16 Keys to Happiness: Simple Techniques to Begin Elevating Your Happiness Level Immediately

In prior blogs we’ve stressed the notion that happiness is an important condition for and component of wellness. This was noted within the context of many different studies pointing out an alarming decrease in the happiness factor in the U.S. at this time. In this article, we’ll explore one simple technique suggested by Dr. Joseph Mercola and which anyone can practice to begin elevating our personal happiness index immediately.

Of course, there are many reasons for why we may not be able to say we’re happy or well satisfied with our lives. These reasons can include physical factors affecting our physical, mental and emotional health and vitality. It is always best to seek the counsel of a more holistic-oriented healthcare practitioner who will look at all areas of your life with the goal of pinpointing any possible physical causes such as brain chemical/hormonal imbalance for profound unhappiness. Barring these, let’s look at what Dr. Mercola’s key concept for creating happiness.

In his daily newsletter of August 9, Mercola reminds us that “only 1 in 3 Americans reports being ‘very happy,’ and nearly 1 in 4 experience no life enjoyment at all.” This sorry state has motivated a number of authors and researchers to find ways to combat what can be seen as a psychological dysfunction. Fortunately, there's hope.

As Mercola states,

“small changes in perspective and behavior can add up over time, and practicing gratitude is at the top of the list of strategies known to boost happiness and life satisfaction.”

That prospect is worth focusing on, particularly since it is not only a way to improve satisfaction in our lives but because, as proven by recent research, it also actually produces clear health benefits.

Mercola concludes:

“enhancing your health and well-being, then, may be as simple as taking the time each day to reflect on what you're thankful for.”

Here are the salient points from the Mercola article entitled, “Gratitude Makes You Healthier, Happier and More Popular.”

Enriching relationships are key to happiness.
When we appreciate our relationships it increases both our relationship experience and satisfaction. In turn, our sense of pleasure is boosted which reduces stress. Finally, the more we appreciate our relationships, the more we are able to meaningfully expand our social circle.
Gratitude for everyday things helps us to become better people. Just by feeling gratitude for the everyday little things in life, we become more patient and organically strength our willpower enabling us to make better decisions in every arena of our lives.

Gratitude is a form of generosity which is linked to happiness.
Whenever we give to another no matter how small the gift or gesture we get happier.
Gratitude has been shown to combat depression.

“Experiments have demonstrated that getting in the habit of listing three things you're grateful for each day results in considerable improvements in depression, sometimes in as little as two weeks.”

Gratitude has antidepressive effects, it helps regulate mood-regulating chemicals, reduces stress, improves work performance and enhances emotional resiliency.

Grateful people tend to pursue health enhancing activities and good self-care.
As a result of a consistent practice of appreciation, all sorts of physical benefits result such as better quality of sleep, improved cardiovascular health, reduced pain and inflammation, better mental and stronger immune function.

Dr. Mercola offers a number of methods for cultivating happiness and you may come up with your own unique ways. Some of Mercola’s suggestions include:

• Keeping a gratitude journal—

“Focus on the benevolence of other people. Doing so will increase your sense of being supported by life and decrease unnecessary anxiety. Also, focus on what you have received rather than what's been withheld.” —Robert Emmons, founding editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology

• Writing thank you notes—Show others your appreciation in writing often. This isn’t done very much these days so the impact you’ll make on the one you write to will probably be significant.

• Saying grace at mealtime—Foster your connection to the food and the earth that gives you life.

• Don’t sweat the small stuff—Most centenarians interviewed say that the key to their longevity and happiness is that they learned how to let things go. Always see the bigger picture. This will help you realize it’s not worth it to angst over most of what worries you and it will help you grow and evolve in a satisfying way.

• Follow your own counsel—If you’ve got a problem or are facing a dreaded issue, what advice would you give to someone else if they came to you with that same situation? You should probably follow it.

• Express yourself nonverbally—A soft and caring touch, a hug, a smile—all these will not only positively affect the receiver, they will affect you as well.

• Become more selfless—Give genuine ‘other-directed’ compliments often.

“Research shows that using ‘other-praising’ phrases are far more effective than ‘self-beneficial’ phrases. For example, praising a partner saying, ‘thank you for going out of your way to do this,’ is more powerful than a compliment framed in terms of how you benefited, such as ‘it makes me happy when you do that.’”

• Practice being in the now moment—Make prayers of appreciation or follow a mindfulness meditation practice to develop a habit of lingering in the now moment of safety and peace.

• Make a nightly ritual of appreciation—These can be any activity you create to reinforce your appreciation for everything in your life such as a gratitude jar where you add notes of gratitude on a daily basis.

• Put your money into experiences rather than things—

“… spending money on experiences not only generates more gratitude than material consumption. It also motivates greater generosity.”

• The key to happiness is learning to appreciate what we have, do and are in the moment.

