{the JOY depot}
joy/joi/*
(noun)
{the JOY depot} manifesto
1: a) the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.
b) the expression or exhibition of such emotion
2: a state of happiness or felicity: bliss
3. source or cause of delight
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When we look for joy, often times we look for external things (clothes, shoes, cars, men, etc) to fulfill our happiness. But when we try to use external things to fulfill us, our joy never seems to last.
“Joy is not in things; it is in us.” – Benjamin Franklin
What if we could create our own everlasting joy from within?
But how?
In today’s society, it’s hard not to look for quick fixes for our problems. We hope the fixes will last, but to our dismay, our problems come back. We end up patching up the holes that are keeping us down instead of getting rid of the root cause.
{the JOY depot} is about providing useful tips, tools, and practices for your mind, body and soul so you can create your own everlasting joy from within. When practices become habits, it becomes ingrained into our lives.
According to yogic science, it takes 40 days to change a habit, 90 days to confirm the habit, 120 days that a new habit is who you are and 1000 days to master the new habit.
This site features tips, tools, practices, and stories from various “joy coaches”. These joy coaches are experts in their field and have found ways to create their life and live their lives fully.
Ultimately, when we are joyful we can spread joy to others, we can be kind to others, we can love others. Our hope is that this site plants the seed of joy so it can continue to spread around the world and fulfills our mission of “elevating human kind(ness).”
My name is Minling and I am the chief joy coach. My life wasn’t always joyful and you can read more here. Although I started this site, {the JOY depot} is actually a collaborative site where you can participate as much as you’d like.
How?
- Subscribe to receive “the JOY note”, weekly emails with tools and tips.
- Share a post on {the JOY depot}’s Facebook page. We’d love to support you on your journey.
- Contribute a story / post, picture, quote, etc. We’d love to hear what you are doing to bring JOY back into your life, see some inspiring pictures and more! Find out how on our submissions guideline page.
- Sponsor {the JOY depot} with an ad. Please write “Sponsor with Ad” in the subject line.
- Download our special gifts, the JOY sign and {the JOY depot} manifesto, as a reminder to keep the joy going.
- Check out other useful tools you can use to create your own joy.
- Join or follow the 365 days of JOY challenge.
“Yoga saved my life. Yoga saved me from myself.” 
Becoming a “yogi” was never part of the plan. But after stepping on her mat for the first time in 2007, Minling knew she was home.
The chaotic world took a toll on Minling mentally, physically and spiritually. Full of stress, tension, and anxiety, she often felt depleted of energy each day. Her perfectionist nature ran the show and as a result, she tried to compensate by constantly trying to do more and be the best at everything in hopes of one day finally “feeling good enough.” She tried to follow the traditional path, tried being “a good Chinese daughter,” and ended up in Corporate America after receiving her MBA. Four years was enough for her and she quit her old life to start anew. The constant stress and internal politics were just not her style.
Yoga saved her from all the unhappiness. With each practice, a wave of calmness, peacefulness, and serenity flowed through her body. With each breath, her heart opened to the world and the bright spirits around her. With each class, she felt oneness with her fellow yogis. She devoured all the philosophies and teachings of the ancient yogis and started applying them to her life, ultimately altering the trajectory of her life. The calmness, connectedness, and community kept her on the mat and inspired her to teach yoga and start {the JOY depot}. She finally found her own joy and happiness from within and is doing what she loves.
To work with Minling, click here.
For those of you who want her “vital stats”, here’s the low down.
- Undergrad: University of Southern California – BS in Business Administration
- Grad: Indiana University – MBA
- Other: Landmark Education
- Past Careers: Guess, Nestle, Roadmonkey, Lululemon
- Yoga: RYT-200 yoga teacher through Marni Task’s Jivasara Teacher Training & currently doing Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga West in LA.
