Tags
bleeding from the heart, Cycling, Depression, Friends, Happiness, Jill and Kevin's wedding dance, joy, Nieces, Skiing, yoga classes, Yoga teacher
Watched this today…
Found my eyes were leaking (a bit) and I have to admit I felt a little envious of the joy being expressed.
Most of the time, we western-world folk do not express this much fun and happiness in our day-to-day lives. Or even weekly. Maybe not even monthly.
Sure, some people might. But most of us don’t due to habit, cultural acceptance, and generally because most people are bleeding from their hearts instead of singing.
Aren’t we?
We hurt, we try to keep our hurt to ourselves and we barely ever notice that everyone else around us is doing exactly the same.
This morning as I wandered around my flat getting ready for work, I realised that (for now) my interactions with depression are in recess.
I’ve got more energy than I’ve had in ages and I can actually get out of bed in the morning with relative ease. I’m starting to be much more excited about becoming a yoga teacher (OMG, I’ll be qualified at the end of the year!).
And yet, still… it’s possible to wander around and feel less than joyful for most of the day or week. Especially when doing a job I could care less about (except for getting paid).
My joy comes from my yoga classes, my nieces, cycling, and talking to my friends (most of them live far away).
But this morning I also realised I could add more joy into each day.
A little like the way BlissChick schedules time to dance regularly.
Because joy shouldn’t be something we experience infrequently like clinging to a life raft within a sea of unhappiness…
Then there’s Tricia’s latest post (a meme) – 6 things that make you happy.
There’s a world of difference between depression going away and actively seeking out the things that make you smile.
While the thrall of depression has lifted, the habits I formed to cope with that existence also need to be broken down. The staying in and not socialising. The having fewer expectations of my life. The not taking care of my appearance or what I eat. The not looking to the future… these are but a few.
In Tricia’s comments, I wrote my own 6 things that make you happy list (definitely in no particular order):
- Thinking about becoming a yoga teacher
- My fan girl night (meeting my celebrity crush earlier this year) – still makes me smile!
- My glorious nieces
- My yoga school’s spiritual home in north-east Thailand
- Snow skiing
- My wonderful friends (both virtual and IRL kinds)
It’s not a bad list, but if the meme had asked for 10 things, I might’ve come up a little short.
Which is ridiculous when there’s so many things to be happy about, right?
So. Here’s to the energy behind the wedding dancers in the video.
Even if we don’t actually break into dance as we wander throughour days, we each deserve the feeling that goes with this kind of celebration.
And I’ve decided the next step to climbing out of the dark, dank abyss of depression includes adding more activities into my life that are designed to tap into that kind of joy. Yes!
I’ll let you know how I go.
~Svasti
Svasti: A Journey From Assault To Wholeness 
awesome! I hope they live their lives with the joy they expressed on that day — I have a feeling they will!
You’re an inspiration with this post! I need to do the same thing, Svasti.
Perhaps I hadn’t noticed this, or perhaps you just added it, but you included the word “silliness” in your blog header description. That’s a good word to keep in mind (she tells herself).
I’m very excited for you that you’ll be a yoga teacher! That’s going to change your life, I think.
I actually saw this video earlier in the week, but I watched the whole thing again and found myself smiling and crying at the same time– again. Thanks for posting it.
I’m glad you’re in a better place and so excited you have such a short time to wait for your dream to be reality. (This is August girl–the year is more than half over!)
I can’t wait to hear what you are going to do to crank up the joy in your life.
(Thanks for the link.)
To me, the thing about dancing, is it that reminds me that I can find 10 things to be happy about every hour…not life changing stuff…but the feeling of freedom that comes from appreciating very small things can be life changing…I think.
Hi Svasti
That video was a lot of fun! I would have loved to have choreographed something like that for my wedding (although my wedding was very small–only a handful of people attended). I agree that the joy was so apparent at that gathering and it made me smile to see it.
My ‘Gratefuls” that I do every night are the single biggest thing that I do that keep me grounded, humble and (most importantly) appreciative. Almost everything that is on my gratefuls are things that make bring me joy or help me in some way. It’s just a really good way for me to end each night–by not thinking of the problems I am facing–but the wonderful parts of my life that I should always be appreciative of.
It sounds as though you have been going through some incredible soul searching and that you’ve had some hard lessons this past spring/summer. I’m sure that you have made incredible strides as far as personal development goes–and it is never easy working through the abyss to get to the sunlight. Sounds like your doing well with working your way toward that Svasti.
Take care, my friend–
Melinda
@Linda-Sama – Me too, that’s my wish for them on their wedding!
@lydia – Silliness was added at some point, when I realised my innate silliness was emerging in some of my posts! 😉
I wish the same for you – bring on some silliness and joy!
And… my life is already changing just by doing this training.
@tricia – Yes, the goal is close, but then as I draw near I see its not the true goal. Its just the beginning of a new phase, one I’m not even sure just yet how I’m going to manage. But manage it I will, I’m pretty certain!
So far, I’m doing well with cranking up the joy factor. Making sure I do some yoga and meditation EVERY day, taking the time to enjoy my surroundings as I wander, even if I’m on the way to work! There’s more to come, don’t you worry.
@RB – Y’know, dancing does do that. But how often do we dance in a week? And so if we do get some dance time in, then that’s sure to produce lots of things to make us smile.
@Melinda – Thing is, even when we are as happy as the people in this video, how often do we ever do something as wild as that? Which is what makes this so brilliant. Things have certainly been rough this year, but then what else to expect in an intense period of healing and growth. Its still far from easy, but it is definitely exciting! You take care too!
You know what, I can be quite a cynical old bat at times but I did find myself a little teary after watching that video. I think it’s something about the absolute sincerity as well as the fun – I mean, no-one here looks self conscious or like they might bottle out, so they really embody joy.
And as for you Svasti, here’s to your joy, I hope you are doing whatever gives you a little of this feeling every day.
@Bird – I think its important to let the joy in! Especially when we do tend towards cynicism. I hope you’re getting your joy on, too!