• Running after more money does not necessarily bring happiness. Once we learn to appreciate what we have right now, we allow more abundance to come. When that increased abundance comes, we’re ready to receive and utilize it in a healthy way.

• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can help—Look into this simple meridian tapping technique that is proven to alleviate emotional stresses and restore inner balance and healing.

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Source
Mercola, Dr. Joseph. “Gratitude Makes You Healthier, Happier and More Popular.” Mercola.com, Mercola.com, 9 Aug. 2018, articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/08/09/gratitude-benefits.aspx?utm_source=dnl.

Do We Remember the Spirit of July the Fourth? How Current Events Provoke Us to More Profoundly Value Our Nation's Beginning

The 4th of July! A great day for outdoor celebrations, marching bands, barbecue, the beach… a welcome day off with friends and family. At the same time, how much thought goes into remembering what this holiday is about over and above the 13 colonies’ gaining of independence under the weight of the Crown of England leading eventually to the formation of our American Republic? These seminal events were the outcome of a collective state of mind of a handful of leaders representing those colonies and who have been referred to as the “Founding Fathers.” 

Their state of mind was anchored by strong convictions of the rightfulness of certain critical values. First and foremost was a sense of freedom and independence from the unfair and arbitrary treatment they suffered at the hands of the English government. But the new world had inspired many who were fleeing oppressive conditions and who had made a difficult trip across the Atlantic to enjoy a sense of freedom found and the potential to more fully enjoy the fruits of their labor.

That sense of freedom included the right to pursue happiness in whichever way they could that was both legal and possible and so much so that the Declaration of Independence stressed “the pursuit of happiness” as an inalienable right. 

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Now why are we talking about all of this—and from our vantage point as a skincare company?

We consider that our unique skincare line based on the principles of vital energy is more than skincare. PHYTO5 quantum energetic products come with the very important added value and potential of balancing not only vital energy but the skin and emotions as well. This makes PHYTO5 an active modality of wellness.

Wellness is difficult to achieve without a reasonable level of happiness, therefore a national and a home environment that supports our pursuit of happiness is also an environment that supports our pursuit of wellness and vice-versa.

Media regularly reports about the escalation of physical and mental health crises. We are realizing alarming increases in suicides, opioid addiction and obesity. Our population increasingly suffers the effects of mental stress from a mounting number of sources. This mental stress pervades our lives as we unconsciously develop and suffer from a sense of separation as a result of immersing ourselves in technologies. Our relationships tend to be more with smartphones, tablets and computers than with people.

Given the documented drop of the “Happiness Index” in the U.S. it’s reasonable, if not necessary, to ask ourselves if things are on the right track in our government in terms of providing its citizens with what will contribute positively or negatively to our rightful pursuit of our happiness, wellness and vitality of life objective.

In this regard, it is clear that we need to make it known to politicians that their mission is more complex than crusading for a single issue. We must let them know that we are going to need more from them if they want our votes. We deserve this and must demand it!

Photo by Patrick Brinksma at Unsplash

Why the U.S. Ranks 18th Among Nations According to the World Happiness Report, How We Lost Ground Over Time and How We Can Improve Our Current State of Insecurity

“We hold these truths to be self-evident…” These famous words start the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson on behalf of the rest of the founding fathers. It goes on to declare certain unalienable rights such as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Under the influence of the enlightenment philosophers of his era, particularly from France and England, it was quite a progressive and prescient position to take on Jefferson’s part when he ranked the pursuit of happiness on the same footing as life and liberty. The United Nations sponsored World Happiness Report ranks the U.S. 18th among nations. Let's explore how this happened and what we can do to improve our standard of living.

Eleven years later, in 1787, the ratified Constitution of the United States is introduced by its first paragraph with the objective “to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” 

These two documents that most deeply define the very nature and core values of the United States of America highlight a fundamental vision for future governments to follow in providing critical elements for the safety and happiness of present and future generations of Americans. 

How close to that vision are we today? How faithful to these expectations have our past and present government officials been?

It is fair to say that at the time the founding fathers were trailblazers compared to the leaders of other countries, but today where does the U.S. stand in the world relative to these objectives and values?

The recent United Nations sponsored World Happiness Report gives us a basis from which to measure and compare. Their yearly report compares over 150 countries against six criteria: income, life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust, and generosity.

The U.S. has never made it into the top ten which is dominated by the Nordic European countries. In 2017, it ranked number 14. In 2018, it dropped to number 18. Dropping four places in one year is considered extreme. The drop is partly explained by one of the authors of the report as follows: 

“The U.S. is in the midst of a complex and worsening public health crisis involving epidemics of obesity, opioid addictions, and major depressive disorders that are all remarkable by global standards.” 

Of course, a public health crisis is a direct outcome of state and federal policies. They cover a wide spectrum of matters from agricultural policies, to the regulation of dangerous chemicals and practices affecting food, water and air, to the drug and health care industries.

