Six Happiness - Seeking health, happiness and contentment in what we do

During my years living in Manhattan, our neighborhood offered a Chinese Restaurant named Six Happiness. My New York partner mentioned that he thought the true meaning behind the name was Seeks Happiness. I am uncertain, yet to this day I've always found joy in the words 'six happiness'. 

There is also an expression, 'money can't buy happiness'. Do we really know if that's true? Money can buy good health care, education, opportunites, even a reliable car.  Money can provide us with travel, healthy food, new clothes, and a beautiful home. Yet if money is the key to happiness, why are so many people with and without money unhappy?  How can we find peace, love, happiness, health and contentment? How can we bring enjoyment into everything that we do? Is the way to money through enjoyment? 

I have spent the majority of my life as a Nia Body Teacher and Trainer. My teachings were focused on sensation; bringing it back to the body as a sensation. As a person who spent the majority of my life in my head, and in my emotions, giving the body priority was a huge change for me. I always went first to emotional responses or to thoughts. Training myself to focus on my body's sensations was an entirely new practice. 

How does that feel in your body as a sensation? 

Excited? 

Euphoric? 

Fatiqued? 

I was asked to dive deeper into my body. 

"Well, my chest feels like it is opening and I can breathe easier."

"Everything feels light and tingling." 

"My ribs feel like they are closing in and I can hardly breathe." 

This process of going deeper allowed me to learn to 'be with my body and listen to my body.' We truly know when we feel 'socked in the gut'.  We can also detect the difference between conversing with people who cause our bodies to feel tight and tense, or open and relaxed. We know this as we can feel it in our bodies, yet we often ignore it as telling ourselves the truth can create change and change can leave our bodies feeling closed up, cold and trembling. 

So what does this have to do with money and happiness? 

In seeking happiness are we seeking enjoyment? Are we seeking joy? Or does what we do leave us exhausted and depleted? When I dance I experience a type of euphoria, a joy of movement, the thing that makes my body feel alive. The practice then becomes how to bring this sensation into my body even when I am not dancing. A way of dancing through life. A way to be rich with enjoyment. 

I began tracking this as paying attention to whatever I was doing at the time, all the time. I found that I can bring enjoyment to nearly everything I do. Dancing, Blending, photographing, writing, teaching, even cooking, which for many years did not hold enjoyment for me, but now does. I find enjoyment in these things regardless of what is happening around me. I am learning to stand in a new perspective and also find joy in simple tasks like folding laundry, pulling weeds or asking for help in the aspects of my work that I do not do well, or that don't bring me enjoyment. This frees me up to focus on the aspects of my work that I do enjoy. 

Do what you love and the money will follow. 

 We have often heard the expression 'do what you love and the money will follow' yet I have not always found that to be true. I have recently begun asking myself about this way of seeking happiness AND making money. So I must ask myself, that even though I am doing what I love....... am I providing the services people are looking for? Can I be of service in teaching others to seek and find happiness through the things that I also love doing? I believe that pleasure is our birthright. Yet are the things that bring me enjoyment the things that others need for their own.  Is creating a more natural skincare routine and a healthier way to move your body something that you are interested in?  Can I help you find your enjoyment regardless of what is happening in your life? Can I help bring in a little wonder and magic? 

I enjoy blog writing, although sending these writings out into cyberspace can feel a bit daunting. I'd love to hear about your experience of enjoyment and if any of this feels like it applies. And if there's any way that I can help you on your own creative journey. Feel free to comment or contact me directly.  I'm here for you, perhaps together we can find a way that six happiness. 

Stephaney Oberon offers free 15-minute consultations about dancing through life, skincare, writing and happiness. Let her know how if she can help. 

Image of Amand'as Gate photographed by Amanda Ford