Time to breathe and smile

Have you been feeling hopeless and helpless lately, feeling exhausted by the drip drip drip of the pandemic?

I’ve found that one of the best ways to shift my energy away from negative thoughts and worry is by leaning back, taking a breath, and smiling. It lightens my heart so that I can let more of the joy in. Not complicated, but sometimes we just need to remind ourselves to breathe.

All month I’ve been posting about why being lighthearted is such an important mental health first aid technique and how it can help you to be more adaptable, resilient, and optimistic when faced with either a mini or major crisis. And that by being lighthearted, you are also helping to heal the world by sharing your light and joy energy with others who are struggling in the darkness.

To me, being lighthearted means slowing down enough to let your breathing emit the essence of your life force, or your Mana or Manna as many Indigenous cultures define it. In my Joy Medicine Cards guidebook for card #37 which is called Be Light-Hearted, I selected an animal guide that I felt best represents this topic. It is the dolphin.

I was guided to choose this special animal after reading about dolphin’s significance in Jamie Sams & David Carson’s book and card deck “Medicine Cards,” where they wrote that, “Dolphin speaks to us of the breath of life, the only thing that humans cannot go without for more than a few minutes.”

They go onto say, “Within the breath we encounter the rhythm of energy that all life emits.” and that, “Dolphin is the keeper of the sacred breath of life and teaches us how to release emotions through Dolphin breath.”

I find this description of life force through the breath fascinating and it makes such good sense. For when you breathe calmly and deeply, you still your thoughts as you focus on the breath, which in many meditation techniques, is the best way to connect with universal energy. And in this state of relaxation, you feel more lighthearted and can more readily remember your joy.

My advice to you is to look for light instead of darkness and hope instead of despair. And instead of hoping for the best and planning for the worst, try hoping for the best and planning for the best. You will get through these challenging times a little easier when you put a smile on your face and enjoy a good daily dose of belly laughter. Remember light is love and love is joy. Pass it on.

Love and laughter from your Joy Mama,

P.S.  Rumi said, “If light is in your heart, you will find your way home.”  Home is where your centre is and where your joy lives. Shine brightly my lovely joy being. Shine brightly!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy these:

Here’s some mental health first aid
Do you laugh or cry when you make a boo boo?
The great big smile experiment
What happens to your joy when you worry?
Expect Miracles

Images from Pixabay.