The Serenity Passport: A world tour of peaceful living in 30 words
144
The Serenity Passport: A world tour of peaceful living in 30 words
144eBook
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Overview
The Serenity Passport is a joyful exploration of the different ways in which we relax and rejuvenate with practical lessons providing simple and effective ways for you to discover greater calm.
From ancient meditative practices to simple self-care philosophies, throughout history and around the world people have sought ways to live a more balanced life. In our busy, modern lives we are constantly seeking a deeper state of balance and calmness of mind. The words in this book will inspire you with new ways to find calm in everyday life, with a wealth of examples including:
• Ayliak – the art of living slowly and without worry (Bulgarian)
• Hózhó – a philosophy of wellness through balanced living (Navajo)
• Hoppípolla – jumping in puddles (Icelandic)
• Flâneur – the art of leisurely strolling (French)
• Utepils – a beer outside with friends (Norwegian)
Positive psychologist Megan C Hayes reveals the true meaning of each term and shows you how to bring a little more serenity to every area of life.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781781319178 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | White Lion Publishing |
| Publication date: | 11/05/2019 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 144 |
| File size: | 23 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Megan Hayes is a researcher, writer, and pioneer of the Positive Journal® approach to personal writing. She is an expert in positive psychology, always seeking new techniques to help people flourish and find happiness.
Regularly presenting her research at conferences across the globe, Megan is passionate about helping others find the tools they need to improve their wellbeing. She also has a personal interest in mental health issues, having grown up with a mother and sister who both experienced bi-polar episodes.
Megan is the author of Write Yourself Happy, The Happiness Passport and The Serenity Passport.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Focus & Awareness
With an ever more enticing range of technological tools at our disposal, life in the developed world comes with a side dish of constant distraction. We check our email as soon as we wake up, get social media updates while we work and keep our phones bleeping away beside our beds at night. Simply put: in the modern age we find ourselves on call for the wider world twenty-four hours a day, every day. This is a sure-fire recipe for anxiety and, as such, many of us now look for ways that we can consciously slow down, catch our breath and unplug from the incessant buzz of the Internet.
While this may seem like a very modern dilemma, it turns out that all over the world humans have been trying to keep our cool and stay focussed for centuries (it is only the distractions that change). From the philosophy of ancient China and the intricate belief system of Buddhism to cultures as distinctive as those of Bulgaria or Hawaii – all around the planet we have cultivated clever and treasured techniques to help us be more mindful.
These various practices remind us to stay in the moment and make sure we regularly reflect upon what is important to us. We can use these humble techniques and preferred pastimes to help us avoid becoming distracted by the onslaught of duties and dilemmas we all face, and to keep our minds calmly and resolutely focussed on our highest values. These values might include caring for the people we love, looking out for our wider communities, adhering to our ethical principles or just keeping our commitment to enjoy the moment. Let us take a whirlwind tour of how, in some very distinctive corners of our world, we opt to focus our attention and stay serene.
SHU ([TEXT NOT PRODUCIBLE IN ASCII])
(Pinyin): shù | noun | Traditional Chinese 1. the Confucian virtue of compassion and concern for others
Many of us consider those we love to be at the centre of our lives, but if we stop to think about it we may find we actually spend very little time in the average day devoted to conscious reflection upon these cherished others. More than this, human beings often rely on the kindness of complete strangers; an idea reflected through folklore and fairy tales since time immemorial. Yet how much is this intertwinement with others reflected in the flurry of our daily activities? Perhaps not much at all.
Across cultures, languages, nations and religions we find variants of something that we in the West like to call The Golden Rule. This directive poses that in living our lives justly we should strive to treat others how we ourselves wish to be treated. This idea is a pretty useful one because, well, it renders everyone a winner. It is this spirit that is precisely captured in the traditional Chinese concept of shu ([TEXT NOT PRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]), which stems from Confucian philosophy and encapsulates concern and care for others. In modern Chinese usage, this word can also mean to forgive, to show mercy to or to accommodate others.