The level of anxiety prevalent in the U.S. is exacerbated by widespread concern over lack of job security, low minimum pay practices, the possibility of personal bankruptcy resulting from having insufficient yet costly health care insurance and more.

The 2018 Trend Report from the Global Wellness Institute commented on this drastic development in the U.S. and noted that “there cannot be wellness without a healthy level of happiness!”

Over the last 20 years, the exploding spa and wellness industry at-large has created a demand for achieving an enhanced sense of wellness for its clients. The implication is that a committed patron of a qualified spa will achieve a reasonable level of wellness improvement. But now we learn that our individual wellness also depends on outside factors directly or indirectly related to the actions of our government.

Suddenly we are faced with a more complex problem: wellness solutions are not simply dependent on a relationship between client and spa professionals. It is not simply a matter of how much time and money the client is willing to invest in his or her wellness objectives. It goes beyond as we discover that the environment in which we live–physical, financial, social, and political–is always a part of the equation. 

But are these additional considerations really something new? Is it not that many of us have fallen into a state of oblivion forgetting the deep consequences our elected officials actually have on the quality of our lives? 

The founding fathers made a prescient statement when they expressed their vision. The first paragraph of the Constitution states its objective clearly: “to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” 

It’s appropriate for us to examine and ponder each part of the statement and evaluate how faithful we have been to this admonition:

1. Can there be “a more perfect union” when there is a systematic refusal on the part of the representatives of different ideologies to listen to each other and work toward compromises that achieve incremental progress?

2. Can there be “justice” when we have conscious and unconscious racial divide? And when “justice” often bends toward the super wealthy?

3. Can we enjoy “domestic tranquility” when we have such extreme issues such as those currently challenging us, from unchecked global warming to the consequences of extreme wealth concentration?

4. Do we need to spend such a large portion of our resources on “common defense” at the direct cost of underfunding our other objectives?

5. How should we “promote general welfare” when state and federal governments would rather provide tax breaks to high income earners rather than fully fund programs that fully constitute the very elements of general welfare such as education and health services?

6. How can we “secure the blessings of liberty” if our food is produced and distributed in a way that is detrimental to our health? If large corporations are allowed to deplete or poison our soil, our air, and our water? And if we replace farmland with still more strip malls or suburban housing developments?

Without jeopardizing the uniqueness of the American spirit of independence, why can’t we be willing to see that the “happiest” countries have managed to enjoy high income levels as well as provide the social services that make the individual pursuit of happiness easier than it currently is in the U.S.? Aren’t these countries offering lessons we might benefit from?

In this regard, we also point out that the six criteria used to make evaluations for the Happiness Index are not contrary to any of the elements of the vision outlined in the first paragraph of the U.S. Constitution. 

In short, isn’t it shocking to us that the ideals declared by our founding fathers have been achieved more easily by the Northern European and some of the Western European nations than by the Americans who, at least conceptually, had a clear head start over the rest of the world?

What is coming to our awareness is that our health and our happiness is not simply within our control even for the super wealthy. It cannot be separated from our political choices, and our choices cannot be made on simplistic slogans. Each one of us must understand the issues and the broad consequences of our choices before we cast our votes. Voting is not a passive activity. 

Our wellness and our happiness are interrelated. They require we make a greater effort than initially perceived. Just as wellness calls for responsibility concerning our bodies and lifestyle, we must also work at achieving a collective environment that more purposefully espouses the vision of the founding fathers.

Stay tuned for more on this topic in forthcoming blog posts.

Photo by Frank McKenna at Unsplash

A Theory of Happiness: We Probably Can't Be Totally Healthy and Well Without It

The subject of happiness is a serious one. Many books have been written about it in the last decade and in the wake of the positive psychology¹ trend, it has become subject matter for a number of universities. Many schools of thought and holistically oriented disciplines emphatically believe we cannot be truly and wholly healthy without having an overriding general sense of happiness.

Of course, the Founding Fathers elevated the subject by enshrining “the pursuit of happiness” in the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a natural objective and fundamental human right, the idea of which is generally ignored throughout history by the ruling class.

It is said that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. The same might apply to happiness. 

There are no universal criteria for beauty and likewise happiness is a very individual experience. What makes me happy might not be what makes you happy.

The normal healthy individual would rather be happy than not, yet happiness eludes most people. At best, for most, the state of happiness is spasmodic and rarely sustained as a temporary state of joy or the experience of occasional pleasurable events. Still others seem to be so invested in their unhappiness that one could say they find their relative happiness in their unhappiness.

In general, babies are more often happy than not. Except for some limited periods during their waking time, and unless they are hungry or feel some physical discomfort, their normal state is happiness expressed by smiles and laughter. This is also true of young children.  

As a child increases its interactions with adults, by age five or six, he or she begins to become increasingly less happy. For a majority of children, the resulting unhappiness grows as the child becomes a teenager and young adult. Unfortunately, this is often a time when many teens and young adults experience depression, even suicidal tendencies. 

