Cultivating Happiness

I frequently get asked about my tips for being happy. It is a really important topic.

It's a matter of our quality of life. I am a firm believer that you really need to work to achieve happiness. But, the job doesn't end because need to keep working to sustain it. It doesn't just naturally happen to most people, especially, when life is determined to throw things at you like you're standing in a batting cage without any baseball gear. 

SO HERE ARE A FEW BASIC TIPS TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH YOUR DAYS:

1. Don't underestimate the power of music. Like Bob Marley once said, "One good thing about music is when it hits you feel no pain." I completely agree. Think of music as a pre-game and your day is the party. Find the songs that make you feel happy or confident. Start your day with it and let it be your anthem for whatever you decide to do for that day. At the moment I am really big on "I feel pretty" and of course Reggaeton. Not sure why but I can't help but dance, singing, and laugh to it. 

2. Take moments for yourself. I know this seems like a simple one, but how often do you just get away from your desk or whatever you're doing and take a breathe? Take a step back. Now, breathe. It's a moment to be in control of yourself. No one is going to tell you to stop what you are doing and allow yourself to breathe. This doesn't mean you have to have a deep meditation practice but many studies have shown that breath is your built-in stress reliever. You have to choose to use it. It's so important because throughout the day, we end up becoming society's version of us rather than who we decided we wanted to be when we woke up. Breathe. Go home to yourself. Breathe. Resume.

3. Keep a happy scent. Sense memory is actually a very powerful thing. For me, lavender and rose water reminds me of both Paris, as well tea parties with my friends. I try to keep bottles of it in my bag. Whenever I start to feel a funk coming on, I just spritz a bit on my hair, face, or just in the air. It's an instant pick me up. The smell of peppermint and lemon have been shown to fight the blues. Essential oils aslo have a lot of benefits (I will write a post about it).

4.  Look up and talk to people. I talk to random strangers literally all day everyday. I find so much joy out of it. I bet you'll find one of two things: 1) your problems aren't so unmanageable after all  2) that there are a lot of incredible people in the world. Knowing that you can find a connection with another person at any random time is a beautiful thing. You aren't as alone as you may have felt. Great ways to meet new people is by using Meetup.com, counchsurfing.com or just go to yoga class and talk with people (maybe try acroyoga).

5. Gratitude. I used to hate when people were said "just be grateful and life will be great." I was wrong. When we can put on our "grateful glasses" life is better.  Being grateful doesn't mean life is perfect but the majority of us have family, friends, a place to live, the ability to afford a morning coffee even if it is from McDonald's. We need to remember that or life will swallow us whole. Appreciate a smile you get from a stranger on the street or running into a friend during an errand. It's a small blessing that you both happened to be there at the right time. The small things can be a wonder in life. 

6. Get out and move. I love to dance, exercise, surf, and hikinh. Just get physical because your body carries your stress. It's hard to release without moving. The best thing is to choose an activity you like and what is works for you.

7. On the note of physical, get physical. People who have sex regularly are happier people. Even if you aren't in the mood, get over it and do it. Yeah, I said it. Whatever! Trust me, the mood will kick in when you start essential if you revisit tip one. Make a playlist that makes you feel sexy. (Who have a partner, I am not into rendom sex :))

8. Finally, get some Vitamin D. Seasonal depression is hard. It's important to make sure you are getting your body what the weather isn't currently giving you. Stay on top of all your supplements. I know there are an assortment of UV lights that you can buy to help. When I lived in Boston, I would attach the light to my treadmill. 

Let me know if any of these tips and tricks help or if you have some happy hacks of your own.

Namaste 🤍


Aviv

For more articles:

Check out my morning ritual: https://mynameisaviv.blogspot.com/2019/12/my-morning-riutal.html


How to minimize the look of strech marks: https://mynameisaviv.blogspot.com/2020/01/how-to-minimize-look-of-stretch-marks.html

My daily wellness routine: https://mynameisaviv.blogspot.com/2019/12/daily-wellness-routine.html


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Bocas Del Toro

playa estrella

Bocas del Toro archipelago dots the beautiful turquoise waters off the Caribbean coast of Panama. These waters and the coral reef surrounding it with an amazing array of sea life make the islands and its main hub of activity, Bocas Town, a favorite destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.

