A list of 7 reminders for staying joyful and content with life and its moments.
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Life is certainly a rhythm of events that go all sorts of ways. We might understand it better if we allowed ourselves to trust and to flow with all that comes. But of course we have been conditioned from a young age to certain beliefs and values which affect our habits and the way we perceive the world.

One thing is certain and that is change. Yoga philosophy teaches us about everything in the physical world being changeable and inconsistent. So change of all kinds happens. If we want to find contentment in life, according to Yoga philosophy, then we must learn to surrender to changes and about the importance of vairagya, non-attachment or dispassion. This is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects to practice because some believe that having attachment for something or somebody means that we love or value them. But attachment is a form of dependency, and when we depend on anything in the material world, yoga philosophy says that dukkha will come (suffering).
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Although our practice is not a quick fix, but a lifestyle we commit to, we can learn to keep this consistent and allow it to take us deeper than the physical aspect. This too should be approached from a place of non-attachment, but freedom and joy.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE JOYFUL?
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In my opinion, living joyfully is applying the above approach. We become grateful to what we are given from life, and not fall every time things don’t go the way we want them to. Living from a space of joy to me is about learning to trust the Divine infinite consciousness, that which sees the truth and that which knows the truth. Without allowing our mind to create scenarios, to lead us to fictional stories, joyfulness brings us into the present moment.

​It is here and now that life happens, it is in this moment that we are living and experiencing the physical reality. I think it’s not fair to say to living joyfully is easy, because like everything, it requires work. But life itself is a form of work, karma, a form of action that we go through as long as there is breath. If we can remind ourselves not to be too stuck in our mind and be open to what comes, joyfulness will eventually become a natural way of living.


Here are 5 reminders to remain joyful in life:

1. Focus on doing activities you love. Find your hobbies and spend time on them. We are here to serve, so find what you enjoy and share it with love.

​2. Remind yourself that everything is temporary and often out of your control. Then you will be adaptable, unattached and free.

3. Do something creative as often as you can. Creation stops stagnation.

4. Surround yourself only with people who bring love and joy in your life and you the same for them. Be kind to all but wise who you share your energy with.

​5. Do some form of physical exercise everyday. This will help to clear your mind and focus. Move to feel good.

​6. Spend at least 10 minutes a day, everyday, still and in silence. Meditation is an uninterrupted concentration.
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​​7. Every morning, before you do anything else, remind yourself of who you are and say thank you for being given another opportunity to contribute to the world.

A lovely skin treat with this 3 ingredients relaxing DIY body exfoliator.

​I’ve been making my own body exfoliation/scrubs for a long time. I know there are many great products out there, but I love the idea of customising my weekly exfoliation routine based on how I feel. In general, I use raw brown sugar as my base ingredient and then I add a carrier oil (usually coconut, sesame or almond) and one or more essential oils.

This particular one I’ve been making feels so nourishing for the skin and delicate. My skin looks so hydrated, soft and radiant straight after I apply this exfoliator. I have quite a few essential oils, although recently I have really enjoyed Palmarosa. It’s so powerful yet soft, and I find it quite a feminine fragrance, so it may help us women get in touch with our patient, gentle and receptive energy.

Palmarosa is a tropical grass from India, similar to lemongrass, but with a strong rose like scent. As an essential oil it comes with so many great benefits for the skin, the muscles and the mind. It may help to relieve muscle soreness, physical and mental fatigue. In my opinion, it can also be a suitable choice when focusing on Anahata (the heart chakra) as one of its benefits is said to help balance emotions and stress relief.

Palmarosa is known as a popular ingredient used in skin care products as it is said to nourish the skin and reinvigorate skin cells as well as having an anti-ageing effect. With its deep cleansing quality, it might also be helpful when treating some skin conditions which may be suitable for Pitta dosha individuals also.

For this relaxing and nourishing body exfoliator, I used these 3 ingredients:
Raw brown sugar (2-3 tsps)
Coconut oil (20-30ml)
Palmarosa essential oil (10 drops max)

Mix them all together in a small dish or cup until the oils are absorbed in the sugar. It should become a little bit of a thick scrub like paste.

I apply this all over the body in the shower and rub gently in most areas in circular movement. Once I have applied it all over the body, I let it sit on the skin for about 5minutes then I wash it off. To remove the excess oil from the skin, I then wash my skin with soap and then rinse again. If you do this before bed time, the water can be on the hotter side because this will help relax the muscles even more which can help with a good night’s sleep.

I always use a light natural moisturiser after just to nourish the skin a little more and it feels amazing:

*Please check with your doctor first if you are pregnant because some essential oils are not suitable during pregnancy. Whenever using essential oils, I suggest to always mix it with a carrier oil and make sure it is suitable for your skin (if you are not allergic to any etc).