om monday: smile asana

did you ever notice that when you smile, it can have a physical effect or your body?  in yoga, we're often encouraged to enjoy a "smile asana" (i.e. a smile pose) when we're holding muscle-burning postures.  bringing a genuine smile to your face when your thighs are on fire, truly does make it easier to hold...and dare i say enjoy...

credit {here}

my one teacher describes it as buddha-face - that totally "blissed-out" look of sheer contentment. 

smiling makes us look more attractive, feel better, appear younger & reduces stress!  (see all smile facts {here})  so, if you're looking to tap into the fountain of youth - i recommend starting with a smile or two...and maybe even a bit of laughter, because, after all, laughter is the best medicine.

smiling is the best makeup, eh?  let's test this theory:  early morning smile...no makeup.

having trouble turning that frown upside-down?  i always find that a visit to youtube can work wonders : )  babies & dogs generally do the trick for me.  haha  (you'll need sound on for this one.)

what makes you smile : )

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flourish

one of my favorite magazines is whole living.  they always have such great tips, advice and articles that encourage balanced, healthy living for both the body and the soul.  if you haven't ever picked up a copy, it's worth perusing...

www.wholeliving.com

the may 2011 issue had an interesting article about happiness - "it's time to flourish".  the piece said that there are 5 key components that constitute the relative level of happiness in our lives.  interesting.

positive emotion - "happiness's useful core [...] an energizing force that drives us toward the sweeter things in life"

engagement - "when we're truly engrossed in a task that demands our attention, our sense of self recedes and times feels as if it has slowed"

relationships - "our bonds with others are the best antidote to the downs of life"

meaning - "belonging to and serving something that you believe is bigger than the self"

accomplishment - "doing something notable and being acknowledged [...] for others it means setting and achieving purely personal goals"

credit {here}

i never really dissected happiness like it was something logical and scientific.  it often seems more elusive than that...but the above breakdown seems to make sense.  too often, it can feel like our happiness is out of our control.  but, if you think about it keeping in mind the 5 elements, happiness is completely within our control.  we define our happiness - and our lives for that matter - by what we engage in, the people we spend our time with and the meaning we give to it.  it's our creation.  how inspiring.  so, be happy : )

how do you create your happiness?.

things i love...




{we heart it}

craig . the fall . tea . olive (our dog baby) . walking . my sis, han . happy hour . sushi . my parents . our cottage . fires in the fireplace . good wine (and cheap wine if it tastes good) . jazz . philadelphia . old movies . boots . dessert . the house i grew up in . weekends away . pashminas, scarves and the like . france (ahh...paris...) . singing . traditions . cooking . the today show . earrings . yoga . writing . late nights with friends . laughing . champagne (and champagne cocktails...) . modern family . long showers . papa john's . playing the piano . wedding planning . dinners out . tomato & mayo sandwiches . anthropoligie . the rittenhouse . reading . dreaming about our future . homemade red sauce . house tours . tinto . entertaining . dresses . my engagement ring . muhlenberg . the holidays . talking about ideas . date nights . colby & duncan . the area where we live . lazy days .  my morning cereal . rainy days . blogging . the travel channel . vacations (both the planning & actual vacationing) . wine tastings . homemade bread . time at home . where i am right now in my life

rittenhouse square

xix restaurant

tinto

what do you love?

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bet you can't not smile : )

what can i say?  she's just the cutest!  and she makes me laugh (all the time).  i really can't look at her without smiling.  yes, that's right...i'm a proud (dog) mom.  my (dog) baby, olive, is just the sweetest.  craig, my fiance, and i adopted her last november, and she's been making us laugh ever since.

whenever she's outside, she just has boundless joy.  sometimes i watch her and am awed (and a little jealous) at how little it takes for her to have an absolute blast.  olive really knows how to make the most of simple pleasures.  a walk.  time spent outside.  watching a bird or squirrel.  greeting a loved one when they come home.  way to go olive.  you're totally zen and you don't even try to be.  you're really much more advanced than the rest of us : )

what you can't hear (because i dubbed over my voice with the cute music) is that during this entire video (yes, the entire 2 minutes) i'm asking olive to "roll over".  which, as you can see, she decides she'd rather not do...

here's hoping this video leaves you smiling : )

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