Joy Journal Vol. 3

Are you in a skeptical season of joy?


If joy is a natural feeling, why is it sometimes so hard to access?

 
One of my favorite joy experts Ingrid Fetell Lee shares her answer: “Because we don't have much (or any) education on how to handle difficult feelings, many of us tend to cope with stress or sadness by dissociating from our bodies. We tune out the physical sensations of our emotions, or numb them through substances or escape. But when we tune out the hard stuff, we tune out the joy too.
 
As we get better at noticing and breathing into joy, we reconnect those neurological pathways and we start to feel joy more often and more deeply. Notice that you don't have to be perfectly happy to feel this feeling of joy. You can be frustrated and feel joy. You can be tired and feel joy. You can even be sad or anxious and also feel a flicker of joy. 
 
This is important because we often see our feelings as binary. If we're feeling down, without realizing it, we close down the possibility of feeling joy. Understanding that joy is available even in the toughest times is what makes it so. 
 
When you recognize joy in your body during the day, breathe into it and keep it going for 30 seconds to a minute. As you extend each glimmer of joy, you're building the muscle of letting yourself feel good." 
 
The I AM prompt (which I share daily on my Instagram stories) is a great way to savor joyful experiences even after the moment passes. It is a simple, 5 minute exercise that gets you tapped into your senses and focused on the good. I've dropped it here for you to use in your journal or just as a moment of pause or reflection in your day. 
 
It's formatted in a perfect size to fit into your wallet, glue into your journal, or stick to your mirror. 🥰

  • Anticipation of Friendship Joy Coming all the way from Oklahoma, my creative bestie Haley Hoover of The Sparkling Hippie is coming to BAKERSFIELD and other California stops to take her magical intuitive art workPLAYshops on the road! We met back in 2021 in Santa Fe & have collaborated on many projects since then! I am thrilled to announce she will be emceeing CelebrateYOUpalooza on 9/21 AND facilitating an interactive art station for our attendees! Not only that…she is hosting an art experience here at The Playful Space on 9/26 from 6pm-8pm! More details and RSVP here 👉 Gratitude Alchemy: Manifest Success with Intuitive Art
  • Clueless 90's Moment at Shop Pixies I had so much fun celebrating our first 20 ticket holders for CelebrateYOUpalooza 2024 at an exclusive Sip & Shop experience at Shop Pixies. My friend Vicheka Ek made all my tween dreams come true by staging a scene from one of my favorite movies Clueless. See the reel here. 
  • Plays Well With Others Sticker Pumped to share my new sticker design inspired by report cards we received as kiddos: “Emily is very chatty in class, but plays well with others.” Lol. I can't wait to see them all over your water bottles and out in the wild! All of our attendees at CelebrateYOUpalooza will receive one in their swag bags! And of course if you attend a workshop or pop by into the studio, you get one too! 😉

Breathe Into Joy, 

Emily


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