For me and a lot of people who take my yoga classes, simply doing yoga each day, concentrating on the physical and spiritual aspects of the practice, are a source of happiness. We can all add to this by inculcating just a few simple yogic habits for happiness into everyday life. These can help us remain calmer and stress-free and help us become happier overall.
1. Cultivate gratitude
Be grateful for the joys in your life: a family that loves you, a comfortable life, good health, few or no financial worries, a nice home… if we don’t have all of these, we have at least some of these blessings. Each time you feel the need to complain, consider the far less fortunate lives of those around.
2. Smile
Smile, repeat! And mean it! Smiling is a little like facial yoga; exercise for the face. Smiling makes the anger drain away, it makes us feel better and happier. It also makes the opposite person feel better. Smiling is one contagion that we should all try to spread.
3. Be content
Aparigraha and Santosh (detachment or de-cluttering of life and contentment) are important concepts in the yogic lifestyle. We must strive to resist the urge to buy and own things that are actually useless for our happiness and wellbeing. We have to try and simplify our lives and reduce the sheer number of objects around us. Physical de-cluttering helps with mental and spiritual de-cluttering. When we cultivate contentment in our lives, this comes naturally to us.
4. Show your affection
Don’t miss a chance to hug family members and close friends; to express your love and affection. Hugging, holding hands and other expressions of affection are known to release beneficial hormones in the body.
5. Breathe
Every time you feel angry or stressed or agitated, take just one minute, close your eyes and breathe deeply and consciously. You will feel the stress receding. Suddenly, a child’s tantrum, the boss being unfair or an argument with the spouse will seem less distressing and more manageable.
6. Sleep well
The importance of sleep in enshrined in the yogic lifestyle; with yognidra or yogic sleep being an important component of it. So, sleep well and sleep enough hours in the day to maintain a healthy body, sharp brain and strong immunity.
7. Nonviolence
Nonviolence of ahimsa is a central tenet of the yogic lifestyle. When we speak of violence, it isn’t just physical violence we speak of, but aggression and hostility of any kind. Not only must we strive to refrain from physical violence, we must also reign in the violence of our words, thoughts and the actions that indirectly harm us and others. It could be resisting the urge to slap a pet, yell at a child or keeping our temper when dealing with an older person. We could even do violence unto others when we make hurtful or hateful comments on social media posts. The important thing is to gain control over hostility, anger and hate, and to try to be gentle and nonviolent in all of our dealings; both online and offline. Violence and hate only breed more violence and hate; creating a vicious cycle that traps us.
8. Prioritize yoga
Make time for your daily yoga practice or yoga class if you attend one. This is your time for yourself; it is you prioritizing your health and wellness, which translates into the wellbeing of your family and all of those that you nurture. You cannot run on empty, so you have to nourish your own self by taking time out for yourself. By doing yoga, you look after your physical and spiritual wellbeing; in turn that makes you more capable of helping and looking after those around you!