Currency: The American dollar (USD) is used as currency.

Credit Cards and Banks: Bring as much cash as you can and don’t forget your debit card. Don’t expect to use a credit card for everyday purchases. It’s a small, simple island life here!

There is only one bank/ATM located on Isla Colón.

Climate: Bocas del Toro features a tropical rainforest climate with consistently warm temperatures and rain all year long.

Rainy season: Bocas receives large amounts of rain all year long. Pack an Umbrella!!

Dry season: There is no predictable dry season, but the driest months are October, January and March. 

?how to get to Bocas

U can have a flight from Panama city or a bus (10 hours drive).

Then you can come also from San Jose, Costa Rica with a shuttle or different buses. I took the caribe shuttle and it was really comfortable and easy, they come to pick me from my hotel and they have wifi. The brought me directly to Colon, the main Island where I stayed for the last 2 months. If you want to stay in one of the other islands like Isla Bastimentos, Isla Carneros, or Isla Solarte,

?What to do in Bocas

Scuba diving and Snorkeling

visit Starfish beach- it is a nice beach where you can swim and maybe watch some sweet starfish when all the people and music will go :) clean water.. something it is really hard to find around the main area of the island. some local restaurant with fish and lobster.

bicycle drive forms the main city of Colon to Bluff Beach. you can rent a bicycle anywhere.

A morning or sunset run with the sunrise from Colon to paki point

surf- the best spots are in Carenero, you can reach the waves with a boat wherever you are. a lot of people like to surf in Bluff but I think it is quite dangerous. check it anyway. from December to march there r the best waves in the area here.

sailing and fishing or just eat dinner on a sailing boat watching the stars. my favorite.

dancing with the locals in the street or their pubs. The people here are so nice and happy, They all say hello all the time, I miss it so much in other parts of the world. And they love to dance and usually just putting music very loud in there house and dancing and you can join them. Over Christmas, it is a huge party and you can pass through the houses and they invite you to dance Salsa.

?Where to stay in Bocas Town

difficult question. it really depends what you are looking for. but most of the people doing the same mistake and going to sleep in Selina. and I think it is a terrible place. too noisy too many kids that party and getting drunk. there are so many cute places. I am renting a house and I am really happy to give me money to the real locals of the .town

.

Diver Paradise Boutique Hotel seems a nice place to stay in or in Mamallena for the younger people. Thet both in a really good location where you can sleep cause the

.music will not be so loud but still, you will be a walk distance from the center

?Where to eat

Forget about fresh fish, It is really hard to get here. I still try to figure out the real reason I can't believe it is because the locals are too lazy to go fishing.

Italian food, wine, and coffee.. as someone that considers herself kind of Italian and usually I can eat Italian food outside of Italy cause it will not be good enough. Chez Ugo, you can find good Italian wine and really good coffee (Kimbo!!!

You can have here also amazing breakfast and tell Ugo I sent you and you are not .going to be disappointed

BocasART another good option in Isla Colon. The chef is a Spanish guy the food is interesting and so good. He has a mix between sushi and Spanish menu. I loved it.

Leaf Eaters Cafe in Carenero (take a boat from Colon and tell him to take you there) .nice place with nice music and a lot of things to buy :) but also good food and healthy with a lot of options for vegetarians

. I love their Hummus too.

Paki Point (close to Bluff Beach) the place is really nice and fun to hang out. amazing food and you can pick some coconut from the tree. Sometimes there are good waves in front of the place. Try the ceviche.

Beside Chez Ugo, there is a healthy supermarket where you can find healthy things which the supermarkets (they all own by Chinese and u have it every corner with the same things). for fruits and vegetables, you can buy in the local places, Banana, Papaya, Pineapple, Mango and all the rest. For my Basic Coconut water. I am picking from the tree or buying if someone sell in the street (sometimes you can coconut also in the supermarket). It is full with coconut tree all over here and it is so healthy full of magnesium and potassium which you need cause it is hot and humid over here.