If health requires an absence of disease, happiness requires an absence of unhappiness. Unlike a car that has a neutral position between Drive (forward) and Reverse, the human being only has an On or Off position when it comes to happiness. It is like a room without windows. The light is either on or off. This can be a useful realization.

What if happiness is always present within our being but not necessarily expressed? Even when it is not expressed, could we conceive that happiness is nevertheless latent, that it always exists in its potentiality?

It is just like a lamp in a dark room that waits to be turned on. If happiness is not expressed, it is not because it disappeared. It’s because we have unconsciously given in to some idea of unhappiness.

Conversely, if we can eliminate our unhappiness, wouldn’t it follow that we should naturally and normally express happiness? 

Why wouldn’t our emotions behave in the same manner as the functions of our physical body since when the cause of a disease is defeated or removed a state of health returns? 

The physical body benefits from self-regulating processes (homeostatic mechanisms) that will return the body to a state of equilibrium after it has been under any destabilizing inner or outer attack. It returns to homeostasis, a state of balance with normal physiological functions.

Experienced happiness is expressed happiness. 

You would have to make an effort to hide your happiness when you experience it. It is like a spring that has been pushed down momentarily and is ready to spring up the moment whatever holds it down is removed. That becomes a clue for achieving greater and more frequent states of happiness, but it has a requirement: the awareness of our state of unhappiness and what is causing it. 

Just as our physical attributes can be developed with sports activities or certain manual work, and just as our mental capacity can be increased by intellectual activities, we can learn what makes us happy and how to get there more of the time.

It merely calls for us to develop a greater emotional intelligence when it comes to our own emotions. It demands attention to our state of awareness.

This might not be an easy task for some people because very often many things are not what they appear to be. Who we thought might become a friend might reveal himself or herself to be an adversary. A pleasurable activity might turn out to have significant negative consequences. We must develop a certain degree of discrimination on what we accept as friendly or unfriendly to our innate sense of happiness. This is conscious awareness of who and what we are and consequently, what we will experience as positive or not.

Happiness is what reinforces our innate sense of our true self. It is when life brings to our experience people, things, places, and conditions that resonate with us on a deeper level—the level where there is peace, inner joy, and happiness. Happiness is also felt when the mind is at rest and free of worrying thoughts. 

Human beings generally tend to learn in three steps: 

• First, an idea comes to our awareness.

• Then we pass a value judgment about it: Is it true, practical, beneficial, and in keeping with our values?

• But when embraced, it is only with the third step that it becomes a factor in our experience: When we make it a part of our lives and living. Then it becomes no longer an idea but a personal ongoing experience.

Happiness is a deeper and more significant emotional state than what is referred to as joy. Joy is generally shorter lived, relying on outer factors such as receiving a gift, having an encounter with a friend, event, or place. 

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Happiness is more akin to contentment. It is a deeper emotional state that makes a greater beneficial contribution to our physical and mental states of being. Peace of mind accompanies happiness which is not the case with a burst of joy. 

Unhappiness is often defined as a disconnection from or a lack of the things that make people happy in general and each one of us in particular. Consequently, moving toward happiness requires an awareness of what as an individual we need to reconnect with. Happy family life and rich friendships tend to promote happiness. The same applies to the presence and experience of beautiful natural scenes.

Conversely, having to experience ugly, polluted, miserable places, and finding ourselves with a lack of friendly human contact are barriers to the experience of happiness. The exception would require an exalted state of spiritual connectedness. 

Are there simple ways to promote happiness? 

In a recent article from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter of January 11, 2018, we read an attention-getting headline:

“Could Enhanced Wellness and Vitality Be Just a Whiff Away?”

The article states:

Aromatherapy—or the use of essential oils—has been embraced since early times to promote wellness and vitality. With exciting new research exposing its many potential benefits for emotional and spiritual well-being, its time has arrived.

This brings support to PHYTO5’s new “Beauty of Emotions” treatment. This leading edge treatment is intended to restore a state of happiness using the essential oil-rich quantum energetic PHYTO5 skincare products which are formulated according to the Five Element Theory of traditional Chinese medicine and in which both vital energy and emotions become balanced.

The treatment protocol assists the client to become aware of her or his dominating emotion and it helps remove any imbalance. 

Freed of negativity, latent happiness is restored.

A series of treatments with home use of the energetic serum (called Phyt’Ether) corresponding to each of the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) helps maintain the state of happiness.

Balanced emotions are key to inner health and vitality which reflects outward in the skin. The secret to a high quality of life, living, happiness and beauty is the balance of emotions. When we work with the body's physical matter, unseen vital energy and emotions, we create a very real and viable holistic strategy for successful beauty, vitality and longevity outcomes all of which are dependent on our ongoing state of emotional being which we hope is one of happiness most of the time.

