A
Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-being and a Meaningful Life
Happiness,
say the positive psychologists, is the experience of joy, contentment, or
positive well-being, combined with a sense that life is good, meaningful, and
worthwhile.
Twenty-three
hundred years ago, Aristotle concluded that, more than anything else, men and
women seek happiness. It is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim
and end of human existence. Different men seek after happiness in different
ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of
life.
What is
the pathway to authentic happiness, well-being and a meaningful life? How can
we equip ourselves with sustainable scientific tools to cultivate a happy and
fulfilling life with a greater sense of well-being? This article attempts to
answer these questions.
Taking
care of body, mind and spirit is of utmost importance. It’s like a tripod. All
limbs must be equally strong for balance and harmony. We need to transform the
entire experience of life by taking care of all the relevant dimensions –
physiological, psychological and spiritual.
After
years of deep study and practical sessions with people from all walks of life, a
holistic approach has emerged that blends carefully the best of positive psychology,
meditation, yoga, laughter yoga, and spirituality.
Positive
psychology is the science of happiness. It provides authentic understanding of
happiness and well-being and dispels myths and wrong notions about happiness. It
is a treasure trove of evidence-based happiness-increasing strategies from
which one may choose activities suitable for oneself.
Meditation
is an invaluable tool for calming, concentration and purification of the mind.
It clears clouds and lets you seek wisdom. According to Matthieu Ricard,
happiest monk on this planet, “Meditation is a practice that makes it possible
to cultivate and develop certain basic positive human qualities in the same way
as other forms of training make it possible to play a musical instrument or
acquire any other skill.”
Yoga can
do wonders for your health by stimulating endocrinal systems and taking care of
neuro-muscular systems. It is suitable for modern day lifestyle diseases and
brings about body-mind union. If you don’t have enough time, even then surya
namaskara can be easily integrated into your daily life as it requires only
five to fifteen minutes’ practice daily to obtain beneficial results remarkably
quickly.
Laughter
yoga combines laughter exercises with yogic breathing. It is instrumental in oxygenation
of the body, strengthening immune system, and stress relief as feel good
hormones known as endorphins are generated during the process. Just ten minutes
of gentle laughter in the morning can change the complexion of your day.
Spirituality
provides right view and right understanding of life. It gives spiritual insight
into right speech, right action and right livelihood. Inner wisdom steers us in
the right direction. If you desire everlasting health and happiness, cultivate
wisdom.
All the
five components - positive psychology, meditation, yoga, laughter yoga and
spirituality - put together, enable complete transformation of the entire
experience of life.
The
benefits include health, happiness and peace for individuals; stress relief,
team building, higher productivity, leadership and positivity at workplaces; health,
bonding and integration in communities; and creativity, better concentration, emotional
intelligence, spiritual growth, strong immune system and all-round personality
development of youngsters.
In
conclusion, may we say that the practice of yoga, meditation and laughter yoga
along with fundamental understanding of positive psychology and spirituality
can lead you to lasting happiness and peace.
Jagat Singh Bisht, Founder: LifeSkills
LifeSkills
is a pathway to authentic happiness, well-being and a meaningful life!
