Happiness

“Happiness is your birth right” – Yogi Bajhan

There is something that we all have in common, worldwide.  This common thread is our wish for happiness and satisfaction in our lives.  Of course we have already have moments of this light in our lives. It arrives in the birth of a child and in the finding of new love.  It arrives in watching the joy of children at play. It is felt after a shopping spree, attending a yoga class, after a great achievement, after drinking that coffee and in so many other forms.   Of course these moments arrive, settles in for a while and soon fades into shades of dissatisfaction and unease. 

This is the nature of life outside our centre, it is always in movement, transforming from one thing to the other, it is the ebb and flow and the order of things.  But there is a possibility of a state of steady happiness and that space is not found outside of us, but within.  Within every one of us there is a well of happiness that is forever present, bubbling with delight.  This nectar of joy can be attained with a meditative practice.   You must sit in concentrated relaxation, reach through the spaces in thought, through the spaces in the cells and there and only there will you find your centre of steadiness.   Once you journey there you will notice a sense of contentment and satisfaction.  You will be able to observe the comings and going of your emotions and the order of life without getting caught in the snags of happy and unhappy.

Once you dedicate time to your meditation practice you will notice that your become less reactive to the world around you.  Anger, frustration, stress, fears, and the runnings of the mind will become less dominant and an underlying sense of well-being will ensue.  With regular sittings you will be able to notice the play of life arise and you will let them play out and stay in a space of peace and contentment. In this way you will find a state of happiness and contentment. In Sanskrit we call it Santosa.

Meditation is like a seed that needs light and water to spring forward into new life.  In meditation one can see the breath as the water that feeds the mind into relaxation and the attention brought to the practice as the light that takes away the dark shadows of the mind.  Once the shadows are removed contentment is unveiled and all is as it should be.  But take note as the plant takes time to bare fruit the meditator must be patient with the flowering of his mind.

There are many forms of meditation; vipassana, transcendental, mantras etc… Below you will find a simple breath meditation that you can use to begin your journey into the mind.  Before you begin set a space aside that is clutter free, a space that you can return to everyday at the same time.  Meditation is a great way to start your day but you will find the best time for you with your schedule.  It doesn’t have to be long.  Even 10 minutes a day can make a difference.  With discipline you will notice that it is your practice that helps sustain you during your day.

This is a spot in the whitehouse

Meditation

Come into a seated position either sitting cross legged, on a chair or if this is not possible lying down. It is important that you are comfortable. If a cross-legged position brings your knees way up past your hips, sit on a cushion.  If you are sitting in a chair make sure that it has good back support so that you are not slouched.  If sitting up is not accessible to you, lie on your back. Wherever you are in whatever position, close your eyes.  Bring your attention to the sensations in your body; the legs, the torso, the arms, and the feelings or emotions that come up. In this way, practice allowing the sensations to be exactly what they are sensations, nothing more, nothing less.  Remember that the meditative mind poses no judgment on things and situations.  It sees things for what they are and is in acceptance what that is. 

Begin to relax the body; relax the jaw, the facial features, the shoulders and start noticing each inhale and exhale. Notice everything about the breath, the expansion of the lungs as they inflate, the letting go of the exhale as they deflate. Notice the air as it passes through the nostrils, the pause between the inhale and exhale.  Be creative in the different ways you can explore the observance of the breath.   The mind will interrupt, distract and irritate you and  this is normal. When you recognize that you have stepped away from the breath come back to it over and over again.  Observe the experience of the breath with the body and the playing of the mind.  With regular practice you will lengthen the space between thought and develop the ability to observe the playings of your life without getting caught up in the dramas and you will stay steady in a state of peace contentment and happiness!

“Only a silent mind can look within.  Only a silent mind can hear the silence, the happiness that is always bubbling there.  It is so subtle that with the noise of the mind you cannot hear it.” – Osho
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Before I sign off I want to tell you that our for rent sign is down. We are 95% sure that we have found a place!!! Yeah!