Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.  Mahatma Gandhi

The Easter holiday means Spring is truly here, and Bournemouth has been a shockingly warm and sunny place this weekend.  Everything is blooming and the birds are chirping… the senses are stimulated and not just by chocolate.

Although a bit of sunshine can certainly lift the spirits, it’s OK to want more. However, if your quest for happiness is clouded by other people’s visions; or by mainstream media’s emphasis on consumption and acquisition; this might not be enough to bring you lasting happiness.

If you take a moment to think of some of the things that make you happy and the quantitative duration of that happiness it may be anything from a few seconds to possibly a few hours.  So although these things bring you a sense of joy, they may not have a long-lasting effect. It is so easy to forget that smile from a loved one or the appreciation from a colleague or client when new stimulus comes along to distract your attention.  You probably find that you dedicate more of your time and energy to mundane or joyless activities than you do to generating your own sense of happiness.

It’s great to have aspirations and to be inspired by others’ achievements, but if you’re driven to making comparisons with others it can have unhealthy consequences on your overall wellbeing.  Finding the right balance between being comfortable with who you are and the desire for self improvement is no easy task. You might find working towards a new car, a bigger house, or a better level of fitness gives you some level of incentive, but make sure you listen to the emotional warning signs that your body is sending you.  Both materialism and constant comparing are toxic for happiness.

In order for you to be happy you need to become familiar with generating a positive environment for yourself and that comes from your inner emotional state.  So rather than waiting for happiness to be brought to you, offered to you, or to come out of someone else’s mouth, focus on feeling good instead. Pay attention, contemplate and learn from your body.  TAKE CARE OF YOU!

Yoga is an experience whereby you engross yourself in playful learning.   Think of a Yoga class as a practice of putting yourself in funny looking shapes without being self-conscious and it provides the perfect environment for finding that balance between acceptance and progression.  This way of approaching your practice will allow your journey of self-improvement to be one of enjoyment rather than austerity. By balancing the elements of conscious effort and not taking yourself too seriously, you equip yourself to receive all the serious benefits of Yoga in a way that doesn’t create needless tension.

Don’t put yourself in a position where you are unhappy.  Achieving happiness depends on your ability to tap into your positive emotions; to see the playful side of life; and above all, to apply this as a way of being each and every day!