“Happiness” is the prompt for day 28 of #Gratitude30 and this post is a bit late because I was moody and sad and grumpy for a good part of day 28. Not quite the vibe one wants to work with when thinking about a post on happiness.

Positively Present shared, “Happiness comes and goes… Take notice of the moments you feel happiest today”. That’s what I worked with because I could clearly feel the moments when I was not happy.

Our yoga practice teaches us to build our awareness of self - not just our physical self but emotional, mental and spiritual as well. We learn to observe our actions and interactions with others and to notice how they affect us. This takes discipline and a willingness to engage with self, both of which are built through practice.

To be honest, sometimes I would like to forget about what I have learnt and wallow in my grumpiness. Cry and rage and kinda cuss.

But, I have built myself a foundation that allows me to live a happy life and that sneaks in. Even while being grumpy, at the core of me there is quiet. There is that part of me observing the drama that I engage in and waiting patiently for me to settle.

Sharing a few moments of happiness from day 28:

• Early morning birdsong, my morning cup of warm water and choosing my card for the day
• Seeing the sunlight through the leaves of one of my favourite trees on my morning drive to studio
• Teaching my morning classes and connecting with students
• Movie date and browsing an art store with my partner
• Napping on the couch
• Phone call with my parent
• Late night conversations and dream sharing with my partner

How do we build a happy life? We work at it, build it breath by breath, intentions into reality.

Honouring self, cultivating support through relationships with friends or family, practising gratitude, being present, exploring and discovering our purpose.

What do you think?

~Renee Arundhati

*these posts are also being shared on my social media (Instagram and Facebook) as I have shared there over the past years.