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 ¹Positive psychology is "the scientific study of what makes life most worth living",[1] or "the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional, cultural, and global dimensions of life". Positive psychology is concerned with eudaimonia, "the good life," reflection about what holds the greatest value in life—the factors that contribute the most to a well-lived and fulfilling life.

Positive psychology began as a new domain of psychology in 1998 when Martin Seligman chose it as the theme for his term as president of the American Psychological Association. —Wikipedia reference for "positive psychology"

Image by ractapopulous on pixabay.com

Emotional Balance Makes You Comfortable In Your Own Skin

It might surprise you but it’s a fact. Most young people are less happy than their older counterparts. The social norms we’ve all been raised to live by keep us in constant stress. It’s only after decades of duress that most people come to realize so few of these norms are actually important in life. Without the benefit of years of experience, younger people, though smart, experience many obstacles to the happiness that comes from wisdom.

With maturity people seem to more easily feel comfortable in their own skin.

Elena Holodny of Business Insider points to a Nielsen study in which participants self-identified their levels of happiness:

“According to Nielsen, there is 'scientific evidence that people get happier as they get older. While there are differing theories as to why this is, most agree that it is an acceptance of aging that promotes contentedness. Logically, this acceptance is more apt to happen with older people.' In OECD* countries, more than half of 65+ cohort report to be in good health, which means that not only do the elderly have more free time, but they would be equipped to take advantage of it.”

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With maturity we also learn we have a great degree of control over our emotions. We learn that whatever emotion we choose to be the predominant one in our lives shapes our experience in many ways.

Emotional balance affects the quality of our relationships and our health. It even affects our appearance.

Emotional Negativity

All negative experiences in our lives, including sickness and the physical decline of aging, negatively affect our emotional state.

Emotional negativity can also result from poor lifestyle choices and habits.

And left ignored emotional negativity will feed on itself and spoil our lives.

We need to develop much conscious self-awareness and mental discipline to maintain emotional balance.

One way to help maintain emotional balance is to keep your unseen vital energy flowing and in balance. It will positively affect your emotional state, balance and well-being.

PHYTO5 quantum energetic five-element lines of skincare can help you balance your emotions. PHYTO5 discovered a proprietary formulation method that takes these products to the level of quantum high vibrational frequency.

In the words of Deepak Chopra, MD:

“Quantum healing moves away from external, high-technology methods towards the deepest core of the mind-body system. This core is where healing begins. To go there and learn to promote the healing response, you must get past all the grosser levels of the body–cells, tissues, organs, and systems–and arrive at the junction point between mind and matter, the point where consciousness actually starts to have an effect.”

PHYTO5 quantum energetic five element skincare is able to reach that quantum zero-point of your body and being. PHYTO5 found a way to access this level and impregnate each of its five element skincare lines with this high vibrational balancing property.

Premium-grade, uniquely blended natural essences raised to the quantum level and added to skincare products do more than work at skin level.

In quantum energy balancing, vital energy flows throughout the body provoking emotional release. A profound sense of calm and well-being ensue.

Just like all colors derive from three primary colors, in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), all emotions derive from five basic emotions. Each of the five basic emotions of TCM embody a yang/positive and yin/negative aspect.

PHYTO5's Beauty of Emotions skincare therapy delivers the full potential of PHYTO5 quantum energetic skincare. Our trained professionals apply a specific protocol utilizing PHYTO5 proprietary equipment for this signature treatment.

We created the Beauty of Emotions treatment to easily and effortlessly deliver:

• a state of elation and enormous well-being

• heightened vitality of skin.

And the effects are lasting even when if you follow a simple home regimen we’ve adapted to this treatment.

We recognize not everyone lives near a PHYTO5 professional trained in the Beauty of Emotions protocol.

There is a way you can enjoy the benefits of our quantum energetic products without experiencing the full Beauty of Emotions treatment. 

Begin simply with one of our next generation quantum energetic Phyt’Ether serums.

• Oily skin and sluggish vital energy flow: Wood element Phyt’Ether

• Irritated, sensitive, red, overheated allergic skin and out-of-balance energy of red blood circulation: Fire element Phyt’Ether

• Toxic skin with acne or blemishes and enlarged pores; sluggish flow of lymph: Earth element Phyt’Ether

• Dull congested skin with surface flakiness and fine lines and compromised energy of blue blood circulation: Metal element Phyt’Ether

• Mature dehydrated skin losing elasticity with lines and wrinkles and out-of-balance moisture retention: Water element Phyt’Ether.

Simply start with the Phyt'Ether that corresponds to your current dominant emotion.

• Wood: anger and lack of confidence; transform these emotions to kindness and confidence.

• Fire: joylessness or the opposite over-the-top expression of joy; bring your joy into balance.

• Earth: overwhelm and a feeling of being stuck from over-caretaking of others; find your way to feel more free to finish unfinished projects and express yourself creatively.

