EXPAND YOUR HAPINESS

Growing up in a Buddhist/ Christian home, mindful ritual was all around me. My Vietnamese mother would pray at our family’s ancestral altar, lighting incense and sending compassion to family members who have passed. My Presbyterian father went to church almost every Sunday, devoted to his church community. I was gifted with a rich spiritual upbringing and as I journeyed forward in my studies to become a psychotherapist, I began to connect the dots with my childhood, seeing clearly how the environment I grew up in was a fertile ground to seed the purposeful work I was meant to share with the world.

Although my parents came from different spiritual backgrounds, mindfulness was a commonality that was threaded throughout the fabric of my childhood. The teachings of mindfulness weren’t always explicit growing up but they were embodied in what my parents taught me — to connect with nature, art and other humans with love and kindness. In a world where we can so often become preoccupied with the differences between us, the fact that my mom and dad were able to see the common denominators between their spiritual backgrounds was one of the greatest gifts they gave me.

MINDFULNESS: The practice of attending to the present moment, consciously and without judgement.

Now, as a Transpersonal Psychotherapist & Modern Medicine Woman, mindfulness is a foundational practice I teach to all of my clients and students. Our capacity to work with the mind, skilfully, is in direct correlation with our capacity to experience Authentic Happiness. Now, let’s break down two of the general areas of happiness. Authentic Happiness is the innate, natural ability that everyone has to feel a sense of contentment, joy, and pleasure within. Authentic Happiness can only truly live when we’re in a state of mindfulness, released from the incessant mental activity of jumping into the future or staying attached to the past. It’s the simple, ordinary moments where Authentic Happiness truly thrives — the soothing sip of tea, the loving glance of a child, a warm embrace from your loved one — these are all moments that embody the potential for profound happiness if we choose to pause and pay attention

COMPASION

Compassion is the feeling that arises when we witness another’s suffering and our motivation to alleviate that suffering. Compassion is an antidote to feelings of separateness. When we feel interconnected with other people and the world around us, our feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression naturally melt away. The energetic centre of our heart (the most powerful electromagnetic centre of the body) is
open and softened when we’re in a state of compassion. We can cultivate compassion for any living being by tuning into our hearts and repeating mantras of compassion or loving-kindness frequently:
May all beings be happy

May all beings by healthy

May all beings be free

May all beings live with ease and peace

CONCENTRATION

It’s true that with our thoughts, we create our reality. Our thoughts dictate our actions and about 90% of the thoughts we had yesterday, we will have today. Wherever your attention goes, energy flows. What we place our attention on may be our greatest superpower. That’s why concentration is a key component when it comes to expanding our Authentic Happiness. By concentrating on the present moment, we train our minds to be able to attend to what we desire to see and feel. For example, if you pay attention to your breath and the sensations of breathing in and out of your nostrils for 10-15 minutes a day, you’re embarking on powerful mindfulness training that grows the experience of peace, calmness, and happiness. This becomes an embodied experience that you can return to whenever you choose. Then, authentic happiness is just one breath away.

CONTEMPLATION

Lena Franklin has taught and studied ancient healing medicines and modalities around the globe. Contemplate what brings you a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Contemplate your heart’s deepest intentions. Creating space through stillness and silence allows for the wisdom you possess to flow to the surface of your awareness. And from that place, we can take aligned action to prioritise the Authentic Happiness that can only live in the present moment. Through the Three C’s of Mindfulness, we can journey home to the truth of who we are beyond the thought patterns that hold us back, beyond the illusion of separation, and beyond the perpetual state of busyness. Through the gift of the present moment, through each breath, through focusing on what the heart desires, we can rediscover the limitless expansion of our Authentic Happiness.