By Rena Wells

Diving into the emotional realm does seem daunting. In all honesty not many of us truly understand what emotions are, and how could we? Even our psychologists, psychiatrists, and medical doctors turn to medication or very black and white mental coping mechanisms in order to control how we should be responding to our external stimuli. I am in no way knocking our mental health workers, they are needed as much as energy healers and I believe that the two together can co-create a beautiful marriage one day.

In truth, we have all been conditioned to behave in certain ways through various circumstances throughout our lives. What felt natural at one point, (as babies and very young children,) eventually became stifled and we were told on some level it was wrong to feel a certain way. This created the cycle of shame, and self-doubt, which also created an ingrained belief system to conform to what our exterior world told us. We eventually forgot how to listen authentically to the emotions within and by the time we entered adulthood all of these emotions became overbearing to a point where the majority of people on our planet suffer from depression. We learned from a young age the mental control tactics of emotion, which the ego has attached to.

HJ: Let go of expectation and the beauty and wisdom of life comes pouring in to your experience, bringing with it great peace and joy…

– Truth

How Expectations Undermine Our Relationships and Happiness

By Jen Picicci

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.” ~Bruce Lee

A few years ago, my husband was away from me for a few weeks, working in another town. It was summer, and we were living close to the beach at the time, so I often spent my Saturday nights walking along the ocean at sunset, enjoying the colors and sounds.

One Saturday night I was in a simply glorious mood. The beach was filled with happy families and couples, the Atlantic was a particularly lovely shade of aquamarine, and life felt just about perfect.

HJ: Our primary work in life is to reclaim the childlike joy, freedom, love and innocence that we have become disconnected from as adults. To bring these qualities back into your life and embody them fully is a recipe for deep fulfillment and lasting happiness.

– Truth

8 Ways to Reclaim the Joy We Knew as Babies

By Mithu Ann Abraham

“The soul is healed by being with children.” ~Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Last year, my husband and I became proud parents of a delicate little baby girl. And since then we have entered into a whole new world of unimaginable joy, love, and frustration.

By Marc Allen

Meditation is simple. In fact, one of the most difficult things about it is that it is so simple. Most people tend to think it should be more difficult or involve more effort… and so they don’t think they’re doing it correctly, and they quit doing it.

Active meditations involve a very subtle energy, directed by the imagination. Don’t work at it too hard; play with it and have fun with it. You’ll find it’s easy to create experiences in your inner field of vision—and once you do, you start to see the results of those inner visions in the outer world. You’ll remember these inner guided voyages as vividly as you remember all the other experiences in your life.

HJ: Love, not time, heals all wounds.  And when you heal all emotional wounds, you thrive, plain and simple.

– Truth

The Real Secret to Loving Your Body and Yourself

By Corinne Dobbas

“Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” ~ Louise L. Hay

Years ago, I had this friend. She was gorgeous and fit—and she ate whatever she wanted. A burger with the bread. A burrito, if she wanted it. She even ate (gasp!) pizza whenever she felt like it.

I was in awe.

How did she do it?

How was this possible?

What was her secret?

You see, I never allowed myself any of those things. I used to think that being happy and feeling good in your body directly correlated with the latest fad diet, exercise class, or cellulite-busting cream.