Happiness Meditation

For a useful and powerful happiness meditation, let’s turn to 4th century Chinese philosopher Chuang Tzu, who tells us…

Perfect happiness is the absence of happiness.

These days many, many people run around thinking about how unhappy they are. Near as I can tell, this is especially true of busy people who have a lot of stuff. It seems like the busier you are and the more stuff you have, the more apt you are to be unhappy.

Of course, people who don’t have any stuff are capable of being unhappy and miserable, too.

The point?

Happiness. Unhappiness. Neither really matters.

What matters is to be aware and present in every moment.

When you do that, you’re moved beyond happy and unhappy.

Here, try this.

Take a deep breath.

Hold for a second.

Exhale slowly and start to focus inwardly.

Repeat two or three more times.

Think of the unhappiest moment of your life.

After savoring that unhappy memory for a few moments, breathe in that memory again, but this time let it go completely when you exhale.

Poof! It’s gone.

Now think of the happiest you’ve ever been. Savor the memory for a few moments. Breathe that memory in one more time. Now let it go completely as you exhale.

Poof! It’s gone, too.

Now breathe and just be.

Allow yourself to just be in this moment.

See?

Perfect happiness IS the absence of happiness.

And it’s never more than a few conscious breaths away.