When first asked, I had no idea what brought me joy. It was a foreign concept to me. I had been raised to please others: my parents, my church, my teachers. Then as life progressed it was my husband, my children, my employers, my neighbors, my friends and everyone else who wanted me to do what they wanted me to do. I believed that I was just being a nice person. The common terminology for this today is “being a pleaser”.

It took me a long time to discover that there is nothing wrong with pleasing others as long as it brings you joy, and that the main criteria for choosing to do something or not to do something, is if it will bring you joy. This means learning to say “no” to others when they are asking you to do something, believe something, or take a particular action because they want you to, even when it goes against your feelings, beliefs or convictions.

To determine if something will bring you joy requires a definition of the word joy used in this manner. Joy is an expression of the Soul. It is an emotion of jubilation and celebration within your being when you are choosing activities which are in alignment with your Soul. It is listening to your intuition and following your heart.

What brings you joy is not short term gratification which can lead to long term distress. It is not listening to the dysfunctional patterns of your mind, body or personality. Such things as griping, moaning, anger, fussing, worrying, etc. are out of alignment with your Soul and do not bring you joy. They may appear to bring you satisfaction in the moment, due to the chemical reaction of adrenaline and endorphins in your system, but this is short term and is actually destructive in the long run.

It truly is for each person to determine what brings them joy. It is often different for different people. That is what makes life so interesting. What brings you joy may be different from what brings you happiness in the moment. Let me give you some examples.

- There are certain tasks I do not enjoy, but the final result brings me much joy. The task is a small price to pay for the joy it brings. Example: A clean floor brings me joy. I do not like scrubbing the floor, but the final results bring me joy.

- There are certain decisions I would like someone else to make for me. It is difficult not being able to please everyone. However, to stop procrastinating and make a decision toward a peaceful resolution brings me joy.

- Being responsible for the actions I have chosen may sometimes appear difficult and stressful. However, the long term joy this responsibility brings me is well worth it.

If things in your life are not bringing you joy, they are usually suppressing or depressing you. They are giving you stress which appears to have no end. I have discovered that often, rather than make a change in a situation or activity, a person may resort to thoughts and actions very much out of character with their personality.

An example, was a neighbor of mine who confided this story to me. Every night before her husband got home she would pray that he would get into an accident and die. After several weeks, she realized that she really did not want him dead, she just wanted him out of her life. The next day she filed for a divorce.

So, when do you decide it is time to make a change? Life is full of change. When something no longer brings you joy in the long term, it is time to take a good hard look at why this is still an activity in your life. Start a positive action, instead of just living in reaction to your life. There are always many options. One is to remain with the activity but change how you approach it or interact with it. Another is to remove yourself from the situation or activity while maintaining honor for all concerned. Whatever the choice, the sooner you take action, the sooner you move into joy.
Listen to your intuition–follow your heart.

Use your Intuition to find your Joy.

When this Rhythm is disrupted, it is often perceived as being fragmented, scattered, hyper, mentally or emotionally imbalanced. Often a hyperactive child (ADHD, ADD) has enormous connection to the Rhythm of Intuition, but is unable to sustain a balance with it within their reality. This may be due to toxins formed from immunizations, chemicals such as additives, preservatives or pesticides or imbalances in their blood sugar. To correct these situations requires a rebalancing of the cranio-sacral rhythms to assist in aligning the hemispheres of the brain and reestablishing the Rhythm of Intuition by restoring the Breath of Life within the sphenoid in the center of the head. Harmonics International offers several products to assist in this process. Two of the most important are the Full-Body Activators and the liquid formula Intuition. (See Sept. - In Harmony newsletter.)

Finish with a proclamation, “I embrace the magnificence of my Soul. And so it is.

There has been a lot of study involving the cranio-sacral system over the last 20 years and much has been discovered. This amazing system controls and acts as a check and balance system for most of the physical functions of the body. All other pulses and rhythms are determined by the health of the cranio-sacral system. This includes the heart and respiratory resting pulse as well as the little known and understood pulses of all major organs and systems. As cranio-sacral therapy is becoming more popular, facilitators as well as clients are perceiving the connection of this system to every area of a person’s existence, including emotional stability and mental clarity.

The cranio-sacral system includes the cranium and spinal column plus all of the fluids and mechanisms within the system. It is an enclosed system. When the fluids are pulled down due to gravity, a pumping action takes place in the brain stem to transport fluid back up to the brain. This is what creates the craniosacral pulse. Any place within the system in which the fluid is unable to move freely, moves into a place of distress and can lead to corresponding degeneration within the body. Whatever a person can do to maintain the health of their cranio-sacral system enhances their overall level of wellness and vitality.

The cranio-sacral system has been a major focus for me for several years. Many of the exercises, attunements and products I have created strengthen and enhance the health and function of the craniosacral system.

• The Breath of Life exercise was specifically designed to open up the rib cage and enhance the flow of the fluids within the cranio-sacral system to restore the Breath of Life throughout the body.

Many today recognize the term “the child within.” I often refer to it as fragments of our being. We are a complex being in mind, body and spirit. Remember that the physical body is only a reflection of what is going on in the energy (etheric) body.

Imagine that when you were a child someone had said to you, “You know something? You are never going to grow up to amount to anything!” Your reaction would have been, “Ouch, that hurts!” A fragment of your emotional body would have been wounded and would have withdrawn, surrounding itself in a cocoon of protective energy where it could feel safe and secure.

Later another playmate might have teased you by saying, “Not only that, your clothes are ugly, too!” That hurt, too. And another fragment of your emotional body would have pulled back and surrounded itself in a cocoon of safety.

When we take into consideration the totality of all that we are on all levels of our being and on all levels of consciousness, we have, not a few fragments of our being, but thousands of them that have retreated to safety.

The reason many fail to receive the healing they desire is that not all of them are fully present for it. As the person leaves to go for his healing, the fragments say, “You go and have a good time. We’ll be here when you get home.” Later, some of the fragments will say, “Gee, I think I’ll try that, too,” and several more will participate. This process could go on indefinitely.

We thank those who have brought to our consciousness the concept of the child within. Before any healing can truly have a long-term effect, we must first integrate the totality of our being in order to experience the totality of the healing.