• Metal: regret and worry; come to a sense that all is well.

• Water: fear; develop an sense of zenitude.

Since most of us experience many different emotions at various times in our lives and even in the course of one day, by having all five Phyt'Ethers, you will be sure to always have the right serum on hand to balance your emotional state.

One convenient way you can prepare yourself for any emotional eventuality is by keeping the PHYTO5 mini Phyt-Ether serum home balancing kit on hand.

…

Endnote:

*Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Source:

Holodny, Elena. “This Chart Shows the Age When Most People Feel the Least Happy.” Business Insider, 16 May 2016, www.businessinsider.com/age-people-are-happiest-2016-5.

Chopra, Deepak, and Rudolph E. Tanzi. Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine. Bantam Books, 2015.

Laughter and Joy In Balance Are Two of Chinese Medicine's Summer Attributes. Here Are 15 Spectacular Benefits of Having Fun This Summer.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) philosophy there are five seasons or phases. These are comprised of the four seasons we all readily know plus an in-between-seasons period (there are four of these periods) in the cyclical year. To each of the seasons corresponds one of the five elements (Wood–Spring, Fire–Summer, Earth–Between Seasons, Metal–Fall, and Water–Winter). In addition, each of the five seasons bears an array of attributes that when understood and embraced can assist us to better live in harmony with the season.

Summer’s organs are heart and small intestine. In the human body, Fire obviously manifests in the heart (called in TCM, The Utmost Source), pericardium (the protective membrane around the heart–called by TCM, The Protector), the triple heater (regulator of internal temperature) and the small intestine (called the Heavenly Window by TCM). Since the blood vessels deliver blood to the heart and the heart pumps blood through the vessels, blood flow represents joy of life. Just as the heart and small intestine are the organs of focus during Summer, the blood vessels are the tissue of focus during TCM’s Summer.

The emotion therefore of Summer is joy, but not overflowing joy: joy in balance. (Being overly joyful or gregarious indicates a person who is out of balance with the season and the element.)

It follows then that the sound of Summer and Fire is laughing.

The weather in Summer is associated with the qualities of heat and dryness.

The movement is ascending, and the direction is South.

The color of Fire is red and therefore the color of the season. The taste is bitter or burned, the sensation is taste, and the sense organ is logically the tongue.

If you find yourself in Summer which runs from May 6 to July 19 according to TCM, then now is the time to take advantage of Summer's energies and attributes so that you will be able to easily carry all Summer’s feel-good benefits into Fall. Taste the flavors of the season, enjoy the color, the warmth, the increased light, and the sound of laughter and you’ll be considered to be living in harmony with energetic Summer.

In line with Summer’s sound of laughter, have fun during Summer and laugh.

The following are 15 spectacular benefits of having fun at any time of year, but most especially during energetic Summer.

• Pain can be lessened and relieved.

• Brain function improves. You’ll gain clarity of mind and memory.

• Now that you’re more relaxed, your innate creativity surges.

• Mental, even physical youth is fostered. The brain becomes more plastic and your body alive with energy and light.

• Relationships are strengthened when having fun with others. It builds connections and solidifies social bonds—one of the major focuses of energetic Summer.

• Emotional wounds may be healed. With the walls around the heart crashing down, the way is paved for appreciating what you’ve learned as a result of your traumas so you can integrate them simply as part of your being and something you had to go through to be an even better person.

• Sleep patterns become more regulated because serotonin in the brain increases when you’re enjoying having fun.

• Your body temperature becomes more balanced again because of increased serotonin levels.

• Coping skills seem to be magically more available to you.

• Physical energy increases.

• Overall positive feelings become the norm in your emotional body.

• You become more productive in your life.

• LOVE happens!

• You become transformed at a cellular level.

The Incredible Benefits of Red Fruits and Vegetables for Heart Health During Energetic Summer and All Year ‘Round

Energetic Summer according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the time period from May 6 to July 19. TCM’s astute observations beginning as early as the 14th–11th centuries BCE tell us that Summer encourages us to live in an emotional state of joy-in-balance. The element associated with Summer is Fire. The color is red and the organ is the heart.

Living in harmony with each season as it comes is integral to TCM philosophy. By doing so, we enjoy higher levels of health and vitality.

To create harmonious living with the season TCM also advocates incorporating the color red into our lives more prominently during Summer and this includes the consumption of red fruits and vegetables. Most red produce is seasonal to Summer, is actually somewhat heart-shaped, and most of it supports healthy heart function. (Remember that the heart is the organ of Summer.) Red fruits and vegetables indicate the presence of high levels of lycopene and other powerful antioxidants proven to be heart disease fighters.

Though all produce offers an entire array of nutritional and health benefits, in this article we’re looking at what red fruits and vegetables of Summer offer cardiovascular health.

Strawberries

With a high polyphenol content (plant compounds that act as antioxidants which neutralize harmful free radicals), strawberries are rich in anthocyanins and have been shown to remarkably help lower your risk of myocardial infarction.

