Do you ever have those days – or times – in which you experience more epiphanies than usual? I swear, sometimes I’m going along in life and everything is just hard or not making any damn sense. Then all of the sudden, it’s as if I’ve made progress; I’ve pushed through the mud, and I have become stronger and more knowledgeable. {Then, of course, life enjoys reminding me that I actually don’t know shit.}

Well, that’s how I’ve been feeling lately. Life lessons tend to stick better at some times than others.

Lately, I’ve been practicing quite a bit of yoga and meditation, as well as self-hypnosis [not as whack as it sounds without context]. I think that, for me personally, all of these activities have been working wonders on both my mental and physical health.

The other day, I was listening to this self-hypnosis audio recording for decreasing negativity on YouTube. And in it, the one thing that stood out to me, was when the guy said something to the effect of, “If your brain has the power to create all of these negative thoughts and energy [e.g. falling into a depressive/anxious state; this hypnosis/meditation stuff is great for depression and anxiety, and I have both of those disorders], then it must also be capable of reversing [aka getting rid of – over a lot of time and work, of course] those things.”

It sounds so simple, and I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it before [hi, Dad!]. But something inside of me just clicked when I heard the dude say what I just mentioned above. I sat up in bed, and was like, “WHAT?! It all makes so much sense now!”

Of course, it’s not that simple. Depression and anxiety are serious issues, and you can definitely not just “will them away.” That being said, there is power in knowing that if your brain can get you into something, it can also get you out of (or to the opposite/reverse of) something.

Okay, all of that rambling aside, here’s a trusty bulleted list of some thangs that have been stickin’ in my thick skull as of late. I hope you find them helpful.

{And remember, I’m not tryna tell you how to live your life. I just like to occasionally share little morsels of knowledge that I find useful as I trudge through this thing we call life. #imjustbeinghonest}

+ There is almost always a way around [or out of] everything. If you fall into any problem, there is pretty much always some kind of solution. It may take a lot of time and effort, but as my parents always told me, “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” If my brain has gotten me into a really bad depressive episode, or if I’m really anxious, there are [positive] ways to reverse the issue. I’m one of those lucky people who is most likely going to deal with depression for the rest of my life. But there are always ways to improve it, as well as to prevent the worst of it.

+ Yoga is probably the best thing ever [after beer and chocolate, of course! ha!]. It works really well for me, so of course it’s easy for me to tout its benefits. It is not for everyone, obviously, as no one thing works for every single person on the planet. However, its benefits are just endless to me. I’ve been back on the mat and attending basic classes again [at Urban Breath Yoga, just FYI] for the past month or so, and I’m kicking myself for not having done it sooner! It is very important to find the right studio and instructor(s) for you, if you plan on doing it. Personally, I lucked out, as I have fallen in love with the first studio I (very nervously) tried out in St. Louis. Anyway, enough rambling. Here are some of my favorite benefits of yoga: it improves mental and physical health; it always reduces my anxiety; it improves posture, as well as digestion, and it just makes me feel good.

+ As my yoga instructor said tonight, “In everything we do – sitting at a desk, driving a car, etc. – we are always leaning forward. That’s how we end up getting hunched over and having poor posture. Always keep your shoulders back and tall; reverse the aging process! Keep them back there where they are supposed to be!” That really stuck with me. I sit at a desk all day for work, and I definitely do not have great posture (I also have scoliosis, so that doesn’t help). But when you’re standing line, sitting at a desk, sitting on the couch, working in the kitchen, what have you… Try to stand up tall, and keep your shoulders back and away from their tendency to get close to your neck.

+ And finally, I just wanted to write this, because it’s what I keep reminding myself of all the time: Good things take time. People are mostly baffled by my from-scratch baking/cooking shenanigans, because, and I quote, “That sounds like too much time and work!” Well, yeah, baking does take extra time and effort than using a box mix, or just going to the store to buy a treat. But you know what? The end result is far more worth-it, and that’s partially why I love baking from scratch! Because good things take time! Good relationships, good careers, good physical fitness… It all takes time.

Okay, I’m done. Have a lovely weekend! More tasty recipes will be coming soon. 🙂

– xoxo