What is perhaps most fascinating about the concept of shu is that when we focus our minds on others in this way it is not only good for others, it is good for us too. In fact, it is a strong motivation for humans to be connected to one another and to belong – some psychologists would say it is our primary motivation. It therefore does wonders for our wellbeing to cultivate a sense of belonging. Yet in the hustle and bustle of the average week, as we hurry from commitment to commitment, it is all too easy to forget to make the space to focus on others, which may leave us feeling fraught and cut off. Make some time this week to reflect with care upon someone other than you – someone close, or someone who may as yet be a stranger – and let the desire to belong that is captured by shu guide your way of living.
TRY THIS ...
Loving-Kindness Meditation
Have a go at this helpful practice that puts the beautiful virtue of shu into action for a calmer and more consciously caring day. There are many ways to meditate. You might focus on your breathing; try any number of calming visualisations; or conduct a 'body scan' whereby you gradually notice and release tension in your body. Yet one meditation practice that makes a point of focusing compassionately on others (in the spirit of shu) is Loving-Kindness Meditation. There are variations on how you can go about this practice, but the essential aim is that you extend compassion to others, either real or imagined, along with sincere wishes of wellbeing.
A typical meditation of this kind involves a step-by-step process:
1. Begin by sitting quietly with closed eyes and simply focus upon your commitment to your own wellbeing and feelings of deep compassion for yourself, exactly as you are in this moment.
2. Following some minutes of this, carry these feelings into thinking about someone you know and love, beginning to extend similar feelings of care and well wishes to them.
3. Finally, extend these same considerate feelings to the wider world, reflecting upon your sense of deep compassion and kindness towards all beings.
For the true aficionados of the Loving-Kindness approach to meditation, there is also the option to include an extra step of extending feelings of compassion to somebody with whom you may be experiencing a troublesome or difficult relationship; perhaps even someone you consider a rival or enemy. With trial and error, extending well wishes to these otherwise bothersome individuals can be a useful way of remaining unruffled in the face of challenging work or family relationships – and is something to aim for as you build this compassionate, calming habit into your life.
This practice not only feels good, it has tangible benefits. One group of psychologists at Stanford University found that even a brief Loving-Kindness meditation offered a clear boost to the sense of social connectedness in those involved in the study, and even increased their feelings of positivity and compassion towards complete strangers. Certainly, then, this looks like one surefire way to put the essence of shu to good use in your day-to-day life.
SATI
s[TEXT NOT PRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]'ti? | noun | Pali 1. memory; recognition 2. mindfulness
Mindfulness has become a familiar concept around the world, yet we do not often hear of its origins, namely in the word sati found in the Pali Canon – the sacred writings of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. While sati principally refers to the type of meditational awareness that has been translated into English as 'mindfulness', it is a term that is broad in scope and has many other connotations. Aside from referring to attentiveness, sati can refer to a kind of remembering, or what one Pali scholar calls non-forgetfulness.
This idea – that being mindful is about being non-forgetful – is a vital one if we wish to grasp the ancient concept of sati. Think about it: how much of your life is spent in an autopilot state of forgetfulness? For example when you are handed a train or bus ticket and almost instantly lose it because you hide it away somewhere absent-mindedly. To be truly mindful is, in some ways, to remember to notice each moment as it occurs.
Sati is a wakeful state in which we are alert to the information being received by our five senses, without judgement or assessment, just simply being in the experience. In this state, we are able to act as an observer and interpreter of this data; noticing how such input translates into thoughts and feelings. By being mindfully observant in this way, the idea is that we can stand apart from our constantly whirring thoughts – a truly calming state if we can achieve it.
Yet, isolating the idea of sati from the rich tradition of Buddhist teachings means, inevitably, many of its nuances are lost. Though the full context is too intricate to be captured here, an important element to note is that one of the ultimate teachings of Buddhism is to do away with the idea of an observer, or self, altogether, and to become aware of our own impermanence. Whether your voyage into mindfulness will take you this far is for you to decide, but one thing is for sure: a little more non-forgetfulness, or sati, could mean a little less stress.
