The 4 A’s of Happiness and Contentment through Meditation!

The 4 A’s of Happiness and Contentment through Meditation!

Human life is all about seeking love, success, power, happiness and much more. It’s an endless search that yields little except constant dissatisfaction. There is, of course, a simple solution that has been reiterated over centuries, but it requires an effort that very few of us seem willing to make. The answer to my continuous quest for happiness lies in finding the Almighty and I find Him through meditation.

happiness

DIVINE CONNECTION

Meditation holds the key because it is the way God communicates with us. Prayer is when we talk to God and meditation is when God talks to us in silence. It is a means of understanding ourselves better and learning all we need from within, rather than from the world. Many of us want to do that, but don’t know how to start. This is where the four ‘A’s come in.

A’s of Happiness…

The 1st A of Happiness: Awareness

To begin or learn anything, we need to be aware. Awareness comprises the following:

  • What is the meaning of meditation?
  • Why should we meditate?
  • How should we be aware?

SOUNDS OF SILENCE

Meditation implies being still in mind and body silently delving into our inner self and getting in touch with our real self. Silence, experienced meditatively, can be the most powerful tool towards that enriched and wiser life full of happiness. This stage should be easy as it is natural for us to be silent sometimes.

To know why we should meditate, we need to ask ourselves:

  • Do I want happiness?
  • Do I want to be calmer?
  • Do I want to be mentally stronger?
  • Do I want to know what I am all about?
  • Do I want to feel constantly energetic and positive?
  • Do I want to get rid of my bad habits?

If the answer is ‘yes’ to any of the above the key lies in our hands. Meditation will help us achieve any or all these goals.

THE RIGHT COMPANY                                 

To be aware, we need to meet and talk to people who are spiritually inclined and practice yoga, the ‘kriyas’, etc. The other option is to read extensively from the books written by various spiritual leaders. This also helps determine which philosophy works for a particular individual.

It is also important to be sincere in this pursuit of the truth and seek God’s grace in finding the right guru who can dispel darkness and be the perfect teacher and savior.

The 2nd A of Happiness: Acceptance

Even when we become aware, it takes a lot to accept the need for meditation and discipline. Ego, or doubt in our own ability, raises many queries. We may even feel that we’re insulting our intelligence by wasting time in meditation. But these are mind games. The mind doesn’t want to listen because it knows that we are getting the key to tame it, and it wants to stay in control.

The mind has to be overruled to reach the silent, peaceful soul. Acknowledge the thoughts, but ignore the protests and meditate. Silence will prevail and we will reach our soul. All we have to do is make a start; sit down, close our eyes and quit worrying. Just breathe and watch the thoughts. Don’t try to do anything; be silent.

The 3rd A of Happiness: Attraction

Once we reach the acceptance stage, we are automatically drawn to God and all things pure and beautiful. We look at ourselves in a new light and feel nicer, calmer, more patient and lighter without the burden of irregular thoughts and beliefs. We feel freer every day.

LOOK WITHIN                                                       

The clean soul veers towards God, whose impact it reflects. It longs for union with the divine father. But we ignore the fact that there’s a soul within us, which must be kept happy. It can give us all the happiness that we seek; yet we are so busy looking for happiness outside that we forget to look forward.

The 4th A of Happiness: Action

Having crossed the first three stages, it is time to take action and start meditating regularly; knowledge is useless unless it is put into action.

There are many ways to go about it. Here are some suggestions that can make a difference.

  • When you wake up, just slide up and keep your eyes closed. Feel your breath go in and out, reflect on your day and think positive. Exhale any negative thoughts. Send good wishes to friends, family, and the world at large, and say positive things about yourself. This prepares you for the world.
  • Repeat the exercise at night. Sit on your bed and reflect upon the day. Breathe out all bad energy. Think of the instances you can feel proud of and those you can’t take pride in. But don’t judge. Focus on the satisfactory moments, acknowledge them and ask for guidance on whatever it is that you aren’t proud of. Both are important.

You can do this on bed or when you sit down to pray like I do. Reflecting in silence will encourage ‘conscious living’. And that’s meditation in action.  So a word to the wise, the answer to acquiring happiness and positivity according to me is meditation. 🙂

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8 comments

This is a comprehensive post on the benefits of Meditation. I also wrote about Yoga few days back and it also leads to meditation…you know that already 🙂

That’s very motivating and inspiring Maitreni. When a person recognizes the purpose of his life and his needs that make him/her a good person, he will have to start from within and the 4 As as explained above help him in achieving what he wants.

I discovered the power of meditation couple of months back. I must say, I feel so light and happy now. Understanding these 4 A’s is important, not only for mediation but in life as well.

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