The Forced Joy Project

This is something beautiful, created by my daughter, who has had a nightmare of a year, losing her best friend, her lover, and her husband.

This morning, I'm in my 6am yoga class and directed to choose a word to embody for the practice. I came to the mat not feeling well. Fighting a cold, body aching. The first words that popped into my head were peace and joy. Always my words. I want more peace. I want joy.

Feeling less than joyful, I realized what a struggle it can be to feel joy when you are not well. When you feel incongruent. When you feel estranged from your loved ones. When your loved ones are struggling. Or when you are unable to soothe or support them.

How do you find joy in these moments? Do you "fake it till you make it?" How do you find forced joy? Or as my daughter has eloquently portrayed, sometimes you just choose to feel it.  You accept and feel your pain, your angst. You do so, without judgment, resisting the need to beat yourself up. You do so with compassion. You do so, with love.

This morning, I recognize how I hold "my issues in my tissues". How my attempts to meet all of my demands, to be strong and stoic and supportive of family, friends, and all of my clients can sometimes weigh on me. I recognize how important my yoga practice is to me. If not, I hold these emotions in my physical body, particularly in the hips.

So this morning, amidst a challenging workout, I just tried to focus on my breath to stay centered and focused, even though I didn't feel like it.  When we finished our hip opening exercises (where we hold most of our emotional energy). I just let it go and had to weep. A sudden release of tears flowed. Weeping for my daughter, weeping for myself. Letting go of what no longer serves me. Guilt, shame, fear, worry.

Can we find joy among the messiness of our lives? Can we laugh and cry together in challenging times? Isn't that the essence of life? Isn't that what joy is all about?

Do you ever give yourself time and space to fully feel without judgment? To move your body in new ways? To open up stuck patterns in your body? Do you ever take time to open up your mind? If so, you might discover a little pocket of joy.

To learn more about the forced joy project, click here

Carpe Diem,

Lisa

Lisa is a yoga teacher, author, speaker, and a functional medicine coach with a mission to inspire others to feel and look their best at any age.

Lisa's book 

Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think and Thrive outlines her seven-step system towards optimal health that is fun and transformational.

Lisa is part of the New Self Health Movement and the Wellness Inspired Network. When she is not coaching, speaking or writing, you can find her practicing yoga and joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance.

Happy Saturday and Weekend Replay; Get Real Masterclass Week 2

Week 2 of the Get Real Masterclass had some stellar interviews! There is so much great information packed into these talks that we wanted to give you an opportunity to create the space to listen and digest the knowledge that our experts share. 

I was traveling this week with my daughter visiting the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park to Glacier National Forest with virtually no cell service. 

Consequently, I was only able to listen to Robin Shirley's interview which was excellent. Here's a few points I'd like to share from her interview titled Health is a Journey:

Robin talks about her seventeen year journey to heal from juvenile arthritis. At a very young age, she qualified for disability, but instead chose a journey of diet and lifestyle changes. What at first felt like a life of deprivation, became a life worth living; filled with joy and meaning. Robin stresses the importance of making small changes until they become easy and enjoyable habits. Then move on to the next change or challenge. It is easy, and natural to have periods of feeling overwhelmed. Robin compares this to the four seasons, we have periods of feeling energetic and well mentally, physically and emotionally (in the spring and summer); followed by times of needing to rest and repair (winter hibernation). We need to honor these natural cycles in the body. Women also have 30 day cycles. We all have a 24 hour cycle where we need to balance activity with rest. ( See my Seven Ways to Seize the Day where I write about the importance of sleep in the healing process.) 

Although important, Robin needed to do more than just make dietary changes. What accelerated her healing was looking for hidden simmering infections in the gut microbiome. These may include viruses, bacteria, parasites or dysbiosis (an imbalance in microbes.) Heavy metal and environmental toxicity are also common hidden stressors. Virtually all tap water is contaminated with lead from leaded gasoline. Lead is transported via the air and then deposited via rain in our water tables.

As a Functional Diagnostic Nutritionist, I feel it's important to emphasize a few things. Robin discussed protocols to get rid of parasites, bacteria and viruses. It is important to have someone guide you with a personalized plan for what your unique body needs. Use functional testing to pinpoint exactly what is in the microbiome, and then the correct protocol, versus just searching the internet. 

