On Thursdays we take you to “the well” - your source for inspiration and how-to’s.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that most of us prefer happiness to gloom…I know I do! But when a bad mood strikes, it can often be tough to break free. When you find yourself down-in-the-dumps, how do you handle your bad mood? Do you wave a white flag in surrender or do you forge your way to happiness?

In one of our featured articles, we touched on the idea of having a Bad Mood Emergency Kit. I love this idea. There are emergency kits for all sorts of catastrophes and injuries: earthquakes, tornadoes, cuts, burns, and bruises… so why not have a one ready to combat a lousy mood? It just makes sense! Plus, the idea of putting it together sounds like a lot of fun, too.

There are many ways to feel joy and many things can bring joy in different ways. Your emergency kit will be as unique and individual as you are. Although you are free and welcome to come up with any mix of items that suits you, here are some fun ideas to choose from: music, movies, scents, photos, memories, mantras, and activities.

My Bad Mood Emergency Kit includes:

• Get-up and dance music: Safety Dance CD
• 3 favorite feel-good movies: Amelie, Monsoon Wedding, So I Married an Axe Murderer DVD’s
• Uplifting scent: Spearmint Essential Oil
• Favorite photo: One I took in Oaxaca of a young girl sitting beside an old, blind man as he softly strummed his guitar and sang…
• Memory: Time spent with my newborn niece – I’ve got plenty of photos and keepsakes!
• Faithful mantra: “Everything’s gonna be alright” (for an extra kick, I’ll sing it Alicia Key’s-style)
• Perspective-altering activity: Anything involving fresh air

Putting together a Bad Mood Emergency Kit gives you a chance to reflect on all of the things that make you truly happy. And it’ll help bring a smile to your face whenever you need one.

So, what’s in your kit? We’d love to hear!

~Kristen
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Wellness 101:
In today’s Wellness 101 we bring you 5 Rhythms Dance…

Have you ever lost yourself to the rhythm? I become ecstatic when I see a small child bounce around the room–free to move and express themselves as they tune in to the music. I am envious. Why is it so hard for most of us adults to just get up and dance? One great way to let go of all the mind chatter and just cut loose is through a practice called the 5 Rhythms.

5 Rhythms is a form of improvisational dance. Teachers of this practice guide a class through 5 different types of moving expression: flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, and stillness.

Gabrielle Roth, founder of this practice, talks more about it below. I love how she describes the droning critical voice in our head, and learning to “Drown that voice out with the beat…”

I first discovered the 5 Rhythms at Esalen Institute in California. It is practiced regularly in the morning movement classes. As someone who has experienced her format, it is fascinating to explore the boundaries of your own self through dance and become a witness to your own life experience. Learn more here or find classes in the US or worldwide.

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In today’s Wellness 101 we bring you hydrotherapy…

Are you looking for a pleasant, nurturing way to sooth your aches and pains? How about a treatment that you can easily do at home? Then hydrotherapy might be just the thing for you. Hydrotherapy is a form of therapy that uses water to heal what ails you through the use of temperature (to increase circulation, reduce inflammation, release toxins) and weightlessness (to calm and relax).

In Turkey and Japan, public bathhouses were built to promote the use of water as an aide to increase health and well-being. Today, hydrotherapy can be used to treat spinal cord injuries, burns, strokes, paralysis, and is often used to reduce stress. There are a few different types of hydrotherapy—let’s take a look:

One form is called “packing.” This entails tightly wrapping the body in a hot, wet sheets and covering them with several dry blankets. This technique causes the body to heat up, which encourages sweating, thus releasing toxins from the body. A body wrap at a spa is on par with this. After treatment you should feel relaxed, rejuvenated, and hopefully less toxic!

Next is something called hot air baths—a term I hadn’t heard of, but realized that it simply means “sauna.” Temperatures are usually in the range of around 66 degrees centigrade (151 Fahrenheit) for curative purposes. Saunas are a great way to release toxins and increase circulation. Often times after a sauna an ice cold bath is sought to further aid in circulation.

Hot compresses, something we consider more of a first aid remedy, are also a form of hydrotherapy. Hot compresses can be administered either hot or, amusingly enough, cold. A hot compress helps aid in respiration, while a cold compress can reduce inflammation of the skin. These may be used for long or short periods of time, depending upon the condition being treated.

Finally, there are baths. A bath in your home or a bath at a spa will help to calm and relax , while a sitz bath assists in circulation. Alternating between hot and cold water is said to have a powerful effect on the cardiovascular system and general congestion problems. There are tons of products from basic epsom salts to fragrant bath salts and essential oils to add a touch of luxury and release to the treatment. In fact, you can even go a step further by dimming the lights, lighting a few candles, and tossing fragrant flower petals into the tub. Then hop in, take a deep breath and relax….

Hydrotherapy is easy enough to do yourself or at a spa for common ailments, but for more serious conditions, you should seek the help of a professional.

~Jennifer Rosen

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TGiF! Enjoy one of our top picks in today’s Friday Faves…

One of the most inspiring books I have ever had the pleasure of reading is The Alchemist, by Paulo Coehlo. I happened to read it while traveling in India, an opportune time to hear the author’s underlying message of chance and opportunity. I’m not one to hang onto books after I’ve read them, but this one is still sitting on my bookshelf, even years later. To say it changed my thinking would be an understatement.

The Alchemist is an inspirational story about a boy following his dream. The story shows us how chance meetings and unfortunate events can ultimately lead to a better life. The most striking aspect is that the even horrible and life-altering events end up leading to other, brighter paths – and even to a golden opportunity.

Understanding this helped me to look at life differently, to see potentially “bad” occurrences as possibilities for newer, greater things. The Alchemist is a tale full of life’s lessons, theories on controlled luck, and the idea that the universe will guide you on the path that is meant for you. It encourages you to follow your dreams.

~Jennifer Rosen

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Kick off the summer season this Memorial Day Weekend at Chopra Center & Spa  at Dream Hotel in New York. 

In conjunction with Chopra Spa’s Renewal Weekend program, Chopra Center & Spa at Dream Hotel will offer a special, limited-time treatment – The Ayurvedic Experience.  This 50-minute treatment helps loosen toxins and impurities in the body and enliven consciousness through marma therapy.

Choose from these Ayurvedic Experience Treatments:

• Full Body Massage: Using Ayurvedic techniques and dosha specific herbs and oils, this full body massage allows you to relax and let go of stress and anxiety
• Marma Therapy: Marma Therapy involves 108 energy points throughout the body to balance chakras and enliven the flow of prana energy in the body
• Sound Meditation: Utilizing the Seven Metals sound CD to aid relaxation and tension release

This event is hosted by Chopra Center founders Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon.

The Renewal Weekend teaches the practices of meditation, yoga, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine.  Program includes Primordial Sound Meditation, daily yoga, holistic techniques for reducing stress, and a daily routine for calm, renewal and balance. 

For more information or to reserve your space, call 888.736.6895.

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