TRY THIS ...
Three Ways to a More Mindful Day
We do not necessarily have to become masters of meditation to benefit from mindfulness. To make sati a practice in your own life, here are three straightforward ways to begin being more mindful daily.
Take a more mindful shower
One of the best ways to establish a new habit is to connect it with something we are already doing regularly. We do not normally have to convince ourselves to brush our teeth or take a shower – these are non-negotiable and intrinsic parts of our day. So why not make these activities more mindful and strive to become completely focussed on the activity? In your daily shower, practise sati or non-forgetfulness, observing the different kinds of input your senses are receiving. How does the hot water feel? How does it sound against the shower tray? What does your soap or shampoo smell like? What is it like to see through the steam? Starting out with this simple activity will help you to carry this alert awareness into the rest of your day.
Sit more mindfully
One of the places we are least likely to be in a state of sati is when sitting at our desks or around the table of a staff meeting. Yet even here we can benefit from mindfulness. Next time you notice yourself stressed and tense in a chair, take a few slow breaths and direct your attention to your feet as you place them firmly to the floor. How do they feel? Notice how they press into the ground. Wiggle your toes and keep your awareness there for a moment. Spend a few minutes this way, gently drawing your attention back to your feet whenever it wanders. This is an easy mindful exercise to help you gently centre yourself in times of stress.
Do some mindful journal writing
The practice of sati is about noticing life as it happens, and one of the easiest ways to cultivate this kind of wakeful awareness is to write things down. As you go about your day, make a point of noticing unusual, beautiful or surprising things that you see. It might be the evening light through the trees, traffic lights reflected in a puddle, or an interesting looking person on the train – whatever captures your attention. Then, in the evening, take a few moments to note these things in a journal, contemplating why they intrigued you. The idea of this practice is that noticing what is going on around us will then become a habit, and we will begin to mindfully perceive the poetic beauty of even the most seemingly mundane of days.
IT'S IN OUR NATURE ... TAKE A DIGITAL DETOX AND SEEK CALM IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD
If our aim is to find focus in today's modern world, sadly the odds are not often in our favour. In any given home or workspace we are bombarded with technological stimulus. Our phones are never more than an arm's length away, our computers and televisions flash on at the touch of a button and transport us to the never-ending rabbit hole of the digital realm, and now even our fridges and appliances are becoming 'smart'. While we can certainly establish practices that help us drown out this digital buzz, sometimes the only thing for it is to step outdoors for a full digital detox.
In many languages we find terms, both fun and philosophical, promoting the peaceful joy of being in nature. In woodlands and up mountains, in fields, glens and valleys, on cool winter days or bright hot summer ones – there are perhaps as many ways to find peace and tranquility in nature as there are coastlines to sit beside or mountain paths to traverse. In fact, we find joyful calm in the outside world in all weathers (in Icelandic, hoppípolla is a verb for jumping in puddles).
One portion of the natural world, however, that appears to have a particularly profound influence upon our sense of calm – and often plays a big part in our appreciation of the calming influence of the great outdoors – is the humble tree. The Russians have a noun for the 'falling leaves' from trees – listopad ([TEXT NOT PRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) – bringing to mind the gentle passing of time that seasonal forests so poetically evoke. Time in the woods is relaxing because our senses are gently stirred by such sounds, and also by that special kind of light found only beneath canopies of boughs and branches.
The Japanese love trees, too, and have both komorebi ([TEXT NOT PRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]), a term to describe the beauty of sunlight filtering through leaves; and shinrin- yoku ([TEXT NOT PRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) or 'forestbathing' – like sunbathing but soaking up the dappled and tranquil forest instead of rays.
