.png)
Embodied Joy Toolkit
A curated collection of tools to spark joy. Try them out. Mix and match. These tools support movement, mindfulness, and overall health and well-being.
For guidance on any tool, please:
Across The Body Wake-Up
An exercise for quick physical and mental wake up, activating R/L brain, and boosting coordination.
Across the midline of the body, touch hand to opposite:
-
Ears
-
Shoulders
-
Waist
-
Knees
-
Ankles
Try four repetitions (R/L, R/L) in each place, ears to ankles, then ankles to ears.
Challenge: Adjust repetition count and speed. Pick a song you enjoy and try it with accompaniment.
Three Deep Breaths
Qi Gong: Collecting Breaths
Stand with your feet together, hands by your sides.
Inhale: Reach out and up, connecting fingertips above your head.
Exhale: Maintaining the fingertip connection, draw hands down the midline of the body, releasing hands to the sides of the body at the bottom.
Repeat three times.
Ground + Twist
Press feet firmly into the floor, activate tummy, release jaw.
-
On an exhale, twist to one side
-
Take three deep breaths, deepening into the twist with every exhale
-
Release to center on the third exhale
-
Repeat twisting to the opposite side
Shake Down
Pick an upbeat song you enjoy. Shake one arm, then the other. Then shake one leg, then the other:
-
8 times
-
4 times
-
2 times
-
1 time
Repeat at least two more times. The last cycle, start with one repetition and build up to 8.
Mindful Transitions
How do you transition from one thing/task to another? Try creating a physical gesture to support mindful shifts between activities.
-
Identify when a mindful transition would be helpful in your daily life. (between meetings, work + home, before bedtime, etc)
-
Create a physical gesture to help remind you to give yourself transition time. (Make a big X with your body and slowly melt, shake out your hands, make tea, take a walk, dance break, etc)
-
Build transitions into your calendar
-
Begin to notice if you are more present/aware/clear in your energy, choices, and engagements.
Adjust your transitions often... this is a practice. It takes practice to build. Begin again often.
Body Percussion
Keep the knees soft, tummy activated, and breath flowing.
-
Turn on some music you enjoy
-
Make “mallet” hands (soft fists)
-
Gently tap the soft spot below your knees, on the outside of your upper shins (“3 mile point")
-
Tap above knees, interior soft spot
-
Hip sockets
-
Lower back
-
Heart
-
Top of head (light fingers)
-
Massage face
-
Tap chest
-
Slap down one arm then the other
-
Rub belly
-
Shake it all out
Consider following up with:
-
Three (at least) deep breaths
-
Keep dancing or find the stretches calling you
-
Close with stillness and breath
-
5 minute meditation
-
5 minute free write
Top Ten Ways To Kick The Sitting Habit
Print the infographic out and hang it up wherever you sit too much. Try the ideas that easily add more movement and joy into your life. If something doesn't work for you, that's ok!
THE TOP TEN WAYS TO KICK THE SITTING HABIT