holidays" and untold marketing messages, however many of us are still not feeling Joyful! Happiness is elusive and certainly not a one size fits all fix and therefore it takes a lot of introspection. Happiness is an inside job. I hope that this weeks article will help provide some useful insight into " What makes YOU happy"

For those of you who have been asking Dr Pia's Purification Program will begin Jan 6th for those who want to get out the gate early and Jan 13th for those who need more time. This means you will be done by end of January/ Beginning of Feb. For those of you who live out of state we will conduct the program via Skype. Please email me if you want to learn more about this life changing program. THIS THE REAL DEAL. REAL FOOD for REAL PEOPLE. You lose weight, feel absolutely great and the best part it teaches you how!Beginning

Enjoy the article and what makes me happy is that my husband is with me for the holidays and still making me laugh.

Actually it is not just hip to be happy it is our right as stated in the declaration of independence.

The real question though is “ What makes you Happy? Really! It is a serious question and maybe one of the most important questions of your life. Research shows that most of us can’t answer the question correctly because we fall into the Unhappiness Traps.

1. Postponing Happy! “ When I (fill n the blank) “ then I will be happy” This type of trap is connected to what we think success looks like. The truth is NOW is the only time you have to be happy.

2. Spending your life trying to make other people happy. This type of practice makes us unhappy. This idea of happy is often driven by not making our own choices but those of our parents, our peers, our kids etc.

3. Contrast or the Happiness Illusion. For example we could be having an awful day and we run into someone whose day is worse than ours and by contrast we begin to feel better. The opposite would be; that we are feeling good and we are exposed to someone who has a bigger house, more well behaved kids etc and by contrast we feel worse.

Feeling happy releases Dopamine and Serotonin which dial up the learning centers of our brain to higher levels, which means we are able to organize new information, keep it in our brains longer and be able retrieve it faster. Our brains perform best NOT when they are in negative or even neutral but when they are positive.

The reality is that happiness is an inside job and the best way to start feeling happy is to feel gratitude about what you have and all that you are right now; that is where happiness is born.

Perhaps the true meaning of happiness will always remain elusive probably because not is not a one size fits all sort of thing – Yet we can tell you with certainty that Happiness is: a choice!

Happiness is a state of mind and you can choose to be happy!

My Best and HAPPY Holidays!

From my Heart to Yours: Namaste

Dr Pia Martin DC, CCN, CWC, CHC

cempia1996@aol.com

http://www.drpia.com

PH 214 8696404

Ask me about Dr Pia's Purification Program

Focus to ease Stress

Focus is the key to ease stress

Traffic jams, job woes and visits from friends and family. Life is full of stressors especially around the holidays, and more often than not, people feel it physically as well as mentally.

Although the stress response begins in the brain, it is a full-body phenomenon. When someone encounters a threat — real or imagined — the brain triggers a cascade of stress hormones. The heart pounds, the muscles tense, and the breathing quickens.

One of the best ways to counter stress is to pay attention to what is going on. That may sound counterintuitive, but paying attention is the first step toward cultivating mindfulness — a therapeutic technique for a range of mental health problems (and physical ones).

The opposite of multitasking

Multitasking has become a way of life. People talk on a cell phone while commuting to work, or scan the news while returning emails. But in the rush to accomplish necessary tasks, people often lose connection with the present moment. They stop being truly attentive to what they are doing or feeling.

Mindfulness is the opposite of multitasking. The practice of mindfulness, which has its roots in Buddhism, teaches people to live each moment as it unfolds. The idea is to focus attention on what is happening in the present and accept it without judgment. Then the key is to feel it and let it go.

However it is practiced, mindfulness is a powerful therapeutic tool. Research suggests that mindfulness techniques can help alleviate anxiety and reduce physical symptoms such as pain or hot flashes.

Do-it-yourself methods

One of the best things about mindfulness is that it is something people can try on their own. Here’s how to get started:

Center down. Sit on a straight-backed chair or cross-legged on the floor. Focus on an aspect of your breathing, such as the sensations of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth, or your belly rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.

Open up. Once you’ve narrowed your concentration, begin to widen your focus. Become aware of sounds, sensations, and ideas. Embrace and consider each without judgment. If your mind starts to race, return your focus to your breathing.

Observe. You may notice external sensations such as sounds and sights that make up your moment-to-moment experience. The challenge is not to latch onto a particular idea, emotion, or sensation, or to get caught up in thinking about the past or the future. Instead you watch what comes and goes in your mind, and discover which mental habits produce a feeling of suffering or well-being.

Stay with it. At times, this process may not seem relaxing at all, but over time it provides a key to greater happiness and self-awareness as you become comfortable with a wider and wider range of your experiences.

You can also try less formal approaches to mindfulness by trying to become more aware while you are doing activities that you enjoy.

Practice makes perfect

Mindfulness is something to cultivate and practice, on a regular basis.

Make a commitment. The key part of mindfulness means letting go of expectations. Just commit to trying to become more mindful, and do the best you can.

Make small changes. It’s hard much harder to make big changes. It’s better to start slow and build gradually. Mindfulness involves taking it less than one day at a time — aim for one moment at a time.