The flavonoid quercetin in strawberries is a natural anti-inflammatory which appears to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.

Finally, the healthy fiber and potassium content in strawberries supports heart health.

Cherries

“Emerging evidence links cherries to many important health benefits, including a reduction in risk factors for heart disease. A growing body of science links cherries’ red color (provided by the fruit’s powerful antioxidants (anthocyanins) to heart-health benefits related to reducing inflammation, total cholesterol, and belly fat. With more than 80 million Americans living with some form of heart disease, the heart-healthy qualities of eating red fruits and vegetables have more relevance than ever.” —Shari Steinbach, MS, RD in Cherries and Heart Health; https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/iv-for-021511-shari-steinbach/

Raspberries

Disease-fighting compounds in red raspberries have the ability to fight back against oxidative stress thereby lowering the risk of atherosclerosis development, improving vasodilation of blood vessels, and reducing blood pressure.

What is particularly interesting about the research on red raspberries is “their potential to help reduce factors contributing to metabolic syndrome which has implications for diabetes development and overall cardiovascular and brain health,” so says Britt M. Burton-Freeman, PhD, of the Center for Nutrition Research, Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology.

Tomatoes

Lycopene in tomatoes help lower your levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol and they help regulate blood pressure, too. Both of these may lower your chances of heart disease. Other nutrients in tomatoes like vitamins B and E and flavonoid antioxidants work to boost heart health as well.

Red bell peppers

Full of lycopene (just mentioned above), consuming red bell peppers can be excellent for heart health. Antioxidant vitamins A and C abound in red bell peppers. If you choose the chili pepper varieties of red bell peppers, the phytochemical capsaicin helps reduce inflammation, another important factor for heart health.

Red beets

“A daily serving of beet juice may improve quality of life for heart failure patients, based on recent findings linking beetroot juice to blood pressure reductions and improved exercise endurance.” —Beet Juice Lowers Blood Pressure and Boosts Exercise Endurance in Heart Failure Patients

Based on recent findings published in JACC: Heart Failure, drinking beet juice may be an effective way for heart failure patients to improve exercise endurance and quality of life.

Red grapes

Resveratrol, a polyphenol in red grapes, have antioxidant, lipid-lowering, and anti-inflammatory properties that contribute to lessening your risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating red grapes helps the body to prevent platelet build-up and reduces blood pressure and the risk of irregular heart rhythms.

Pomegranate

The juice of pomegranate seeds appears to protect the heart and arteries. This sweet red juice helps to improve blood flow and keeps the arteries from becoming stiff and thick. It seems to help slow the growth of plaque and buildup of cholesterol in the arteries, studies show.

“Drinking pomegranate juice daily may also help lower systolic blood pressure. A comprehensive review of randomized controlled trials stated that it would be beneficial for heart health to include pomegranate juice daily.” —Mandy Ferreira and medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, RD, LD in Fifteen health benefits of pomegranate juice, Medical News Today

Red pears

Since pears are high in potassium, they have a significant impact on heart health. Potassium acts as an excellent vasodilator assisting to lower blood pressure. With improved blood flow to all parts of the body oxygen is well delivered to all organs causing them to function more effectively. The high fiber content of pears also ensures good heart health.

THE EMOTION OF JOY

In the seminal holistic healing book, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, she tells us how blood flow and joy are related. Anger constricts the flow of blood and makes a destructive impact on the heart. The heart and joy or lack of it exist in symbiosis. One begets the other.

Her “dictionary” of diseases and their associated emotions says this about the heart:

“…Represents the center of love and security.

– Heart Attack: Squeezing all the joy out of the heart in favor of money or position. Feeling alone and scared. 'I’m not good enough. I don’t do enough. I’ll never make it.'

– Heart Problems: Longstanding emotional problems. Lack of joy. Hardening of the heart. Belief in strain and stress.”

Summertime can be a joyful time of open hearts and love. Align with the energies of Summer and do everything you can to keep your heart pumping joyfully. Consuming red fruits and vegetables can help in more ways than one.

This blog was originally published on May 27, 2016 but has been extensively updated and expanded on June 18, 2021 for freshness and comprehensiveness.

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Endnotes:

“Strawberries: Benefits, Nutrition, and Risks.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271285#benefits. 

“Cherries and Heart Health.” Have a Plant: Fruits and Veggies for Better Health, https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/iv-for-021511-shari-steinbach/

“What Red Raspberries Can Do For Your Heart.” Labroots. https://www.labroots.com/trending/cardiology/2440/what-red-raspberries-can-do-your-heart

“Beet Juice Lowers Blood Pressure and Boosts Exercise Endurance in Heart Failure Patients. CardioSmart: American College of Cardiology. https://www.cardiosmart.org/news/2016/3/beet-juice-lowers-blood-pressure-and-boosts-exercise-endurance-in-heart-failure-patients

“What are the health benefits of grapes?” Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271156

“Fifteen health benefits of pomegranate juice.” Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318385

Hay, Louise. You Can Heal Your Life. Hay House. 2004.

