04 Nov Do More of What Makes YOU Happy

If you want to be happy, be.
Leo Tolstoy

If a dose of pure happiness is harder to come by than a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it might be time to ask yourself; when was the last time you felt utterly and entirely happy? Now let’s think… Maybe it was a few days ago after dinner and drinks with friends? Or possibly last month when you finally got the pay rise at work you’d been hoping for?

The infrequency of your inner happiness might not be something that you regularly pay attention to, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that being consistently happy is something most of us seem to lack. Rather than accumulating our joy through experiences, collectively as a society we are far more content with accumulating possessions and ‘things.’ Although these ‘things’ – a new pair of shoes, a new car – provide brief bouts of happiness, it’s rare that their initial pleasure will last. Rather than chasing materialistic joy, focus on cultivating a renewable source of positive energy within yourself. Imagine your degree of daily happiness as a pristine waterfall: it should be continuously plummeting down with vibrant force, not dwindling and running dry.

Feeling happy shouldn’t be a scarce or uncommon event in your life. It is an emotion that you should harness all day, every day! Here at Warrior One we know that this can seem totally unachievable – hey, we’re only human too! But the important thing to understand is that happiness is a choice we make, increasing those happy vibes lies entirely within your own control. So where do you start?

Your physical health is ultimately reflected by your emotional health, so why not start from there? Switch off from personal pressure to look good and focus on feeling good instead. Quite literally, do more of what makes you happy! Set achievable goals for yourself and promote your own self-respect. Meditate, listen and learn from your body. INDULGE!

The regular practice of yoga offers a chance to unite your mind and body in a harmonious flow of movement and reflection. Utilise your Warrior One yoga sessions to nourish your self-worth and to observe the intuition of your body. This process of mindfulness will not only aid your spiritual journey, but will provide your body with the right psychological foundation to achieve your health goals safely. A restorative and renewing yoga class provides the perfect environment to train positive thoughts in the mind and the body equally. By balancing the physical and emotional elements, you are armed with the tools to approach your health with understanding and practical perspective.

Feeling peaceful and energetic after leaving the mat is no surprise, in fact there’s evidence to prove that yoga can be the ultimate mood-booster! Tapping into your nervous system during yoga allows us to adapt our mind-body connection at a cellular level, actively seeking positive change from within. The deep breathing techniques that leave you feeling calm after a class might seem like a magic trick, but they are actually activating your parasympathetic system. This division of the nervous system is responsible for steadying your heart rate and increasing the processes of intestinal and glandular activity – putting your body into a recuperative state of rest and digest! What’s more, by weaving a positive and – you guessed it – happy intention through your yoga practice you are planting those good thoughts in your mind and body, effectively bringing change on and off the mat!

Achieving the happiest version of yourself all depends on your capacity for positivity and happiness, and one of the easiest ways of accessing those happy vibes is by spreading them around! Giving back and showing gratitude to others actively increases happiness for all parties involved by boosting sentiments of self-worth and accomplishment. It’s important to remember that, like you, each person is on an individual path to happiness, and through acts of gratitude you are not only assisting others on their journey but also aiding your own.