Category: Mindfulness

What makes us happier: evolving or having fun? Listening to an American coach recently sparked this question in me: should we strive to evolve or focus entirely on having fun and experiencing joy? Of course, one doesn't necessarily exclude the other... But what if? What if our constant pursuit of evolution prevented us from accessing the happiness and joy we so ardently seek? What if the pursuit of joy kept us from reaching a deeper happiness?
Our way of breathing has deteriorated over the course of our evolution. Indeed, our brain has grown, leaving less space for the airways. Our diet and lifestyle have also greatly influenced how we breathe.It's important to know that many psychological and physical diseases can originate from our breathing patterns. This is due to the domino effect: improper breathing leads to sleep apnea, stress, fatigue, higher blood pressure, and so on. It can even lead to chronic insomnia, attention disorders, etc.
It's common to be inundated with judgmental thoughts about our surroundings or ourselves. Complaint can be defined as the expression of discontent or, even more deeply, as a vocal expression of pain. Thus, our complaints are ways of expressing suffering, discomfort, or difficulty.
An ancient tradition tells us that within each of us reside two wolves, and the one that predominates is the one we feed. In our quest to be good and loving, we often neglect to recognize, observe, and acknowledge the part of us that feels hatred and separation. It's these parts within us that hurt both others and ourselves.
With hands pressed together in prayer near my chest, my gaze locked onto theirs, and my head slightly bowed, I humbly utter these words: ขอบคุณมากครับ, phonetically: Kob khun maak khrap/ka. They mean "Thank you very much" in Thai. This ritual is sacred. For a long time, living in Thailand, I didn't fully grasp the importance of this ritual. The significance of this daily moment of gratitude.