Don't Worry, Be Happy (or not!)

It just takes a mentality (or a dance move) to turn your frown upside down!

The constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness.. 

you have to catch it yourself. ~Benjamin Franklin

As soon as I heard about the documentary called Happy, I knew it was not to be missed! Charming stories about where certain people find happiness, scientists and doctors using words like GNH- gross natl happiness factor- to explain the affect happiness has on the brain, the body, the economy, the environment and society.

Happy is defined as:

   1. Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.
    2. Having a sense of confidence in or satisfaction with (a person, arrangement, or situation)

synonyms: glad - fortunate - joyful - lucky - merry - cheerful

The documentary is something I highly recommend tuning into. Why not!? It shows people who suffer through real situations and come out the other side better for it. It shows that appearances mean very little when it comes to actual happiness. Duh! As if we don't already know this.

Some interesting facts... scientists have found that genetics have to do with happiness. About 50% of our happiness factor has to do with our genes. About 10% is circumstance. The other 40% is totally based upon intentional behavior! So that means you could grow up in the Adam's Family, feel totally restricted by your present circumstances (no money, no lover, no dream, no job, not enough, no status) and still decide to simply be happy!

The filmmakers argue that the statement 'money doesn't buy you happiness' isn't necessarily true. If you don't have enough money to cover your basic needs, it's hard to embrace your joy. But the reverse is also true- 'money can't really buy happiness.' The difference in contentment between someone who makes $5,000 to support a family and $50,000 is substantial. The difference between earning $50,000 and $5 million has relatively no affect on your cheeriness or contentment factor.

'It doesn't make sense to just make money for yourself when you don't take care of yourself, when you're not dreaming or happy.' ~Brasilian surfer in Happy

Nature as my church - Hoh Rainforest, WA

Once your basic needs are covered, happiness is found within, or intrinsically. Extrinsic goals are the ones that society tends to emphasize (rewards, praise, getting stuff, money, image, status). Intrinsic goals are on the exact opposite spectrum of the value system and are inherently satisfying (personal growth or knowing one's self, relationships, community, the desire to help).

Those who are surrounded by supportive family and friends, a community, are often the ones who are most satisfied and merry. This doesn't have to be a huge circle, but honor and be there for the ones who are in it. Happiness is also found by living authentically, in your true essence. It's about offering your gifts. The movie states that the basic premise of happiness is in 'having something to give somebody, that doesn't have something you have'. We transition from 'what we don't have' to 'what do I have to share.' I believe we all have our own Personal Legends to share, what's yours? 

What do you have to offer? To the person next to you, to your family, to your best friend...

Play dress up with your friend's kids...

I am most certainly not here to say that we should 'be happy' all the time, like 24/7. Not at all! In fact, I think embracing any and all emotion is the key to fulfillment. But in the end, one of the key ingredients in happiness is being able to recover from adversity more readily. One lady in the film, a former debutante, was in a tragic and life chagning accident that left her deformed and disfigured. She gave me so much hope! She realized that through her breakdown, and subsequent breakthrough, that life was better on the other side. I also particularly related to horses playing an integral role in her healing process. She goes on to say...

'It's a strange truth, but the truth is, I am a happier person. I think that you can make a choice when things happen in life.'

So when you are confronted with the choice to choose lemonade over lemons, choose to partake in activities that release dopamine, choose to take the reins of your own being! Exercise is a fantastic one, pues claro. But doing the norm in a not so norm way also has huge benefits. Random acts of kindness were ranked highest on the happiness inducing factor. Also up there were counting your blessings on a regular basis, as well as mindfulness meditations on compassion. What does it for you? Why not try 'em all?!

If you’ve finally decided, once and for all, to be happy, yet you aren’t – 

then you haven’t yet decided, once and for all, to be happy.

- Mike Dooley

Go find someone (or a tree) to hug, to laugh with, or to simply listen to. If you are open to it, these things will present themselves to you. And if you're wearing an ape suit while you're at it, then all the more happiness to you!!!

Now let the musical genius of Bobby McFerren carry your woes away...

Namaste Y'all!!!!

I've included some things that make me happy...

Share in the comments below what does it for you! 

Farm work & maté amongst the critters!

Kangaroo lounging in Oz!

