In another article I wrote about emotions from a Chinese Medical perspective. I talked about the way different emotions effect the flow of qi in our bodies. (You can find that article here.) I mentioned that joy is the antidote to all the other emotions because of its relaxing effect.

Infusing joy into your day is a great way to manage stress and the effects of stress on your body.

Once a year, Americans celebrate "April Fool's Day" with pranks and tricks to fool family and friends and remind each other to lighten up and have some fun.

But playing the fool is about so much more than laughing and lightening up. Traditionally the fool is depicted as a child skipping along the edge of a cliff completely unaware of the danger she is in. She is joyfully, skipping along, picking flowers with her eyes looking up at the sky. There's a dog barking at her feet trying to warn her and redirect her attention down to the Earth, but she ignores him and continues on her path one step away from going over the edge. The child appears foolish and her foolishness is surely going to cause her to fall to certain death...or is it?

Viewed another way, the child is demonstrating a willingness to go beyond conventional wisdom and limitation. She is willing to let go of fear in order to transcend her current state of being. She is skipping along in faith. Some might view this as foolish and naive, but she knows in her body, mind and spirit that bravely moving forward in faith will ultimately life her up to greater well being.

This is playing the fool. Listening to your heart, your wisdom, your authenticity...this is what I mean when I say...

Play the fool.

-Consider ways you can infuse more authentic joy into your day. Sometimes it is as simple as being willing to pay attention to what is going on around you. Spend a moment observing an animal, a child, a hummingbird. These joyful beings often lift us up and make us smile. If you find yourself getting bogged down in a task, take a moment to tap into a feeling of joy even if just for a moment. You'll find that the task becomes easier.

-Remember to trust yourself. Make a list of times your heart has guided you. Did you listen? How did it turn out? Was your instinct or intuition right on? Use this list as evidence that you can trust yourself and your internal wisdom.

-The word faith is very powerful for me. It reminds me to tap into a feeling...a knowing...a strength. When I allow myself to pause and tap into that feeling before taking action, I take action from a more empowered, loving and peaceful place. What word might you use to remind yourself to tap into a more authentic place of peace and well being? Explore this idea this week. Maybe it's love, joy, play, freedom, courage...or maybe it's a phrase, an image or a melody you hear in your mind. Play around and see what "fits" for you.