The Joyful Warrior Blog
Life’s challenges often have us ping-ponging between seeking happiness and strength. This blog is here to help you balance the two and help you laugh while you do. (All coming from someone who had PTSD, told jokes for a living, and will definitely never have typoos).
Check out some mindfulness tools, and resilience tips, get hot takes on life and #adulting from a comedian, or snuggle in and read a story from one of my many adventures.
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photo: Michelle Mishina
Joyful Resilience in Action
Whether it’s a hardcore survival adventure or sharing primitive solutions in modern life, my YouTube channel is your VIP pass to the Joyful Warrior life and behind the scenes of my own adventures (and mis adventures, if we’re being honest!)
The Amazing Pilgrimage Hike You’ve Never Heard Of
People often find that pain and laughter go hand in hand. That was certainly the case on day two barefoot on the trail when I struggled for 6.5 miles and over 1.7k altitude gain. After the cold water dip and undulating hills of day one, I thought I was ready to take on day two. Little did I know day two would be the day that helped me re-realize the importance of rest and staying open minded.
Pain and Laughter
People often find that pain and laughter go hand in hand. That was certainly the case on day two barefoot on the trail when I struggled for 6.5 miles and over 1.7k altitude gain. After the cold water dip and undulating hills of day one, I thought I was ready to take on day two. Little did I know day two would be the day that helped me re-realize the importance of rest and staying open minded.
After Grit Comes Grace
Life is full of challenges and sometimes we harden ourselves in response. So how can you balance grit and grace? Overcoming, and accepting?
As I close my time on the Kumano Kodo trail (finally with shoes on after two days barefoot) I think about the values our culture places on grit while attempting to balance goodness and joy.
The Coping Tool that Never Fails Me
When I had PTSD there were only two things that truly helped me start the path to healing, and this is one of them. In this video, I will show you how you can take care of your mental health for free by getting out into nature. We'll talk about what forest bathing is, why it's so essential to your mental health, and how you can get started!
Resolutions: The 3 Mistakes You’re Probably Making
In this video, I'll be taking you through the most important part of goal setting that most people skip that makes all the difference in setting realistic and self-love-based goals. Let's make sure you avoid these common mistakes when setting goals:
1-adding in new goals and ambitions without clearing out ones that no longer fit or serve you
2- making resolutions from a place of need and 'not good enough' rather than a place of gratitude and self-love
3- Not making your goals SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time bound)
Are You Doing Resolutions Right?
Most people don't reach their goals not because they're lazy, but because they're missing 75% of the logic. In this video, I'm going to go through 4 questions with you to make a new years resolution that will actually work. You'll learn how to create an achievable goal and break it down into manageable pieces from a place of self-love and realistic expectations. You can journal with me, or think it through on your own and let me know in the comments if anything came up
Relaxing Bedtime Yoga for Lower Back Pain Relief: Release and Unwind
Working on that bedtime routine? Looking for a way to relax and wind down before bedtime? Look no further! Join me (in pajamas or even in your bed) for Restorative Evening Yoga, a tranquil and peaceful practice for calming your body and mind. With long-held, relaxing poses, and gentle guidance to support your body and breath, this calming practice is designed to help you release tension and emotional stress and create a sense of peace and ease to move into a restful sleep. Let's have a chill pajama party!
Adventure Tax
I'm not above eating questionable street food in a third-world country. I love it, and when you're stuck at an airport all day it's better than overpriced foreign imitations of Pita Pit and KFC. I never understood people who go to foreign countries only to eat and drink the staples of America. It all begins with an idea.
Panic Attack In Paradise
Unless you’ve experienced true anxiety first hand, it really doesn’t make much sense, and it’s difficult to understand how one person can behave so dramatically in a seemingly normal situation. That’s why in January of 2015, I was glad there was no one else in the parking lot. It wouldn’t have made any sense to them how I somehow damaged the 2010 Camry my Aunty let me use while I stayed in Grandma's basement.