How do you see your life? Joyous or stressful, easy or hard; creative or monotonous? Of course life is not black and white, either/or. Yet we can choose to live more joyously and easily, as a conscious decision.
We often default into hurry and worry as a result of life’s challenges. This lends itself to a negative focus, something inherent in us, a primitive protective measure to keep us safe.
But unless we are in a truly dangerous situation, it’s not worth being on guard continuously, for that only creates undue tension and stress.
So how do you inject more joy and ease into your life? It will bring more light and lightheartedness into your life. Let us describe four keys, which – if you follow them – can be a gamechanger for the quality of your everyday life.
1. Breathing calmly
Breathwork is work at first because you want to be conscious of your breathing. Meditating often incorporates paying attention to the breath. In general, it’s good to have calm, relaxed breathing. Biofeedback is based on being aware of your body, but you don’t need to be hooked up to a device to find out what you’re experiencing. You can use your attention instead of relying on an instrument to help you be more self-aware.
Good health is based on breathing through the nose, not mouth. Breathing through your nose keeps you calm and balanced, connecting deeply to your diaphragm. Mouth breathing creates shallow chest breathing and a host of problems, being short of breath.
Add a sense of ease to your nostril breathing, which comes from your intent to do so. It helps your quiet, belly breathing to further relax and strengthen yourself. Long exhales in particular relax you and promote healing. You then have a more profound state of being with natural deep breathing. You can both focus more and let go of more of what doesn’t serve you (unnecessary tension).
HeartMath Institute has done several studies on the benefits the of “practicing ease,” the subject of this article.
Practicing ease helps you find creative solutions and to be more intuitive, and it benefits your physical health, such as the immune system and heart rate.
2. Finding the state of flow
Intending to live with joy and ease puts you in the flow. The flow is where you are effortlessly focused. You suspend your questioning, too-cautious mind, and dive into the possibilities of the present. In hypnotherapy, we call it a trance state, where you have intensified attention and awareness.
You pay attention to what you are doing and take in feedback well. You are living your life fully.
Joy and ease put you in the zone where magic happens, where higher states prevail and vibrations rise. It’s a timeless place, where you can be in the moment fully.
Breathing quietly and easily helps you engage in life. By following your interests, passions spark from your soul. You are then up to the task of living your life, without coercion, duty or obligation. In other words, you are experiencing your life, rather than calling it in, or being on automatic and blind momentum.
3. Experiencing grace
Joy and ease help you accept yourself and what is and appreciate it. There is a deep harmony and alignment when you live intentionally with joy and ease. You are more giving and generous to others and kind to yourself too.
You don’t have to be a religious person to feel grace. You can see nature’s bounty all around and you can participate, by taking a walk, smelling the air or flowers, looking at the sky. You are a part of the universe and can experience its bounty.
4. Becoming more resilient
Joy and ease help you respond instead of react to life. Uncertainties become challenges and not times to panic. With joy and ease, you find the good in the bad, the lesson in the failure.
Researchers call this “productive failure” where with patience and reflection you learn and grow from challenging experiences. You also get the dopamine and rewards on different levels from the struggle.
As you live a life of more joy and ease, you do see the big picture more. You see the forest amid the trees. You appreciate the trees, and even if you get temporarily lost in the forest, you can find your way.
With joy and ease, you are flexible like the branches of a tree, and regenerative like even after a forest fire, you will grow again with time and patience… with more joy and ease.
Always Joy and Ease?
Sometimes joy and ease, as desirable as these qualities are, don’t fit the situation. Here are two examples:
During times of legitimate danger, it would be foolish to try to counter your instinctive protective reaction with joy and ease. While being held at gun point, or treading on a dangerous cliff, you certainly wouldn’t want to lighten the situation. That would be foolhardy and distracting.
Also when grieving a loss of a loved one, you need to go though stages of grieving and mourning at your own rate. To be joyous and at ease when a loved one just passed could be a kind of denial or avoidance of a serious loss in your life. During the grieving and recovery process, though, you could let it be more joyous and easy.
Practical Suggestions
Here are some areas to add “more joy and ease” into your mind and positive self-talk:
* When waking up in the morning: “Today will be one of joy and ease.”
* When walking or driving: “I walk/drive with joy and ease.”
* When dealing with stress: “I deal with this situation with more joy and ease.”
* When talking or listening: “I talk and listen with joy and ease.”
* Overall booster: “Yes, today I have more joy and ease!”
For EFT tapping, add this phrase into the process:
“Even though I have this ____ [issue/problem], I accept and love myself with joy and ease.”
My Parting Story
I ordered some coffee from the local coffee shop and told himself to have the experience with joy and ease. He paid close attention to the barista as she took and got his order. He sincerely asked how her day was going.
He felt centered and relaxed and it seemed some of that rubbed off on the server too. She smiled back at him as she handed him his brew..
…Here’s to you then, living with more joy and ease.