The Joy UP Tribe Women - The Voice of Sunny

There is no denying that Joy ROCKS!

For me it’s a bit more Roots and Reggae, thank you kindly Mr. Marley. Whatever soundtrack your life normally sways to, one thing is certain --10 days with Hannah experiencing the Joy UP and you will need a new playlist.

All to often we play the same tracks over and over again. My playlist for the past 12 years; wife, daughter, employee, loner, mother, ex-wife, single mom, doormat. Then I met Hannah and I began to add to my playlist yogi to the people, entrepreneur, risk-taker, educator, gluten-free wonder, trailblazer, friend.

Life started to sound like the sweet reggae vibes that have always made me move my feet.

The Joy UP offered me a unique opportunity to connect with women from all over the world. Over 200 women coming together to experience the energy of joy in their lives, is truly an amazing thing.

Days 1, 2, and 3 gave me a new to do list, lemon water (check), bed made (check), joy board (ummmm sorta check), meditation while not trying to launch into song (check). I got into my groove.

Days 4, 5, and 6 started to make me feel amazing. I passed up excuses and chose to live each moment. One evening I walked with my Buddha Baby in the rain because the dishes, the pile of unread mail and the laundry would be there when I got back. What wasn’t there when I started to break free into joy was my old tired, grumpy self. The women in the Joy UP tribe celebrated my newfound freedom. They liked that I walked in the rain, shared my fear, and celebrated my breakthroughs.

By days 7, 8, and 9 I began to celebrate my sparkle with a new haircut, a fabulous new t, dinner with friends and those delicious banana coffees Hannah told us about.

Day 10 felt more like the beginning than the end. Life was electric, I was connected. Joy had been added to my playlist.

I know there will be days or moments when the old soundtrack will play: the loner, the croissant eating monster, the overwhelmed mom who may not make it through tantrum number four. But now I have JOY that lives in my heart and a Joy UP tribe of women to carry me through. In those moments my feet will start to move and in my head Bob will sing to me, “Feel like dancing, dance 'cause we are free; Feel like dancing, come dance with me!”

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Sunny Moriello Flatts spent many years advocating and implementing positive youth development strategies for Providence area youth ages 5 to 18 and is now the proud owner of The Buddha Baby Project. The Projects goal is to empower youth and families through yoga and positive youth development education. She is blessed to be a yoga teacher with Shri Studio’s School Project bringing mindfulness and yoga to area schools.

At home she has been known to sings her Budddha Baby to sleep with good vibes from Stephen Marley, Beres Hammond, Peter Tosh and the like.