Keys to Happiness and Wellbeing - Oriental Secrets

Keys to Happiness and Wellbeing - Oriental Secrets

Be Here Now
Researchers from Harvard just published the results of a study about happiness. As reported by the New York Times, the main finding is that what matters the most is not what you are doing, but how involved you are in your actions. Using an iPhone app called “trackyourhappiness”, psychologists at Harvard contacted people around the world at random intervals to ask how they were feeling, what they were doing and what they were thinking.

Could we be rediscovering today keys to happiness that oriental civilizations have been cultivating for centuries? Discover how living in the moment, Qi Gong, Tai Chi and the Ceremony of Tea could help you find inner peace, happiness and improve your wellbeing.

Be Here Now
Researchers from Harvard just published the results of a study about happiness. As reported by the New York Times, the main finding is that what matters the most is not what you are doing, but how involved you are in your actions. Using an iPhone app called “trackyourhappiness”, psychologists at Harvard contacted people around the world at random intervals to ask how they were feeling, what they were doing and what they were thinking. "Whatever people were doing, whether it was having sex or reading or shopping, they tended to be happier if they focused on the activity instead of thinking about something else. In fact, whether and where their minds wandered was a better predictor of happiness than what they were doing."
Today, our society as a whole suffers from mild ADD. We rarely focus 100% on the task at hands. It’s called multitasking: people text while they talk, or watch television during diner etc. We miss the moment. As Ram Dass used to say, "We become Human Doings instead of Human Beings."
By focusing on what we are doing, we enjoy a feeling of happiness brought by the sensation of alignment, of harmony, of fully being one. All our energy is focused on ourselves. One body, one mind, one action. In sports, it’s called “being in the zone”, in psychology “the flow” but whatever its name, it is this state of fulfillment we experience when we are focused on what we are doing.

Qi Gong, Tai Chi and the Ceremony of Tea
We can focus on any task we are doing, and feel fulfilled, but some traditional Chinese activities help us reach a state of serenity and harmony while having positive effects on our physical wellbeing.
Qi Gong is the Mandarin Chinese term used to describe various Chinese systems of physical and mental training for health, martial arts and self-enlightenment. It mainly consists in breathing exercises, to do at home to improve health and vital energy. It’s also considered to be part of alternative medicine, with positive effects on various ailments.
Qi is the energy flowing in the human body to activate blood circulation. It comes from breathing and food transformation. It can be called “the breath”. Life depends on it and longevity, according to Chinese traditions, is based on the abundance of Qi. So to stay healthy and fights diseases, the Qi must circulate everywhere in the human body and to this end, one should do breathing exercises (the Qi Gong).
Another soft exercise, beneficial to health and conducive to meditation is Tai Chi. It’s an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits. Besides its physical benefits in stretching the body and the muscles to relieve pain, a recent study from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston finds that the slow, flowing movements of tai chi improve patients’ mood, quality of life, sleep, self-efficacy and exercise capacity.
The third Chinese tradition designed to improve quality of life and health is to drink tea. Introduced in China by the Qin dynasty (221-206 bc) tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world today, after water. Appreciated widely for its health benefits, mainly associated with the anti-oxidant qualities of green tea, drinking tea is also an “art de vivre” in China and Japan. Drinking tea has long been a novitiate for intellectuals and noble classes. It shows that you seek harmony and respect others. Sharing tea with someone is demonstrating the purity of your intentions and your own serenity. According to Chinese traditions, focusing on the act of drinking tea is a way to master your mind and be in harmony with your surroundings, with life, the others, nature.
These are a few nuggets of Chinese wisdom that we could probably possibly all benefit from. Finding happiness, serenity and inner peace is certainly something we are craving in our stressful lives and focusing on “being” with the help of these simple practices could be the key to help us feel better inside and out. Try it for yourself: Be here now, breathe, stretch and drink tea!
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By Fabienne Der Hagopian
Lazarex Senior Writer
Paris, France

Lazarex Cancer Foundation’s primary purpose is to help patients with end stage cancer get to FDA clinical trials. We provide assistance to identify their clinical trial options and the funds to help cover associated costs like travel and lodging. Many of the medical cures commonly used today were developed and approved in clinical trials. It is through Lazarex.org that patients can find life-saving solutions without waiting years for FDA approval. Articles written for Lazarex provide different perspectives and are not to be perceived as medical advice. Read more at www.lazarex.org/blog.

Excerpt: Could we be rediscovering today keys to happiness that oriental civilizations have been cultivating for centuries? Read how living in the moment, Qi Gong, Tai Chi and the Ceremony of Tea could help you find inner peace, happiness and improve your wellbeing.