What is happiness?

In this modern world, many of us are living unhappy lives. Whether it’s due to work/life balance, or not being able to chase your passion, or monetary problems, unhappiness comes in various shapes and forms. Indian and Buddhist philosophies say that unhappiness is only in our minds. Wanting things we can’t get, and being unsatisfied with the things we do have, is the core of our joylessness. For example, if a person focuses on getting that dream promotion, it only plants the seeds of unhappiness, because once the person gets that dream promotion, the goalposts shift, and the dream promotion becomes the next one. So even before the person could derive joy from the current promotion, they are worried about the next one. So even when people are being challenged creatively, and living what they think are happy fulfilling lives, they are unhappy. Here’s the real deal - A long as you keep desiring for things, you will be in a state of unhappiness. Unhappiness is in our minds.

So the solution to the mass suffering must also lie in our minds.

Which leads us to yoga, somatics, and mindfulness. All these practices play off of each other, and help us be present in the current moment, to be aware of our thoughts and emotions, to be open to feelings, and instead of judging what we feel, just observing it. Being mindful helps us let go of any barriers, and observe the sensations we feel in our bodies and just…release them. Mindfulness and Yoga help us physically improve the structures in our brain, making them increase the activity of our thinking, and reduce fear. It also helps us pause, and be able to think and respond adequately.  So by forcing us to slow down and appreciate what is in front of us, these practices help us fight our need for more (our desires). Our calms mind can then carry an enhanced sense of self-awareness. This helps us recognise the paths that lead to unhappiness and instead stop, and do something more enriching instead.

This is how a mind, more capable of understanding itself, leads to happiness.

This does not mean we do not strive for more. But by being mindful, we only strive for things that fulfil our main purpose - to be happy. We do things that truly make us happy.

So today, I wish you happiness. And if you aren’t happy, I wish you the strength to let go of your desires. And achieve what you truly want.

A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires—that enter like rivers into the ocean which is ever being filled but is always still—can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires. - Bhagavad Gita