May Today There be Peace Within

On behalf of one of the Cowgirls vs Cancer recipients, I was inspired to share one of my favorite quotes. You can find me reciting it at the end of most every yoga class. I first heard it in savasana during my fantastic Yoga Motion teacher training!!

Stunning finca views from Salta, Argentina.

“May today there be peace within. 

May you trust that you are exactly where you are exactly where you are meant to be. 

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. 

May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. 

May you be content with yourself just the way you are. 

Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. 

It is there for each and every one of us." 

― Saint Terese of Liseaux

My hope is that you can recite this everyday, because whoever you are, you deserve it.

You also deserve to listen to this song and sing from your soul.

Namasté y'all

How to Know if You Should Leave Your Job

My new job, running cabalgatas - horse excursions - in Cafayate, Salta, Argentina. 2010

Soooo a couple of weeks ago I picked up a Sept 2005 issue of O Magazine from a local thrift store here in Bozeman. I was planning to use it for making a vision board but I started reading it instead. And boy oh boy are the articles so poignant to every aspect of my life right now! No coincidence that I happened to pick up this edition and end up devouring its pages. Thank you Universe, as always.

One of the articles I really appreciate actually has a lot to do with helping you decide whether or not you should quit your job and move on to something else, or continue on the path you're on, giving it all you've got. (It also has great commentary from Michelle Obama, before she was the First Lady!)

I've noticed this theme a lot in my life. When I was living in Argentina I met a guy named Cristian. I met him right before I up and moved the entire life I had created for myself in Buenos Aires in search of greener pastures. I moved to northern Argentina where I ran and operated an adventure tourism agency in the small town of Cafayate. I knew relatively very little about this place before I decided to relocate there. I knew I had an interview set up with a vineyard or 2, a guaranteed job at a hostel if I wanted it, and a couchsurfer's place to crash at while I figured it all out. So that seemed like enough.

Cristian, Jess & Choco @ La Bomba Loco en Buenos Aires

But it truly was going into the unknown. A 20 hour bus ride, my life in my luggage, and I had arrived. My senses were alive at this intoxicatingly new place I was to call home. So foreign, only 1 or 2 people in the whole town speaking any English at all. I was a true gringa for the first time and really living there nonetheless.

I turned down the job at the vineyard (but I can now say that my fist interview in Spanish was with the oldest name in wine in South America- thank you Etcharts!) because I knew that running a travel tourism agency was just the perfect fit for me. It was intimidating to be put in charge, left alone to my own devices, and all this on day 2. Selling tours and excursions to places I had never been, in a place that was new to me, and doing it all in Español, che. But I relished every moment of it. It felt so natural, so exciting, yet incredibly relaxing at the same time.

Because of my new job I got to know the area from the people who know it best, and then I got to show it off as well in my new job as a bilingual tour guide. It didn't take long for me to transition into my new surroundings- the 4 hour siestas, the tours of waterfalls, canyons and ruins, the desert living, the folklore music in the plaza at sundown, the majestic nature of it all.

I kept in touch with Cristian throughout all of this and I very vividly remember the day he asked me if he should up and leave his life in Buenos Aires. He was inspired and encouraged by what I was doing, taking huge leaps and experiencing massive benefits, and he too wanted to look for greener pastures.

The river I crossed every day to get to where I worked in the main plaza.

He had nothing holding him back in the city (except for himself) so I told him to either go for it and choose to live the life he wanted to live, or continue to feel a victim to his own happenings. I remember knowing that telling him this would change the course of his life. But I knew he was seeking me out because he was desperate for someone else to encourage him in his dreams. So I did!

He ended up quitting his job, selling his belongings, and BIKING from Buenos Aires to Salta, Argentina, all the way up near Bolivia! His first real stop was to come visit me in Cafayate. While it didn't end up working out between the 2 of us, different life paths, it was an incredible thing to experience. The enormous smile I saw on his face as he biked into town. He had taken the reins of his own being and it paid off.

He still writes me sometimes to thank me, to say that he loved the new job he found, that he was on such a high in life, that he was so stimulated yet more relaxed than ever. I know the feeling. My entire Argentina experience was like that, and life pretty much has been ever since. I know that he has since moved back to Buenos Aires to be with his family more, but he is a changed man, a happy and strong man who does not fear life but embraces it fully.