Yoga

I am doing private classes of Vinyasa and Ashtanga for now.
There are really not good options on the island. One of the places I tried is the purple house, call YOGA BOCAS but I didn't like the vibe, she talking a lot about herself and it is not my kind of yoga, skip it. If you are not in one of the yoga retreats you should ask for a private class or you can ask in Genesis (space who have the Shala in the picture below) if they have classes at the moment.

I found Bocas a special place, that's why I am still here more than a month. A lot of people find themselves getting stuck or coming back a lot. Some really like the nightlife, I am not one of them. I am not going out. But there is clean air, good atmosphere, the locals are happy and smiley, all the time reggeaton music around you and salsa and not too many people even in the hight season. I am happy that something brought me here and got me to know a new country. Still, I have a lot to
.see in Panama, but it is a good start

, Hasta Luego

Primavera

Fuerteventura, my new home?

Fuerteventura, and the good energy

I am starting my blog with this experience I'm having now in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. It's three months that I'm here. I love this place. Amazing vibes and good and happy people. Surf, sun, sailing, good food and a lot of yoga and meditation. I needed that after I was living in Milan for the past 3 years. It is completely different.  I started my "CITY DETOX" here, not just eating a lot of organic veggies and fruits, but mental detox. And really I feel that I changed, something inside changed, and I can see it also in my yoga practice, I'm doing a lot of poses that I could not do before. Even simple ones, like headstand (I am really strong, so for me, it should be an easy one :). Before I couldn't even stay in headstand for a second cause I felt dizzy, and now it feels so comfortable. 

So let's start with some review about classes of yoga on the island. If you are on the island for a vacation you can come to try each of these classes. It is not easy to find information on the web, so that's why I am here for.

Joan Iyengar, Corralejo

For all the Iyengar yoga lovers... this one is a great place, Joan is an amazing teacher, really careful about the positions. U can try a class for free, it on the last floor of a nice building close to the harbor. nice view. Nice studio with wood floor. Joan explains everything in Spanish, so if u never tried its better to go to a place where they speak English during the class. There are not many people usually,

u should call before to see if there is a place. There is all the equipment.

I loved it!!! recommended

Joan +34635 889002

studio    🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

teacher   🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

view 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

level 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

It's yoga (English), Corralejo

Nice studio, but could be much better. The style is Ashtanga and vinyasa. They call it Rocket. The possibility of trying is to buy 3 classes which cost 20 euro. They have classes every day in the morning and in the evening, and also a free class in the beach on Wednesday, when u can come and join but its a silence class.

I've been in 2 class, one was OK but it was just one hour and didn't like so much the teacher, The second on Sunday morning was ashtanga primary series which I love, but the studio is too small so the teacher didn't have a place for her and couldn't show all the positions (u can forget some and a lot of the people don't know all of them). The teacher also doesn't correct so much, but again too many people. The studio is nice but without a view. the bathroom inside the yoga space :/... they offered some snacks and tea in a small living area. The class in English :)

There is also teacher training and a nice yoga outfits to buy in the studio.

https://www.itsyogafuerteventura.com/

they respond in FB

https://www.facebook.com/itsyogafuerteventura/

studio 🙏🙏

teacer 🙏🙏🙏

 view no view

level  🙏🙏🙏🙏

Papagayo Fitness Center (spanish)

The best class I tried on the island. The teacher really good and u have a few types of yoga. Hatha, Ying, Vinyasa. A lot of options during the day. You can check the schedual in the fb page. The class is in spanish and there are a lot of cute surfers guys. More men the women. The teacher always the same and she is really nice,  she corrects a lot. The studio is not nice, and u have spinning bicycle all around. Outside to the place u have the gym and supermarket. U can come to try for free and for a month it is only 35 euro.

studio   🙏🙏 (big and not hot)

teacher  🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

view    🙏

level   🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Some places I and u should try while u are here

pole dance in the beach https://www.facebook.com/polestudiofuerteventura/

https://www.facebook.com/TheArtLabLajares/ art lab in Lajares, I heard really good stuff about this place, and there are also art classes and Contemporary Ballet :)