Hello community!
It's so wonderful to see you.
It's Jax,
Your habits coach and stress-releasing yoga teacher,
And I am once again so excited to be talking about our happiness hormones today.
I love talking about happiness hormones because they truly do play a big part into our overall well-being and our positive emotions.
So sometimes when we're feeling fuzzy or we're feeling a lack of clarity or feeling overwhelmed,
We can use our happiness hormones as a roadmap to realize what do I need,
What do you want to focus on,
And how can you do that.
Today we're going to be talking about a very important hormone,
Serotonin,
How it impacts you,
And of course be doing an activity that will increase your serotonin levels.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and a hormone that plays a significant role in regulating mood,
Emotions,
And overall well-being.
You may have heard this referred to as the happiness hormone or the feel-good hormone because serotonin is involved in promoting feelings of happiness,
Contentment,
And relaxation.
It also regulates different functions like sleep,
Appetite,
And digestion.
A big way that serotonin can have an impact on us is through gratitude and positive thinking.
When we focus on positive aspects of life,
This allows us to focus on a more positive mood and potentially influences our serotonin levels.
Gratitude and serotonin are linked through a complex interplay of neurochemical and psychological processes.
Expressing gratitude can really positively influence serotonin levels in the brain and serotonin in return contributes to the experience of gratitude and well-being.
I know for me when I focus on gratitude that I'm able to stay in a space of abundance.
When I focus on what I don't have or I focus on lack,
I find myself just really slinking into a negative mindset.
So today we're gonna focus on gratitude with our activity.
So go ahead and find a quiet space,
Find a peaceful environment,
Find a quiet environment,
And then take two long deep breaths in through the nose,
And then open mouth exhale,
Let it go.
Again,
Two deep inhales,
Open mouth exhale,
Take one more of those at your own pace,
And then go ahead and open and close your jaw three times.
Move the neck side to side,
No wrong or right way to do this,
Just moving your neck,
Maybe lingering in a certain spot,
Maybe nodding yes,
Nodding no,
And then just allow your body to come to stillness.
And then we'll set our intention for the practice.
So begin by setting intention.
This could be something like I want to cultivate gratitude and positive thinking to bring more joy into my life.
I want to cultivate gratitude and positive thinking to bring more joy into my life.
I want to add abundance into my life.
What's your intention?
How do you want gratitude to impact you?
And can you relax your forehead a little bit more here,
Getting a little bit softer in the eyes,
The eyelids,
Relaxing your upper lip and your lower lip.
And as you allow your body to soften a little bit more here,
I want you to think about the people,
The things,
The experiences that you're really grateful for in your life.
So who makes you smile?
What do you appreciate having?
Where have you been that's been amazing?
And I want you to make a mental list of three things you appreciate and are thankful for.
They could be big or small,
From big life events to just simple pleasures.
And then we're gonna go through all three just to take a moment to feel the gratitude in your heart.
So what's the first thing on your list?
Big or small?
What brings you that joy,
That gratitude?
And now think about the second one on your list.
What is number two for you?
What second thing do you find appreciation and thankfulness for?
And then finally,
Number three,
What's that third thing on your list?
What person,
Thing,
Or experience are you finding gratitude for?
And we'll give a big thank you to those three things and then shift our attention to ourselves.
And what really allows gratitude to flow into us is giving gratitude for ourselves,
Really appreciating ourselves.
And I find that works through the power of positive affirmations.
And these are statements that reflect positive qualities or intentions that you want to reinforce in your life.
So you can either repeat these affirmations to yourself silently or out loud.
I am worthy of happiness and love.
I am worthy.
I am worthy of love and happiness.
I am capable of achieving anything I set my mind to.
I am capable of achieving anything I set my mind to.
For this next affirmation,
Can you really speak it with conviction and believe in its truth?
I am enough.
I am enough.
And then just allow yourself to sit in it.
The gratitude for those three things,
The statements that reflect positive qualities that you want to reinforce in your life.
Just allow yourself to feel peace,
The contentment,
The happiness.
And then take two deep breaths in through the nose.
And then open mouth exhale.
Let it go.
And then can you slowly start to flutter the eyes open.
Just take a few deep breaths here.
Take as many deep breaths as you need.
And then just reflect on this moment.
Notice any shifts in your mood or mindset.
And consider how you can carry this practice of gratitude and positive thinking into your daily life,
Starting with today.
Remember that regular practice is essential to cultivating a positive mindset and gratitude.
So you can repeat this exercise daily or as often as you like to reinforce the habit of positive thinking,
Serotonin,
And appreciation in your life.
This is Jax,
Your habits coach and stress-releasing yoga teacher.
And I'll see you next time.