The same goes for chelation for heavy metal toxicity. I've been off the charts for both lead and mercury. Symptoms of heavy metal toxicity can range from hypertension to anxiety and brain fog. It is easy to create a healing crisis if you are not careful. I've dealt with this for several years. It is important to address intestinal permeability first; otherwise you release toxins that can re-circulate back into the body, instead of safely removing them. Heavy metals are a primary source of intestinal permeability. Chelation and the detoxification process itself, can also create intestinal permeability. It can become a vicious cycle. So it's important to detoxify from a place of strength and then to go low and slow. This may take several months or even several years. 

The important thing is to not get too discouraged and to know that this is a journey. It doesn't have to be painful, nor complicated. What it does require is a commitment to self. Per my Seven Steps to Optimal Health, "Celebrate each small step."

I know it can be a challenge to set aside time each day so we wanted to let you play catch up this weekend. Please use the links below to access the audio interviews and FREE gifts from our special experts!

>>>Day 6: Eating Clean is the Foundation for a Healthy Life with Mareya Ibrahim<<<

>>>Day 7: Empowerment Through Elimination Diets with Anne Marie Garland<<<

>>>Day 8: How to Care for Your Heart and Whole Body with Dr. Jack Wolfson<<<

>>>Day 9: Health is a Journey, Not a Destination with Robin Shirley<<<

>>>Day 10: Environmental Toxins: A Trigger for Autoimmunity with Dr. Christine Maren<<<

Cheers to a weekend of fun, learning and self-care! We'd love to know your favorite interview from Week 2 and why, so drop us a line...

Warmly,

Laura & Lisa 

PS

I also had the privilege last week  to do an online interview with The Health Coach Rebel describing my book and Seven Steps towards Optimal Health.  Click Here to Listen or

http://thomunderwood.net/project/ep-13-lisa-jackson-seven-steps-optimal-health/

I would love your feedback. What did you find valuable? What did you learn? Let me know if you have any questions. Also, let me know if you would like to schedule a short discovery call to see if we are a good fit for each other.

Carpe Diem!

Lisa

About Lisa Jackson, RN, CHC, RYT-500, FDN

Lisa is an author, inspirational speaker and a coach with a mission to inspire others to feel and look their best at any age.

She is the former Executive Director of the Integrative Wellness Program for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

Lisa's book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think and Thrive outlines her seven-step process towards optimal health that is fun and transformational.

Lisa is part of the New Self Health Movement and the Wellness Inspired Network. When she is not coaching, speaking or writing, you can find her practicing yoga and joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance.

Get Real Masterclass Replay weekend and free gifts

I had the privilege of being interviewed yesterday for the Get Real Masterclass by my friend and colleague Laura Newby.  This started on Monday and my interview will be the last one aired on cancer and chronic disease prevention. If you'd like to listen in to this free summit series and catchup with any of the experts below sign up @ www.getrealmasterclass.com 

Welcome to the Replay Weekend! 

Week 1 has been amazing, and the feedback thus far has been very positive. Thank you so much for joining this powerful online interview series. We are thrilled to share our expert interviews with you and hope that you are learning as much as we are! 

I know it can be a challenge to set aside time each day or perhaps you joined us a day or two after Get Real! started, so we wanted to let you catch up today and tomorrow. Please use the links below to access the audio interviews and FREE gifts from our special experts!

>>>Day 1: Are You The Next Wildatarian? with Teri Cochrane<<<

>>>Day 2: Essential Oils 101 with Liz Fulcher<<<

>>>Day 3: Get Your Gut Right with Kirsty Wirth<<<

>>>Day 4: Lean Into Your Intuition & Creativity with Jen Blumenthal<<<

>>>Day 5: Finding Happiness & Love Through Acceptance with Faith Canter<<<

We hope your Replay Weekend is full of insights, relaxation and FUN! Feel free to hit reply with any comments or questions - we love hearing from you! 

Warmly,

Laura

P.S. Have you joined the discussion on our Facebook page?

P.P.S. What were your Aha moments when listening to these amazing interviews? Which interview resonated the most deeply for you? Hit reply and let me know! I read every response. :)

Carpe Diem!

Lisa