I hope sharing this story has encouraged many of you who have asked me about whether or not it's worth it to go out there and reach for your dreams. If you never try, you'll never know. It can be the most frightening experience in the world, to leave behind what you know, the comforts of home, for the complete unknown. But in my eyes (and in my heart) staying 'stuck' is far more frightening than being brave enough to take that first step.

This is my life! I often had to pinch myself.
Still do.

What do you think?

If you're on the fence about your job or your career, here are the questions that the Oprah article by Suzy Welch suggests you ask yourself:

1- Does this job allow me to work with 'me people'- individuals who share my sensibilities about life- or do I have to put on a persona to get through the day?

2- Does this job challenge, stretch, change, and otherwise make me smarter- or does it leave my brain in neutral?

3- Does this job, because of the company's 'brand' or my level of responsibility, open the door to future jobs?

4- Does this job represent a considerable compromise for the sake of my family, and if so, do I sincerely accept that deal with all of its consequences.

5- Does this job- the stuff I actually do day-to-day- touch my heart and feed my soul in meaningful ways?

The article mentions, 'These questions won't tell you if you should become a veterinarian, work in high tech, write a novel, manage a restaurant, or open your own advertising agency. The questions will however, guide you once your journey has begun, their answers suggesting whether you should stay in a job and give it your all or get up the gumption to move on to something else. Eventually, the questions, which you can ask either about the job you currently hold or a position you are considering, will steer you toward the career that... turns work into joy.'

Enjoying maté in my blissful new Cafayate surroundings, so serene inside & out.

For all of those who are wondering, for all of those who are asking, for all the Cristian's out there who just need extra help believing, I say DO IT. Ask yourself these 5 questions, be real, be honest, and find the work that brings you joy. 

I'd love to hear how you do it...

Namasté

For the full Oprah article, Getting Unstuck, click here.

Thank you to all who have encouraged and been with me every step of the way!

Cowgirls vs. Cancer, A Healing Experience with Horses

2012's Cowgirls vs Cancer Retreat- so many amazing cowgirls! Photo By: Larry Stanley

How do you live in your essence? 

A common VivaMyYoga pondering that was on the top of my mind yesterday as I met Drea Bowen, a magical (yet very real) horse & human healer.

Drea and I connected over coffee (tea, actually) to colloborate our efforts in healing with horses for  the upcoming Cowgirls vs. Cancer retreat. For those of you who don't know, a lot of what I spend my time (summers especially) doing out here in Montana is helping to put on Cowgirl Yoga retreats, the only place in the world where Yeehaw intersects with Namaste. Last year the CY founder, Margaret BurnsVap, put me in charge of planning the Cowgirls vs. Cancer retreat.

This retreat has become a combined effort of so many wonderful souls and I relish the opportunity to put my passions into gear, helping to make Cowgirls vs. Cancer a truly memorable, remarkable, and healing experience for all involved. Think fire ceremonies, lots of healing meditation, and the foundation that is at the basis of all Cowgirl Yoga retreats- healing with horses, yoga, and nature under Big Sky country. All while kicking cancer's a@s!

So many beautiful people have entered my life because of this heartfelt and meaningful work. Drea is now one of them. Rarely in my life do I get the opportunity to meet other like minded souls who are passionate about understanding horses and their immense power and healing potential.

What makes working with horses so particularly enriching you may ask? 

Horses allow humans the opportunity to move from our thinking brain into our limbic brain, providing an overall somatic experience. Basically it gets us into feeling rather than being in our heads. We're social beings and most people of us just want to get noticed, and be accepted for who we are.

Wild Wisdom Natural Grace

Horses do this. If your actions and appearance are not congruent with what is lying under the surface, then horses will pick up on this incongruence and they won't let you get away with it. They will become anxious, like you are, by not living in your true essence.

So basically if you pretend to be calm and zen while approaching a horse, while underneath you are scared to death and faking false bravado, horses will pick up on this and it won't sit well with them. A metaphor for life. You can't find harmony in your life when you are pretending to be something you are not. 

