Dear Reader,

I discovered a meditation centre close to my house and finally went there for the weekly 30-minute meditation session. It was about happiness - so, it's appropriate to reflect on the session in this newsletter. Let's go:

Happiness from another source

In times in which we, in the Western world, have access to food and nutrients, safe accommodation and all kinds of comfort, we are not happier than before. We are possibly even unhappier, although that's hard to say. Most of us see happiness in external sources like status, technological advancement and money. And while these can cause short-term happiness, it is not sustainable. The meditation teacher brought up the analysis of craving a nice cup of coffee. The first sip or maybe even the first cup might give you happiness. You feel warm, you might like the taste, and you get some energy. But if you drink more coffee, it will not make you happier. It makes you jittery and eventually might even cause a heart attack.

The source of happiness will make us happier the more we take from it. Obviously, coffee isn't the source, . Neither are status and money, since we know that those are never enough. (Feel free to contradict with an example.) This means that there must be another source of happiness. Cutting to the chase, it is an internal source - our mind.

Blue sky

The meditation was about the clarity of mind. In Buddhism, the mind is compared to the sky, the blue sky to be specific. It's vast and boundless. It is clear and without obstruction. Of course, there are clouds and storms. But they are only passing. Behind those clouds is always the boundless blue sky. We just cannot see it during the storm.

Our feelings, emotions and thoughts are those storm clouds in the sky. They are not permanent but passing, particularly if we let them. I like this idea because I can link this to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system concept I wrote about two weeks ago. The sympathetic nervous system is the fight-or-flight state, which includes excitement (so, it's not all negative). Those are the clouds, and they can be fluffy, cute white clouds or threatening huge grey clouds. The trick is to be able to return to the parasympathetic nervous system or rest-and-digest state, which seems to describe the blue sky. Being able to embrace both states and return to the relaxing one is, what I believe, the source of happiness.

Too much sky?

Now, if you are like me, from Hamburg, Germany, or anywhere else where there are a lot of grey clouds and you don't see the blue sky all the time, you might not feel comfortable with too much blue sky. Even in Sydney, where I live now, there are usually some clouds. That's ok. It's not about always seeing blue sky. It's about knowing it's there, and whatever covers it will pass. Then something new covers it, and it will also pass. The point is not to get too hung up on those feelings and thoughts. You can enjoy them for a little bit, like those cute fluffy clouds or the horrifying but beautiful dark grey ones, but eventually they will go away, and you have to let them. More importantly, you have to know that this happens and that it is ok.

In other words, when you get overwhelmed by anger, stress, fear or even happy excitement, work on relaxing into it by knowing it will pass. Remember the beautiful blue sky behind all that and breathe. If you are dealing with negative emotions or thoughts, know that there are always all kinds of solutions and you will find them in good time. If you are experiencing excitement, enjoy it. If you later feel you are losing this feeling, remember the blue sky and that happiness is in your mind when you need it.

Have a happy week!

Anja