From an evolutionary standpoint, our brains are wired to be suspicious and expect the worse. This served us well in terms of the survival of the species, but it doesn't work so well if you are trying to minimize the amount of stress and worry in your life. Luckily, within our same brains, we have neurocircuitry dedicated to the feelings of peace, contentment, and joy. This journal relies on recent developments in neuroscience and traditional yogic ideas to enhance each area of your life, whether it's your health, your work, your relationships, or your experiences of joy and contentment. Contrary to popular belief, yoga is not just about stretching or strengthening your body; it is actually about directing your energy and clarifying your mind. It also works really well for breaking the inertia of the daily grind and for helping you reassess who you are, where you are in your life, and where you want to be. Another fundamental idea in yoga is that joy is the essence of who we are, but our unruly thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and reactions often obscure this joy. It is up to us to sort through the clutter and reclaim our inner joy.This journal contains 25 simple activities you can do to unearth your inner joy. They include simple tasks, reflections, and occasional yoga practices to counterbalance the brain's negative bias and make a more positive outlook the new normal. Some activities are only few minutes long; others will involve simply looking at your hurdles in a new light, and others will be full-length yoga practices-you get to pick what fits into your life right now. These small steps have the potential to shift how your brain responds to obstacles and rewire it to experience the world from a calmer and happier place.
