What's Your Happy Place?

Please forgive me if the title of this post sounds like an episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but I've been thinking a lot lately about the places that bring me a deep sense of peacefulness, and why it matters to keep them in mind.

A couple of years ago, I was sprawled out on a yoga mat on Long Beach Island, on a sunny rooftop in the middle of July, taking a yoga class with my mother-in-law, who also happens to be one of my very best friends (don't hate me--I know that good mothers-in-law are a rare species indeed). The instructor was speaking to us in that soothing, kindergarten-teacher voice, asking us to picture our "Happy Place"--the place in our respective lives where we felt most at peace. With my eyes closed, my mind journeyed back to the almost-magical woods beyond my childhood backyard, and as I pictured myself traveling along the familiar dirt path under the cover of majestic oaks and pines, I heard the instructor say, "Do you hear the seagulls?" [Insert SCREECHING BRAKES here.] No, Miss Yoga Instructor, I do not hear the seagulls in my forest! Apparently, the beach was her Happy Place and she just assumed we were all mentally enjoying the sand and surf with her.

"Goldie Hawn" and "cognitive neuroscience" are two entities which you probably wouldn't pair up, but I just finished reading an inspiring book called 10 Mindful Minutes by Ms. Hawn. To be honest, I've never really liked Goldie Hawn as an actress (the ditzy blonde act...ugh!), so I had no idea that she is the founder of a group which established MindUP, a program used in many schools around the world to help children reduce stress and anxiety, and build their social and emotional skills. She worked with an impressive team of doctors, educators, and scientists to create the program. (I'm distantly related to one of them by marriage, Dr. Richard Davidson, but I've met him only once, so I can't claim any true name-dropping benefit.) The premise of the book is that we need regular "brain breaks" throughout the day--especially if we can't take an actual break outdoors in a peaceful setting--to function better physically, emotionally, and socially in this age of technological overload. Cortisol, a natural hormone, is released in the body as a direct response to stress, and high levels of it have been linked to everything from heart disease to cancer. By taking these meditative breaks, we can lower our levels of cortisol and raise our levels of dopamine and serotonin, hormones related to pleasure.

Because I'm somewhat pathetic at relaxing, meditating on my breathing while sitting still in the lotus position doesn't work for me at all. I am, however, good at visualizing. So, if I can't travel to someplace that I find personally restorative (like Hacklebarney State Park or the Frelinghuysen Arboretum), I practice taking my mind there. Mini mental vacations, if you will.

If you need a mini mental vacation (who doesn't?), feel free to visit my new Pinterest page for a jumping-off point. I've carefully curated it as a gallery of my favorite images in nature--soothing, lovely, and capable of boosting those dopamine levels. You could say it's a collection of my personal Happy Places. Spoiler Alert: It's without seagulls.

Your turn: What's your Happy Place? Do you feel the most at peace in the mountains, the ocean, the woods, or elsewhere? Why? Please share in the Comments section below (now powered by CommentLuv for easier use). If you are reading this post via email subscription, click on the title or go to www.JoyfullyGreen.com and you can leave a comment at the original post.

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