You can CHOOSE to be HAPPY!

As a Rama Mama, rama meaning "source of joy" in Sanskrit, my ultimate goal is to lead a joy-filled life. Especially in the last few years, I've made a concerted effort to do so, and it's really made an enormous difference in my life.

Isn't happiness the ultimate goal of all of us, yet it seems to be eluding many. What if I told you that you create your own happiness, no matter what is going on in your life? Would that enlighten you, scare you or tick you off? No matter what your answer is, I hope you consider reading the book "How We Choose to be Happy: the Nine Choices of Extremely Happy People."

Last week I had the opportunity, through the Kansas City PRSA chapter, to meet one of the authors of the book, Rick Foster. Before Foster's three-hour session, I finished reading the book, which resonated very highly with other literature I've enjoyed on the topic of happiness, such as books by Louise L. Hay and Abraham-Hicks. For those not wanting quite as much spirituality, this would be a good option for you. Foster and coauthor Greg Hicks interviewed hundreds of people others had pointed out as being the happiest people they know. During their interviews, the authors saw patterns of behavior and thinking that added up to the nine choices they thoroughly covered in their book.

"How We Choose to be Happy" illustrates the nine choices by telling personal stories, quotes and practical ways to apply the nine choices into your daily life, especially through not-so-great times and happenings. I especially enjoyed the fifth choice, recasting, which talked about the way to convert problems into opportunites and make traumas into meaningful events.

So why not try to CHOOSE to be happy. It's worth a shot, right?

Listen to top yoga instructors

Yoga Peeps is a podcast featuring interviews with some of the leading yoga instructors of our time. One of the most recent I enjoyed was an interview with Seane Corn. Good way to squeeze a little yoga in while working or taking care of baby. Being a new mom is all about multitasking!

Speaking of being a new mom, thought I'd supplement this brief post with a recent pic of baby girl, who will turn 10 months in a day. Time flies when you're having fun!

Enlightenment for Idiots - really

I recently finished reading "Enlightenment for Idiots," which is a wonderfully fun fiction book for a yogini (or aspiring one!) to read. It's about a 29 year-old yoga teacher and writer (like moi, except I'm 31, but who's counting!) who is commissioned by a publisher to journey to India to write the book "Enlightenment for Idiots." Some surprises along the way that also highly resonated with a recent "adventure" in my life... but I won't completely spill the beans. :)

If you want to learn more about yoga, India and have lots of laughs while enjoying author Anne Cushman's prose, then this is a great novel to try. It was one of the first fiction books I've read since having baby (I'm such a nonfiction freak right now!). I think because it married my loves of teaching yoga and just plain silliness, it really struck home to me.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a witty and entertaining read, while also learning a little about India, yoga and enlightenment along the way.