Did you know that you can actually choose to be happy?

If I’m being honest, I didn’t!

For over 20 long years of depression and smothering sadness, I believed that you couldn’t help how you felt. I had the idea that some people were just born happy and others were not.

It turns out that I couldn’t have been more wrong. (Luckily for all of us!)

Each of us holds the power to choose to be happy. It’s just that for some of us, that choice may take some more practice and dedication than for others.

The good news is that according to the Law of Attraction, the more focus you give to it, the more comfortable and automatic being happy becomes. Like a boulder rolling down a hill and gaining more and more momentum; soon enough you’ll look around and realize that you’re genuinely happy!

When I set out on my own personal journey to become happy, I quickly realized that the big transformation I was yearning for would ultimately be the result of many small choices consistently over time.

While this may not be the sexiest, magical cure-all, it is simple, AND it does work! You just gotta work it!

Here’s a roundup of 10 of my personal favorite (and effective!) spiritual practices for cultivating happiness.

10 SPIRITUAL PRACTICES TO CULTIVATE HAPPINESS

1. GRATITUDE

Whenever I start feeling down, returning to gratitude is my first go-to practice! This practice is simple, easy, and can be done anywhere!

All you need to do is bring your conscious awareness to anything — big or small — that you have to be grateful for, and allow the emotion of gratitude to expand within you.

The best part about this practice is that you always have something to be grateful for. Whether it’s your ability to read the words on this page, that you have air in your lungs, or that you know the sun will come up tomorrow — there is always something. (You just gotta look!)

I love keeping a journal solely dedicated to writing my gratitude; seeing the pages fill up is a great physical reminder of all the good that surrounds me.

2. YOGA

Creating a yoga practice has truly been a game-changer for me!

It’s gotten me back in touch with the power of my mind and body, and the beautiful way the two work seamlessly together.

It’s awakened me to my own power, strength, perseverance, and has allowed me to gently stretch beyond my comfort zone.

Becoming so present within my physical body has reminded me of just how capable I truly am, which has made overcoming the obstacles that life naturally throws my way, so much easier and more effortless than before.

The endorphins don’t hurt either!

3. MEDITATION

I won’t lie, I fought against meditation for agessssss (and still do sometimes — I’m only human, after all!)

But time and time again, sitting down on my meditation cushion has moved metaphorical mountains. Frustrations, problems, and challenges that I’m facing before my meditation seem to just float off and away as I center myself and refocus on the bigger picture.

Meditation is the #1 thing I recommend to all my clients for one reason…it WORKS!

Believe me! I get the resistance that comes up around it! Which is why I recently shared my top tips for a successful meditation practice!

4. MINDFULNESS

The practice of mindfulness has a million different faces, but at its core, it’s really just about being fully present in the moment.

A great way to do this is by bringing your attention to all five of your senses — sight, sound, touch, smell & taste — and noticing what each is experiencing.

• What do you see around you?
• Do you hear any sounds?
• Are you feeling any sensations?
• Can you smell anything?
• What do you taste?

5. FEEL-GOOD LIST

Have you ever noticed how sometimes when you’re feeling really down, finding something to feel good about can feel practically impossible?

This practice is the antidote to exactly that! Open up a new note on your phone or somewhere you can easily access, and jot down at least five things that consistently and quickly bring you joy.

My personal list includes:

• taking a candlelit bath
• hiking
• reading for pleasure
• painting/drawing/coloring
• singing loudly
• making beautiful food
• treating myself

Keep adding to this list anytime you think of new things! (Hint: I often come up with ideas to add to my own ‘Feel-Good List’ when I’m already feeling good! Pay attention during those happy moments!)

6. BREATHING

It sounds so simple, yet too often when we’re stressed, anxious, worried, or overwhelmed, we forget to breathe!

At least, we’re not breathing deep, full, nourishing breaths!

Taking a moment to pause, breathe in a nice, slow breath in through your nose, and letting it out softly through your mouth, will create not only physical space within our bodies, but also create energetic space.

When we interrupt our go-go-go and focus on our breath, we reclaim our power to respond vs. react. This practice is especially beneficial in heated or high-tension moments.

7. BREATH OF FIRE

A specific breathing practice I’ve found particularly transformational as of late is a fast breathing technique called “Breath of Fire.”

In this Kundalini practice, you’ll want to fully inhale and exhale, while increasing the speed of breath originating from the diaphragm and controlled by the chest and abdominal muscles.

What I love about this practice is how it burns away the chaos and over-thinking of the mind, leaving you with clarity and peacefulness.

Please note that it is recommended for people with heart problems, high blood pressure, or who are pregnant to abstain from this. Here is a great tutorial on how to do Breath of Fire.

8. VISUALIZATION

Remember how much you used to daydream as I child? I know I did for hours on end!

What I didn’t know then was how incredibly useful that skill would be for me now. Spending time, even just 5 minutes a day, envisioning the life we’d most love to be living is a critical piece of actually making those dreams a reality.

The key is to infuse your visualizations with as much emotion as you can muster. How will it feel when you’re living that dream life?

Tap into those feelings and amp them up as much as possible. Don’t worry about the how for now, just have tons of fun! (And begin to watch the magic unfold!)

9. WRITING INTO REALITY

This practice goes hand-in-hand with visualization and is especially helpful if your mind tends to get distracted while you’re daydreaming.

Grab a journal or piece of paper and start writing out your dream life! Write every single little detail you can think of, the more specific, the better.

Remember to infuse it with emotion. Most importantly, write it as if it’s already happened, as if it’s your current reality, or has recently taken place.

Our minds don’t actually know the difference between make-believe and reality, so putting pen to paper and describing in great detail everything you have in your ultimate vision will cultivate those joyful feelings.

10. DANCE BREAK

No matter what’s going on for me, whether I’m experiencing absolute happiness, or wallowing in a pit of despair, putting on some music that aligns with my mood and moving my body always helps.

That’s because when we change what we’re listening to or move our body, we change the energy we’re in and create a shift in our state.

Sometimes the state shift I need is to amp up my good mood, bounce around, and revel in it. Other times what’s most needed is to move the stuck, stagnant energy and release it, freeing up space for more good to flow in.

I have yet to meet someone whose mood isn’t positively affected by throwing on their favorite song and unabashedly rocking out to it.

PUT IT INTO ACTION

Which of these practices excites you the most? Which feels like a breath of relief? Of ease? Of bliss?

Go there first! Follow that inner guidance and start with whatever practice feels light, fun, and freeing.

As always, we’d love to hear how this goes for you! Tell us below which practice you are most excited to try out!

Do you have any of your own practices that have helped you create more happiness in your life? Share those in the comments, as well!