As you’ve probably realized by now, true and lasting happiness doesn’t come from external pleasures or achievements. Of course, feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction come from reaching a long-aimed for goal or experiencing a string of “good luck.”
Nothing’s wrong with ambition or indulging in a delicious meal or buying a new pair of sneakers. These transient experiences don’t translate to lasting happiness, however. Happiness Flow by Jackie Casal Mahrou could get you closer!
Happiness isn’t based upon what’s happening in the external world. Instead, contentment comes from within. In the eight-limb path of yoga, the second limb is the Niyamas or our moral behaviors. One of the Niyamas is Santosha, defined as contentment or satisfaction.
Learning to accept the present moment without constantly focusing on the future takes practice. We are equipped to live with a sense of Santosha, regardless of prevailing circumstances. This state of being isn’t automatic--it takes effort. Try Christen Bakken’s Super Okay: A Practice of Contentment.
In yoga, we learn to cultivate our inner light and stoke our inner fire, regardless of life’s challenges. Going through difficulties like loss—whether it’s loss of a loved one, loss of a job or home or whatever matters to you—is tough. By building inner stamina and strength, we weather those storms and still maintain our inner contentment. Lighten Your Flow: Kapha Reducing Yoga by one of our newest teachers, Maria Garre is designed to help.
You’ve probably heard the famous quote, Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity, attributed to Roman philosopher Seneca. Look at preparation as your inner work and opportunity as what arises when you’ve done that work. In other words, there’s no such thing as “good luck,” instead you’ve created your positive experiences from the inside out.
Try one of our new classes designed to assist you in uncovering your own luck and happiness.