AYLIAK ([TEXT NOT PRODUCIBLE IN ASCII])
ailaik | noun | Bulgarian 1. Bulgarian: the art of living slowly and without worries
Despite our best efforts to stay focussed and calm, few of us are immune to worry. Worrying can at times feel like an inherent part of modern existence, so much so that we may not notice we are even doing it. Our fast-paced lifestyles seem to dictate this way of being; haste and anxiety masquerade as perfectly natural, necessary responses to a hectic schedule. Yet much of this comes down, not to necessity, but to our priorities – and not all nations, cities or cultures prioritise in the same way.
Take the Bulgarian people and their concept of Ayliak ([TEXT NOT PRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]), which originates from the Turkish word for 'idle'. In Bulgarian, however, this word implies a specific 'culture of slowness' that cannot be characterised as simple idleness. Ayliak evokes that one's main concern is a lifestyle of calm living, free from worry and stress.
It is said that this word is particularly unique to (and typical of) the people of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-biggest city. We might associate big cities with fast-paced lifestyles, but Plovdiv is a place where a serene existence is a local pastime. The citizens of Plovdiv are famous in Bulgaria for living with the spirit of Ayliak: prioritising the unhurried and harmonious over the hectic and frenetic. In particular, they are known for expressing this philosophy through their slow-paced strolls around the city.
So proud are the citizens of Plovdiv about this cultural quirk that they have developed not one but two festivals in honour of the term: the Ayliak (I LIKE) festival and The Slow City Fest. For many of us, 'Slow City' might seem like a contradiction in terms. For Plovdivians, it is a part of who they are: a shared commitment to forgo busyness for relaxed enjoyment of life, one unhurried moment at a time.
Wherever you find yourself in the world – big city, small town or otherwise – the people of Plovdiv show that sometimes it is our priorities and not the place in which we find ourselves that define how we focus our minds.
FLOW
fleu | noun | English 1. (psychology) a state of energised focus and awareness in an activity; being immersed or 'in the zone'
Our world's many philosophical traditions have reflected upon the human mind for millennia, including how we choose to direct our awareness. Yet it is only since the mid-1800s that this preoccupation has been formalised into a scientific discipline: the study of psychology. Out of this discipline have come innumerable new ways to understand the mind and gain a 'big picture' overview of how individuals and communities across the globe both survive and thrive. One particularly fascinating concept to emerge from this tradition is the idea of flow.
Flow is an English term coined by Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi after he studied groups of highly motivated people passionate about various recreational activities – from musical composition, to rock climbing, to ballet dancing. These groups described how such experiences fully engaged their minds, carrying them along almost like a current of water. Thus flow gives a name to the state of intense and pleasurable focus, where our awareness of time, place, personal problems – and even of our very selves – is temporarily suspended in a way that is both calming and fulfilling.
What is helpfully captured by this term is something long-known and practised in many far flung corners of our world, particularly in Eastern traditions such as Buddhism: the idea that the quality of our attention matters, and that we can exercise ways of focussing that are conducive to greater wellbeing. The opposite of flow experience, then, might be the Buddhist notion of the 'monkey mind', where our thoughts jump inconsistently and feverishly from one thing to another, and we struggle to give our attention to the moment. This idea highlights how our attention is a resource at our disposal – something we can actively use to our advantage to bring us joy, calm and greater wellbeing.
Flow – like focus – can arise in many different ways depending upon the person, from walking, to reading a good book or getting lost in a lively conversation. Its defining features are simply that we forget where, and even who, we are for a little while: a kind of sublime narrowing of our attention to the simple moment-to-moment unfolding of our experience, in a way that is deeply rewarding.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Serenity Passport"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Megan C Hayes.
Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
SERENITY AROUND THE WORLD, 6,
CHAPTER ONE Focus & Awareness, 10,
CHAPTER TWO Body & Wellness, 36,
CHAPTER THREE Habits & Rituals, 60,
CHAPTER FOUR Rest & Relaxation, 86,
CHAPTER FIVE Patience & Poise, 110,
A MAP OF CALM, 138,
EXTEND THE JOURNEY, 140,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THE ILLUSTRATOR, 143,
THANKS, 144,