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Guide to Happiness - Yogavani from Indian Yoga Association

Practice of the Month

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Celebrating World Meditation Day with the Indian Yoga Association 

On World Meditation Day, the Associate Centres and Member Institutes of the Indian Yoga Association came together to honour the profound practice of meditation. Across various locations, our community gathered to reflect, connect, and deepen their meditation journeys, fostering a sense of unity and inner…

Celebrating 6 Years of Excellence:Indian Yoga Association Gujarat Chapter Foundation Day 

The Indian Yoga Association, Gujarat Chapter, virtually celebrated its 6th Foundation Day on 29th December with the theme Yoga for Lifestyle Management. The program began with a prayer, followed by Mauli Baviskar introducing all dignitaries. The event emphasized yoga’s role in promoting holistic well-being, inspiring…

Geetham Institute of Alternative Medicine hosts transformative sessions 

In December, Geetham Institute of Alternative Medicine, Associate Centre of Indian Yoga Association hosted a series of transformative sessions centered on Varma therapy, which plays a significant role in enhancing physical, mental, and emotional health. The month-long series was conducted by experienced practitioners, each focusing…

Indian ancient Siddhars and the science of longevity: A remarkable discovery byAttangaogam Peedam 

Recent research, supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), sheds light on the ancient practice of Attangaogam, Associate Centre of Indian Yoga Association, and its impact on longevity. The study, titled “Effect of Yoga-Pranayamam on Telomere Length in Medical Students,” revealed ground breaking…

Tamil Nadu SCC meets to discuss way forward 

The Tamil Nadu State Chapter Committee meeting was held in World Community Service Centre, Chennai on December 28, 2024, at 10:30am. The meeting commenced with a prayer and meditation session, creating a serene atmosphere for the discussions that followed. Shri Rajeshwari Prabhakaran, Senior Vice-Chairman of…

Enriching programs at Sri Aurobindo Society, Hyderabad 

Throughout December, the Sri Aurobindo Society, Hyderabad, hosted a series of insightful talks and satsangs, focusing on various elements of yoga and spiritual growth. The month began with Elements of Yoga 1 by Smt. Suneetha Sekhar on 1st December, followed by Smt. Harshitha’s session on…

Vedic Kaya Sadhana celebrates convocation ceremony 

The Vedic Kaya Sadhana, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, recently held its convocation ceremony, marking a significant milestone for its graduating students. The event celebrated the culmination of rigorous training and dedication, with graduates receiving certifications that recognize their comprehensive understanding and expertise…

SSIYRC Students Set World Record inArdha Matsyendrasana 

In a remarkable achievement, 105 students from the Sri Shankari Institute of Yoga and Research Center, Gummudipoondi (SSIYRC), Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, sustained the Ardha Matsyendrasana pose for an impressive 10 minutes, earning them a place in the Worldwide Book of Records….

Sree Bala Yoga Studio reflects on a year of remarkable achievements in 2024 

Sree Bala Yoga Studio, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association, celebrated a year of significant milestones in 2024, underscoring its commitment to yoga education and community wellness. The studio conducted two sessions of its 200-hour Certificate Course in Yoga and a 500-hour Advanced Certificate…

Ananda Chaitanya Meditation Center launches in Coimbatore 

The Ananda Chaitanya Meditation Center in Kurumbapalayam, Coimbatore, Associate Centre of the Indian Yoga Association was inaugurated with grandeur on December 20, 2024. The event began with the traditional lighting of the kuthuvilakku by renowned writer Jeyamohan, symbolizing the dispelling of ignorance and the illumination…



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07 Feb 2025

Yogavani

Guide to Happiness
Articles

Guide to Happiness 

“Be the reason someone smiles today”

Maa Dr Hansaji Yogendra
President, Indian Yoga Association

The definition and the feeling of happiness differ from person to person. For a hungry person, the first morsel of food can lead to happiness; for a person who is in pain and gets some relief can be happy; for someone who has been away from their family for a long time and meeting them one day can make them happy. So you see how the proportion of our happiness keeps varying from one external factor to another?

We must stop deriving our happiness from our bodies and materialist things around us. Generally, the source of our happiness is also the cause of our unhappiness. For example, you buy an expensive car and that gives you happiness. But it is the same car that can also give you unhappiness. When the car gets towed, or when you don’t get the parking spot, or when it gets its first scratch, it all leads to unhappiness.

Let me share a story of Rabia with you, who was trying to teach this same concept. On a dark night, she started walking towards the highway from her hut. Reaching the highway, she fanatically started searching for something. On seeing her in trouble, a few passersby asked her what she was looking for. She answered: “I am looking for my gold.” “Where did you lose it?” “In my hut,” she said. This confused the helpers, they asked: “Then why are you trying to find it over here?” “Because there is light over here and my hut is in complete darkness.” The helpers assured her that they would light candles in her hut and help her find her lost gold. This is exactly what Rabia was trying to teach them: that you will find your happiness exactly where you lost it.

When we complain about body pain, we must not get happy with some temporary relief. Instead, using Rabia’s logic, we must try to find the root of the problem and cure it at the base.

In Yoga, the state of being in permanent joy and happiness is known as Ananda or bliss. All the happiness that we derive from materialistic things is nothing compared to the happiness that we get from being useful to others. Have no expectations, be yourself and do your duty by being there for others and helping them without expecting anything in return, fill yourself with nothing but love, and that is true Ananda.

Once there was a professor who knew all the famous personalities. The servant of this professor had a son who was looking for a job. The servant asked the professor for the favor of calling his industrial friend and taking his boy in as a helper. Initially, the professor straight away refused, thinking ‘Why should I do it?’ Then he thought, ‘Why not? What do I have to lose in this? It will just help the boy to stand on his feet.”’So he called his friend who agreed because he was actually looking for a helper. For the servant, the professor was no less than God.

Silhouette of people happy time

The joy that you get by making someone else happy and relieving their tensions and worries is of the superior value. It also helps our bodies to secrete happy hormones. They help to release joy from within and fill us up with bliss. Helping others actually helps yourself. Let’s live a life of being helpful and grateful to others, and bring happiness to as many people as we can. This is the real guide to Happiness.

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