'Horses are a safe place to try on your authenticity. You can compare where you feel this authenticity with the horses, to where you feel it in your life.' ~Drea Bowen

I often find myself around my (mom's) horses when I am feeling the most emotion in life. They don't expect me to be anything else than whatever it is I am experiencing at that moment. When I am sad or angry and crying, they are OK with that, and I can sense their relief and support at my willing to be vulnerable. When I am happy and elated, they are OK with that too and most often are happy to join in with me on the bliss.

With my boy, Bridger.

Horses still have such a wild nature about them. They are amazingly connected to an ancient, primitive wisdom. And because they are accesible to us, we get to experience it through their offerings. We are taught healthy boundaries and that what you resist, persists! Horses don't judge you or have expectations of you, they just want you to be real with them and to treat them with respect for the tuned in individuals that they are. If you've ever looked deeply into a horses eye, you know exactly what I am talking about!

One of the most important takeaways from my time with Drea was to open up to what it is you are feeling while you are around horses.  Most people are terrified of being vulnerable. Society has taught us that if we're not constantly in left-brain mode, achieving and being successful (WINNING!), then we won't make it. We'll be kicked out of the tribe, we'll be left alone, and we won't survive. It's become a basic instinct!

But the desire to feel belonging in this disconnected way means a whole heck of a lot of people running around with extremely high levels of anxiety, depression, sadness, and confusion. They're lost. And who's to blame them?

What needs to happen is a return to our soul essences. It takes being vulnerable, and being willing to acknowledge your feelings as opposed to your thoughts. Horses provide an excellent platform for this. They are willing to accept & acknowledge the subtle shifts you make in being heard and understood. All it takes is baby steps. Once someone realizes that they aren't going to be shunned for being themselves, for being human and vulnerable, then they can start to take these lessons out of the arena and into life. (sound like stepping onto your yoga mat, anyone?)

As Drea says, 'when you're aware, you're halfway there.' Horses get people into their bodies whether they like it or not. They allow you to start watching yourself from the inside out (moving from your soul's essence) and recognize what it is that you feel, your heart's desires.

Horses have always been an essential element of my life. Always will be. I am grateful for the sacred space of possibility that these majestic mammals hold for us. They allow us to move into whatever is happening within, and to know that it is OK. We can then begin to start exploring what it is life means to us in our own unique way and take it off of the saddle and into life. Taking the reins of your own being!

Photo By: Larry Stanley

For more info the retreat, scholarship nominations for fellow breast cancer survivors, and our fundraising efforts, just check out the Cowgirl's vs Cancer site. And to find out more about Drea's amazing efforts in working with horses for 'your heart, your spirit, and your lymbic brain', find her at Horses Heal Hearts and on her fb page.

If you've never spent much time around horses, or if the experience has been lying dormant within you, I encourage you to try it for yourself! And send lots of love and healing light our way as we gear up to an incredible weekend of healing, horses, empowering women, not merely surviving but thriving, and kicking cancer's a@s!!!

Yeehaw & Namaste y'all.

June's Acts of Kindness, Pueblo Purmamarca

The picture below is one of my favorites from living and travelling in northern Argentina. 

Who is this man in red? Everything blending perfectly into its environment, including him.

El Cerro de los Siete Colores, the Hill of 7 Colors, a rare site indeed, makes me wonder...

What would it be like to live in a place where everything is harmonious?

In honor of May being the month of manifestation, a friend and I shared a daily gratitude journal with each other. What better way to produce a sense of 'more' than by being grateful for what you already have? And after filling ourselves up with gratitude and good intentions, we decided to share it with others. We are dedicating June (a month of transition and creative action) to Random Acts of Kindness. Want to join us?

Create a more harmonious world by being grateful for what you have, and then sharing it with others.

What will your daily act of kindness be?

Man in Red ~ Pueblo Purmamarca, Jujuy, Argentina

Nothing discernible to the eye

of the spirit is more brilliant

or obscure than man;

nothing is more formidable,

complex, mysterious, & infinite.

There is a prospect greater 

than the sea, & it is the sky;

there is a prospect greater

than the sky,

& it is in the human soul.

~Victor Hugo

Thank you to the people of Argentina, for the kindness you showed me, the kindness I will never forget.
Gracias a la gente de Argentina, a la gente mas amable que conozco.