you know her, you love her, she's probably kicked your ass more than once... 

...it's sarah avery! sarah is a yoga teacher, educator, and joy coach with a masters degree in education. i met sarah back in 2021 at yoga innovations but didn't get to know each other until i was her makeup artist for her wedding in 2024! sarah is an incredible instructor but it's her concept of training yourself to build sustainable joy that i really wanted her to touch on, especially coming up on the holiday season. she's going to give us a little bit of guidance on how we can train ourselves into being joyful, all the time. if what you read rings true to you, reach out to sarah through her business site, https://serendipitouslywell.com/.

Joy isn’t a Mood, it’s a Muscle

Throughout our lives, we learn to associate joy as a feeling- something that just happens to us when the circumstances line up perfectly. Often reserved for major events or large happenings (birthdays, job promotions, holidays, and more). But, real sustainable joy doesn’t wait for the perfect conditions or a specific date. Sustainable joy is something you can build, just as you build strength, confidence, and skills. Joy is more about the intentional micro shifts we make, rather than things happening externally. 

Joy doesn’t require large purchases- like plane tickets or family vacations. It can be found in small, seemingly-immemorable moments- the crunch of fall leaves, the taste of marshmallow on hot chocolate, dancing to your favorite song, or even letting yourself laugh a little louder than usual. When we treat joy like a practice and not a prize, it can make any normal day feel a bit more magical. 

Here are 3 strategies to start building your joy-muscle:

• File Under Joy for Later: Start saving thank you notes and pull them out on days where you feel down. Tiny love letters from past seasons, colleagues, and friends always help me keep going. 

• Pause & Name: Once a day, take a pause and ask, “What feels good right now, even if it’s small? Draw attention to the things that bring you happiness, gratitude, or a sense of peace. 

• One-Minute Wonder: Give yourself 60 seconds of something truly delightful- a stretch, a dance break, a deep breath, a fresh cup of coffee. Romanticize the small moments that break the mundane.  

Want to learn more? Take a look to see the coaching paths offered on https://serendipitouslywell.com/!