Tips for Happiness and Joy-In-Balance This Summer

We are all meant to be happy. It’s not only an innate desire we have, it’s a fundamental need, but sometimes we get off track. Life throws us curve balls regularly. Some people seem to have it rougher than others. Or could it be that some people just handle those curve balls in a more resilient way?

Probably both are true. If you’re stuck in sadness, depression, anxiety or anger, yes, it’s a challenge to suddenly shift how you respond to life. And we acknowledge that sometimes you may need clinical help to get the jumpstart you need. Whether you opt for professional assistance or not, please read on. (Note: This article is no way meant to offer a prescription for getting out of deep depression.)

Summer is the season for joy... for renewing it within ourselves... for unveiling it, sustaining it, rebirthing it and growing it. And if we've got joy, we can safely say we have happiness.

So, how can we be happy most of the time this season, if not, all year ‘round? It may sometimes take a bit of initial effort but soon a momentum in the positive direction takes hold and you’re off and running. Let's take advantage of the vitality-filled season of Summer to increase our happiness and joy:

1. Begin to appreciate every little thing. Acknowledge your appreciation of the butterfly, the crow cawing, the unexpected breeze that flows across your face, the gleeful child on the swingset, the delicious salsa you’re having, the cool bedsheets you’re laying on, the kind hello from the gas station attendant. Make this a practice. It is foundational to your happiness. In a short amount of time, you’ll notice yourself smiling more. Appreciation will become second nature to you and joy will definitely increase in your life. And it is this joy and happiness that are the foundation to your wellness. They are literally the key to your vitality and health.

2. Wear and bring colors into the home. According to traditional Chinese medicine, Summer’s element is Fire and the the color of the season is red. Accent your home and wardrobe with pops of red if you can. Let the color red be a reminder of joy to you. Mentally acknowledge this emotion when your eyes light on the color red.

3. Since Summer is the period of luxurious flora growth, bring colorful flowers into your home. Plant exuberant flowers near your front door so you can see them as you enter your home. If you’re not a gardener, buy a hanging basket of planted flowers and hang near your door to remind you of vitality, growth, and ever-changing expansion. Eat the sweet juicy fruits of Summer and appreciate their lusciousness. Make it a point to experience in some direct way the exuberant holidays of Summer.

4. Expand your vocabulary, especially the adjectives you use. Embellish your speech with the most positive, exciting verbiage you can muster and watch your life get happier. Remember that the words we speak actually create therefore be very mindful of your choice of language.

5. It is a known fact that emotion follows physiology. If you feel down, notice your posture and demeanor. You’re probably slouching and your face is either stoic or frowning. Maybe your eyebrows are knitted and your body is tense. You’ve got to make yourself get up, pull your shoulders back, stand tall, chin up in the air. Make yourself smile. Loosen up your body. Shake it out. This may be an effort but it takes less than 30 seconds. The improvement in your posture and demeanor, in most cases, will leave you feeling brighter, already slightly more optimistic. Now keep the momentum going. Spread open your arms. Stretch. Maybe even dance. Turn on the music inside your home full blast and enjoy. Awaken the cells of your body so they can dance, too!

6. What's your favorite thing to do to have fun? DO IT NOW! If you can’t exactly do it now, at least, take one step right now towards experiencing it in the very near future. Make that phone call. Get your outfit ready. Invite your friend.

7. When you're doing anything fun this Summer (or any time), really take it in. With a smile on your face, drill down to its essence and drink it in, every drop, slowly. Slow down in order to get really present to the joy and fun of doing it.

8. Revel in the abundant sunlight of summer. The sun can be very healing, invigorating and detoxifying. Make an intention as you bask in the sun or just walk in it that its rays cleanse your body of toxic emotion and substance.

9. Bask in not only the weather warmth of the season but the social warmth of friendships and get-togethers. Enriching relationships are key to happiness. This is a studied and known fact. (Read our blog, “Enhance Your Wei Chi to Increase Your Well-Being,” here.) Find ways to appreciate every single person in your life. Take one little step towards increasing the people in your life. Maybe your neighbor across the street could benefit from a friendly gesture from you as well.

10. Keep excitement in your life. Change it up. Be mindful and aware of getting out of old confining patterns. Break out. Do everything differently. Step out of the box and out of the way you've always done it.

11. If you’re feeling down, go within yourself to reach for the next highest emotion. For example, if you’re feeling anxiety, the next higher emotion might be hope–hope that things will turn out alright. Reach for that hope and notice that you immediately begin to feel better. This can help get you there–to happiness. Take it one step at a time.

This article was originally published on May 14, 2016 and was updated on May 24, 2021 for freshness and comprehensiveness.