Yes, yoga has taught me yet another lesson. You don’t need to spend a lot of money or be a conspicuous consumer to be happy or have nice, meaningful things or a beautiful existence.

One of the key lessons of yoga is that it teaches you to appreciate the simpler things in life. To be present. To be in the moment. This practice alone has not only helped to quiet my mind, in recent months it has also saved me a lot of money.

In fact, my shopping habits have changed significantly. I buy less processed, ready-to-serve foods and eat more healthfully and more simply. I’m cooking at home and packing my lunch a lot more, and it is making a big difference.

Instead of heading out to malls, I now spend my time looking for vintage and resale shops, and I am finding a lot of bargains, not to mention a lot of cool, unique and thoughtful items for my home and my wardrobe that aren’t mass-produced.

Now I will say this–it does take a little more time to shop this “new” way. But even that aspect alone is an exercise in mindfulness for me. It has taught me that I don’t need to scoop up every new and shiny thing that I see, but instead to take the time to really scavenge through and find what I am looking for. And I feel a lot better when I return home from shopping these days. I know I have spent the time and have been aware of every purchase I make, which has really helped me fight off the urges and impulses that used to leave my credit card on the verge of melting, and my bank account deflated.

I am also finding that I value things now, much more so. When I go back and look at what I have purchased, having taken the time and put some thought into it, I am finding that I really like what I have brought home much more than in the past. Those old shopping days when I would spin through a mall, bring home bags of stuff and often wind up disappointed that I had spent so much, and gotten so little satisfaction are over. This change in my way of thinking has really transcended across every area of my life, and now it is saving me money and making me feel more peaceful and content. That’s really saying something.

Now that I am thinking about it, I am going to sign off, hit my mat and see what else awaits me. It’s really quite a journey. It’s helping me in even the most unexpected ways.

I would love to hear about everyone’s journey toward a more sustainable lifestyle. There are so many creative ways to think about improving your daily life that are as unique as each individual in the universe. Let’s really be sustainable together, and share some of these ideas with each other.

I can’t wait to hear.

Peace.

Post from: EveryJoe

A Simpler Life Can Be Beautiful

With the daily stresses of work and relationships of all kinds, I had to take a moment today and ask myself–what am I really trying to accomplish?  And it came to me–ultimately, I am trying to find happiness.

Wonderful yet elusive, happiness is what we are all hoping to find, isn’t it?  Whether it’s finding the right job, the best friends or a loving partner, what is at the end of the pursuit of each of these is happiness.

Some of us characterize happiness as nirvana–the golden achievement of peace and contentment we all long and strive for with every action we take.  What many of us don’t realize–and I am only beginning to understand–is that happiness is a state of mind. 

So to achieve this blissful state, I have turned my focus to my meditation practice to see if I can get a little bit closer to the finish line, so to speak.  The first thing I had to do is accept the fact that happiness is not just a state of bliss that magically occurs, but instead it is a practice.  And the most successful practices in yoga and meditation begin with understanding what we want to do and be. 

There are several forms of happiness. The first I would call simple, easy happiness, when our lives seem to be coasting along in a very positive way, no problems, no concerns.  My favorite form of happiness is what I would consider the unexpected moments of happiness we experience–when great things happen out of the blue, blissful moments that surprise and delight us.  But the most complete form of happiness is that which comes from living a mindful, present life.  We learn to enjoy each moment we are given, and are fully capable of experiencing these positive emotions as they are occurring.

Being present and mindful is something we can all achieve through our meditation practice, and all the better that it can help us open our minds, spirits and hearts to welcoming the feelings of peace and true bliss as they take place.  Our personal growth through meditation is so important to helping us get to this critical state of mindfulness, where each and every moment is felt and considered for what it is–and that is what can truly make us happy.

Mindfulness is so important to helping us achieve true and unfiltered feelings of happiness.  Before we can understand ourselves and all the complex feelings that present roadblocks to our growth, we must work through our own individual web of feelings,  as complex and different as they are, and one of the most revealing ways to do this is through meditation and practice.  To see what is true and good and real, really does require understanding where you are and how you got there. 

Building a practice that will yield true happiness does not happen overnight.  I’ve only just begun and I have a long way to go.  But I am beginning to identify obstacles and emotions that take me in the wrong direction through meditation.  Centering myself, finding a peaceful core and quieting my mind have given me a glimpse of what may lie ahead.  And it is kind of beautiful. 

For now, I am going to enjoy the journey and open my mind and heart to it.  I hope you’ll join me.  I think this might end up being the most rewarding trip that I’ll ever take.

Peace. 

Post from: EveryJoe

Practice Happiness