3 quick and easy tricks to hack your brain and improve your mood

First - Meditate for 5 Minutes

All you have to do is set an alarm for 5 minutes, find a comfortable position to be still, and focus on your breathing. If you would like to try a more playful meditation technique, try the kirtan kriya! the kirtan kriya is a meditation that involves mantra, which translates to "mind" "track" and mudra. A Mudra is a hand gesture, like you might wave to tell someone hello, the four mudras of the kirtan kriya illustrate the story of your life. Say or sing the mantra "SA TA NA MA" which translates to "my soul's true essence" eight times aloud for the body, eight times in a whisper for the mind, and eight times quietly in your head for the soul. Repeat, starting with eight times in your head for the soul, eight times in a whisper for the mind, and eight times out loud for the body. Notice the sensation of the vibrations.

As you touch the fingertips to the thumbs, feel the energy of each mudra in your hands. If you would like to learn more or see this done in person, come to class 10am Sunday for more.

Second - Cook from Scratch

According to health food blogger Sara Garone, “In general, restaurant meals tend to be higher in calories, sodium, and saturated fats. Additionally, cooking at home is the more affordable option compared to dining at a restaurant or ordering takeout. Experts recommend experimenting in the kitchen to increase your comfort with making your meals at home.”

When we prepare our own meals, we are actually practicing a kind of meditation. Meditation is just focusing on one thing at a time. When you are chopping vegetables, are you thinking about anything other than being careful not to cut yourself? Do you notice the shapes you make with the knife? Do you think about the final presentation? Is your meal prep more function than form? There is no wrong answer as long as you are aware of what you’re doing.

All of the ingredients you use are not as important as the main ingredient which is love. Is eating out okay? It can be more convenient for sure. But where is the love? Where is the connecting between you and your food? For the month of May, I encourage you and your family to set a goal to eat more meals at home. Get everyone involved! Give your family members jobs! Who is going to prep the fruit salad? Who is going to help peel hard boiled eggs? Who is going to make sure all of the dishes get done and put away?

In my experience, when I spend a small amount of time meal planning for the week, I save a large amount of money by utilizing the inventory I already have and strategically purchasing select ingredients to complete each dish. It might not always be the quickest life hack, but cooking and baking food at home is a worthwhile pursuit.

My investment in the kitchen does not go unnoticed by my family members. Mindfulness creates a ripple effect.

Sure, there are days when convenience is the better option for everyone, but if you can make time to conjure up delicious home cooked meals and involve your family in the planning process, the reward of feeling like a true provider will be worth it. Meal planning could be the first step to leading a more mindful life in my book if meditation itself was not already #1! The framework I use to plan meals for the week is a game changer! If you are interested in a tutorial, please let me know!

Third - Write in a Gratitude Journal

With regular journaling, you write down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences from the past and present as well as your hopes, dreams, and fears about the future. With gratitude journaling, you write down the things you are grateful for. If you can write down one thing you are grateful for everyday, you will notice a cosmic shift in your internal dialogue.

There is no way to shame yourself into change. You can only love yourself into action.

If you can write in a gratitude journal, you can change the entire course of your day, your week, your month, your year, and eventually your life!

How many people are you thankful for? How many animals? How many plants?

Let gratitude show you how magnificent life really is! Use mindfulness to live your best life. It doesn't happen by accident.

Connect with your breath. You will be more mindful. Connect with your food. You will feel more mindful. Connect with gratitude. You will embody what it means to be more mindful. It starts with you!

Namaste,

Mae