The Skill Of Happiness

By Paul Hughes |

Happiness is not something we normally think of as a skill. We usually think of feeling happy for having done something right, or of things going our way. Perhaps we are happy because we just came into a large sum of money, or met the person of our dreams. In these cases happiness exists because of something.

Then there are those people who are happy no matter what’s going on. They express gratitude for all that life has to offer, no matter how little or great that might be. For them happiness exist regardless of their circumstances  – a state of peace, equanimity and bliss that comes from within.

Some people might say happiness is a state of mind requiring a positive outlook. If that were true, happiness wouldn’t last very long, as our outlook is subject to change as easily as our thoughts are.

True happiness it would seem must go beyond the mind to include something deeper and more fundamental to life itself. What could that be? Happiness is a feeling after all, so it would have to include our body and a feeling of physical pleasure right here in the present moment. It is through our bodies that we have a direct connection to the present moment, and in which our total experience of life is made possible.

We often hear of the “power of now,” but without clear instructions on how to achieve it. If happiness is a skill, there must be fundamental things we can do to learn it. What are these fundamental things?

Based on thirty years of experience, the practice known as Vivation has narrowed these fundamental things down to five elements, or component skills necessary to create deliberate happiness. These elements are:

• circular breathing

• complete relaxation

• awareness in detail

• integration into ecstasy

• do whatever you do, willingness is enough

Each element supports the others, and when practiced together make it easy for you to permanently and pleasurably resolve any kind of negative emotion.

After a Vivation session people often say they had no idea it was possible to feel so good. That’s because Vivation has no mental component. It works directly at the physical feeling level, helping you bypass any negative thoughts you had about those feelings or the circumstances that caused them. The result is a much more honest and pleasurable experience.

For example, irrational fear is something we’ve all had at least once. Look at the difference between a first-time public speaker and a seasoned performer. The first is fighting the feeling and experiences stage fright. The second has made peace with it and feels excited. The same holds true for other “negative” emotions. Rational fear resolves into awareness, grief into gratitude, and anger into creative action. The raw feeling never changes, only our relationship to it.

Being able to do this is a powerful skill, and like any powerful skill requires a competent teacher to show you how. All it requires is learning how to apply the five elements of Vivation through the entire array of human emotions in your life.

This might sound daunting, however, after only 7-10 coached sessions with a Vivation Professional you will gain the physically pleasurable skill to quickly and permanently resolve your negative emotions and transform your life into a happy and creative one.

References:

1. Leonard, Jim & Laut, Phil. Vivation: The Science of Enjoying All of Your Life. Vivation Publishing, Cincinnati 1992.

2. Leonard, Jim. The Skill of Happiness: Creating Daily Ecstasy with Vivation. Three Blue Herons Publishing,  Phoenix 1996.

3. Taimni, I.K. The Science of Yoga. Theosophical Publishing Trust, Chennai, India, 1999.

For more information, contact Paul Hughes, Director of Vivation International, at 1.800.514.8483 or visit his site at www.vivation.com.