What is Happiness?

I once asked a counselor “what is happiness?” and he told me that we humans are essentially spiritual beings, happiness is found and can be experienced only in the spirit. I thought to myself, what kind of mambo jambo is that, coming from a man of science. I took up yoga in my quest for a satisfying answer and to my pleasant surprise, I found it! Before I go on, I’d like to share what happiness is – its exactly what the counselor said. Of course!

Before yoga, most of my relationships were unstable, unpleasant and I was not happy with myself or the way life was shaping up. I would easily get irritated and angry. Controlling my emotions or being diplomatic was getting harder by the day. I was not an unkind person, I had not been unfair to anyone, then why was life being such a b*tch to me? My personal relationships felt superficial and the anger within weighed me down. I started immersing myself in work, an escapist strategy I’d say. I could only see suffering and struggle inside me and around me. Happiness was just not in the picture.

There are three ways to be happy :

  1. be responsible,
  2. be thankful and kind,
  3. be present.

When I started my yoga training, the first and the toughest lesson learnt was ‘concentrate on changing self, not others’, because that is where you have some control. Take responsibility for your own actions irrespective of what others say or do. An attitude of gratitude with service to others was learnt next. Being thankful for the smallest things is itself the greatest aspect of an amazing life experience. It is what makes us want to help others. The third lesson was ‘be present’, assess and accept reality. But I never understood that until we began studying the yoga sutras of rishi Patanjali. These three sources show us how to be happy but they don’t answer the question just yet – what is happiness?

The very first sutra ‘Atha Yoga Anushasanam’ which translates into Now Begins the Discipline of Awareness bears the ingredient of happiness. Yoga is awareness, awareness is happiness. Atha Yoga Anushasanam is Practice Happiness Now. The reason why I say this is because everyone wants to be happy but no one wants to be aware. ‘Our bodies exist in the past; our minds exist in the future. When we are aware, our bodies and minds come together in the present.’ (BKS Iyenger) Awareness can only be experienced in the present, in the now, in the moment just like happiness. ‘When you find yourself looking back in anger or looking forward in fear, take a pause and look around in awareness.’ (James Thurber)

Awareness is not easy because of daily life stresses and distractions. It actually takes practice and discipline, which makes me think, gosh, what a load of work, isn’t it supposed to come naturally? It does over time when you transition from negative thinking patterns to positive mind scripts using the three ways mentioned above.

A happy person makes others feel the same. The essence of being joyful is feeling light or shall i say, feeling the light. There is a light, an energy within each one of us. At this point, you may think that I have given into the mambo jambo of spirituality. But think of it this way; Calm is at the core of our being. Every other emotion is at the periphery.

Calm is not nothingness, it is rest, it is like a pause. On the extreme negative it becomes daftness, you can’t think straight, you become blank. But on the extreme positive it becomes self assurance, you start thinking clearly and realistically and the clarity of your thoughts and vision gives you a sense of control and well-being. This force is indescribable, it makes one humble and not arrogant.

Happiness and pleasure are not the same. Know the difference and recognize the experience. If you disagree then think of all the things that bring you pleasure. While pleasure is derived from all things material and does not last long, Happiness is always spiritual and can become a consistent life experience depending on how aware you are. Today, I feel humbled to say that thanks to Atha Yoga Anushasanam, life’s a beach!

Balancing The Elements In Sthitaprarthanasana

When I was pursuing the first level of the teacher’s training program, the person who inspired me the most was not a teacher but a fellow student, Alina. She would meditate in Sthitaprarthanasana or the standing prayer pose and I would wonder why she practiced this simple posture so often. I found it quite bizarre, yet fascinating because its not easy. It was only later that I learnt of the many fascinating aspects connected to it.

During the advance training program one of the teachers remarked on how Sthitaprarthanasana activates and balances the five elements in our bodies – earth, water, fire, air and ether or space in that order starting from our feet to our thoughts. The lesson was centered around other asanas and most students did not catch this message as the teacher said it casually and quickly with no further explanation. But that was my eureka moment. That one line stayed with me as I thought about Alina.

Our bodies are made up of 5 elements. Earth is everything solid, our skin and bones. As we become aware of the earth beneath out feet, we also become aware of our steadiness and our form, because that is what the earth element provides. When we clench or squeeze our muscles to correct our posture, we activate the water element in our bodies. Water, as per its qualities, cleanses us and lends movement, gives flow, and rules our muscles and circulation, aids reproduction and excretion. It is the most important element for life to exist and comprises 70% of our bodies and our planet. Moving up from the pelvic we arrive at the stomach which contains the third element.

The fire in our bellies is the third element and does more than give us ambition, drive, vigor or gut feelings. It is where our energy is born. Food is broken down in the digestive system with the help of fiery acids that are so strong they could dissolve metal. A candle will not burn in vacuum and similarly this fire needs the next element to exist. As we inhale, our chests expand and we are filled with the fourth element – air. Our body is oxygenated and we are further energized.

Steadiness of breath brings about steadiness of the mind which in turn steadies the body. Lastly, the space element rules our head. It is the most challenging element to maintain. Once the mind is steady we aim at creating space in our head to feel completely relaxed, comfortable and at bliss. It is not emptiness but a serene feeling, a tranquil state of being, a kind of rest and conservation of energy that prepares you to become more alert, active and sensitive. The five elements in balance creates a magnificent human being leading a fulfilled life.

Sthira Sukham Asanam is the only description given for asanas in the yoga sutras of sage Patanjali. It means Steady and Comfortable Posture. Sounds simple but believe me, it takes quite a while to achieve. Sthitaprarthanasana brings out the essence of this sutra. If you become aware of the elements, you will be able to achieve ‘Sthira Sukham Asanam’ in any posture. When we are standing, we are active. When we are standing still, we are even more active. Yoga is awareness and it is only when we are aware of what we are doing, are we truly practicing yoga.

I started practicing the standing prayer pose, concentrating on the elements that made up my body and the physical dimension around me. I realized that the elements are of course active in all yoga postures, in fact they are forever active but this particular pose enables you to become aware of them and balance them. If you are restless or lethargic, confused or just down in general, I’d suggest you stand up and observe. One of the elements may be out of balance.