By Claire Diab and Dennis Boyle
Gratitude, Mindfulness, and Happiness are the three keys to living yoga on and off the mat. We’ve explored the many benefits of living with gratitude and living mindfully. Now let’s take a look at how they connect with Happiness.
Happiness comes from within and is our natural state of being. It’s important to be mindful of what affects our happiness and accept the good and the bad with gratitude. We may think we know what we need to be happy, but often our busy lives get in the way and our experiences mold how we feel.
You can find a place of contentment even within struggle and challenge. We all can! It’s all about your attitude and perspective. Can you see humor? Can you see beauty? It’s all there, waiting to be uncovered. Too many of us walk around with a furrowed brow or a perpetual frown, but all our hearts want is to be happy. The first step is to SMILE.
Create time every day to do something that makes you happy. It can be as simple as gazing at the sky or as complex as painting a self-portrait. If you’re really busy, then multitask! Play your favorite music while mowing the lawn, or eat your favorite dessert for lunch. But no matter what you decide to do, always make sure you practice Smiling. The more you maintain this attitude of upliftment, the faster it will become your natural state of being.
Happy Meditation
Sit comfortably. Take a few deep breaths to connect with your body. Keep breathing.
Then, think of a moment in your life that brought you great happiness. Let the feeling of contentment fill you. If it begins to fade, think of another happy memory. Allow the memories to fill you with joy so that you can stay with the feeling of happiness as the memory fades.
Close your eyes and breathe here, in the warmth of your heart and in the fullness of the feeling. Say to yourself, “I am Happy … I Choose Happiness … I am Happy … I Choose Happiness.”
Claire Diab is an internationally recognized yoga therapist. She is the director of the Yoga Program for the Chopra Center founded by Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon. She is an adjunct professor of Asian Studies at Seton Hall University. She is the author of several books and DVDs on yoga including “Yoga for Firefighters.”
Dennis Boyle is a retired fire director and acting chief with the West Orange (NJ) Fire Department. He was the recipient of the 1999 New Jersey Deputy Fire Chiefs “Fire Officer of the Year” award.
Dennis Boyle is a retired fire director and acting chief with the West Orange (NJ) Fire Department. He was the recipient of the 1999 New Jersey Deputy Fire Chiefs “Fire Officer of the Year” award.
Dennis Boyle is a retired fire director and acting chief with the West Orange (NJ) Fire Department. He was the recipient of the 1999 New Jersey Deputy Fire Chiefs “Fire Officer of the Year” award.
Dennis Boyle is a retired fire director and acting chief with the West Orange (NJ) Fire Department. He was the recipient of the 1999 New Jersey Deputy Fire Chiefs “Fire Officer of the Year” award.
Claire Diab is an internationally recognized yoga therapist. She is the director of the Yoga Program for the Chopra Center founded by Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon. She is an adjunct professor of Asian Studies at Seton Hall University. She is the author of several books and DVDs on yoga including “Yoga for Firefighters.”
Dennis Boyle is a retired fire director and acting chief with the West Orange (NJ) Fire Department. He was the recipient of the 1999 New Jersey Deputy Fire Chiefs “Fire Officer of the Year” award.
