Disclosure: Some links here are affiliate links. I get a commission if you buy, but you don’t pay extra. This supports my blog and lets me share quality content. I only suggest what I trust and use. Thanks!
I love to be happy. Don’t you? And in my daily search on the Internet for Good News everywhere, I found this delightful article about the Secret to Happiness Revealed by the World’s Happiest Man. And he said that it Takes Only 20 Minutes a Day to be Happy!
So, who is this happiest man in the world? He is none other than Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard. According to Country Living, he has all the answers on how to be happy and remain happy.
Read on to find out how to be just as happy as he is.
Who is the World’s Happiest Man?
His name is Mattheiu Ricard, and he is a Tibetan Buddhist monk. He was originally from France. About 40 years ago, he packed up his bags and moved to India. There, he studied about Buddhism.
How Do We Know He is the World’s Happiest Man?
He took part in a study of the brain. The study took 12 years and was led by neuroscientist Dr Richard Davidson from the University of Wisconsin. The entire study was centered around meditation and compassion.
Dr Davidson and his team monitored Ricard’s brain during his meditations. They used 256 sensors. And found that his mind is extremely light, happy and conscious. After the long 12-year study, they concluded that he is the happiest man on planet Earth.
So what is the secret to his happiness?
Meditation is the Key
Years ago, when I attended meditation classes, the teacher (an elderly medical doctor) taught us that meditation can change our brain activity as well as bring many health benefits. This includes a happier mind and being. I find this to be true. And so does Mattheiu Ricard.
In the study, the scans showed and proved this to be true. When Ricard meditated, his brain produced immense amounts of gamma waves. These waves are linked to consciousness, attention, learning and memory.
In addition, the left prefrontal cortex of the left side of his brain showed a lot of activity. This area helps with reducing negativity and hence, making a person much happier.
As we meditate, we are exercising our brain. Much like we exercise any muscle in our body. This is known as neuroplasticity. And just like any muscle in our body, the more we do it, the more benefits we reap for us. This was also the same thing my meditation teacher taught.
What is Meditation?
Meditation is simply a practice to exercise the brain. The exercise is to focus our attention on one thing. As we focus on one thing, we allow thoughts to emerge but we do not dwell on them.
As we focus our attention on one thing, our minds begin to clear. And after some time, we begin to relax. Ultimately, we achieve stillness and silence that brings us insights, wisdom and pure awareness.
One of the things that we can focus on, and that is easy to focus on, is our breath. This is called Breath Meditation.
What is Breath Meditation?
This is one of the easiest way to practice meditation. And it can be totally non religious. What you do is simply focus on your breath.
The practice is to be mindful. This means your mind is filled with nothing but thoughts of your breath. Keep your mind from wandering and be in the present moment.
You can learn more about Breath Meditation in my article where I explain more about this practice. I have even created a video for you to listen and practice by following my guidance.
What Are the Benefits of Meditation?
There are many benefits of meditation. One of the most significant benefit is helping people to sleep better. Meditation helps people to relax. And to clear out thoughts from the mind. As a result, this practice enables you to be able to sleep better.
Meditation can also help to relief stress. By focusing on one thing, we become more relaxed, and our nerves are calmed.
There have been reports that meditation can improve our physical health. There are even people who said that meditation helped them fight cancer, and go into remission.
This practice can also help people to have more feelings of kindness and love. Imagine if everyone in the world practiced meditation, and everyone on this world is as happy as Ricard. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful world?
How Do I Practice Meditation?
Is it really true that to be as happy as Ricard, we have to meditate 20 minutes a day?
The answer is yes. Even longer if possible, and you will reap the many benefits and more. As a beginner, start with 10 minutes. Then longer as you get better at meditation.
An important thing to note, especially for a beginner, is to practice regularly in a conducive environment. Ideal conditions can assist you to get into a meditative state much more easily. And as such, will encourage you to meditate more often.
Did you like our Good News article – Secret to Happiness Revealed by the World’s Happiest Man – Takes Only 20 Minutes a Day!? Let us know by adding a comment below.
We will be sharing more good news soon. Besides good news, we will share motivational and inspirational stories and quotes. So do join our mailing list to receive updates when we publish more good news.
If you have any questions regarding anything mentioned here in this article, ANY at all, please feel free to ask by adding a comment in the comment box below. I will be more than happy to help.
I wish you good health, wealth and love.
Timotheus
Flowing Love Meditation for Inner Peace and Well-Being
My name is Timotheus Lee. I share about meditation, healing, good health, wellness, spiritual topics, etc. to help the world and people to be healthy and happy. For inner peace and wellness. To learn more about him, and Flowing Love Meditation, Click Here.
This is such an inspirational website, I always enjoy reading your articles about all things good. With all the turmoil in the world now days it is great to have a place to know there is always good news. I found it interesting about the 12 year study conducted on Ricard’s brain as he meditated. It goes to show that meditations is good for the mind and the soul. It really would be a better world if everyone would take twenty minutes of their day to meditate.
Thanks Dena! That is the goal of posiTVty. To spread all things good such as good news, inspirational quotes and stories, videos of all good things, etc. And for people to come here to get all that as well as rest, relax and rejuvenate.
It is true the world will be a better place when everyone meditates. There are many stories and studies that suggest that. I will find them again, and share them.
Have a great weekend filled with all good things! 🙂
Great post
I love meditation and I think I would go close to happiest person in the world haha! meditation is so important to me. I started 25 years ago. It gives me so much clarity everyday. Helps me handle stress and drama without reacting negatively.
Your post covers it all beautifully. Thanks for an enlightening post,
kev
Totally agree with you, Kevin. I too would love to meet and get close to the happiest man on Earth. 😀
I meditate too. And agree with you that it is a very beneficial practice. It brings much peace and happiness to us.
You’re welcome. Glad you like the post. Please join my mailing list to receive more good news. 🙂
Hi Tim,
I read this post with particular interest because it touches on Positive Thinking and Retraining The Brain—Meditation plays an important role in both areas. Through mediation some chronic pain sufferers have managed to lessen the intensity of pain by reducing the toxicity in the nervous system produced by negative thoughts. In simple terms, negative thinking has shown to interfere with the proper flow of blood in our cells and thus rob them of nutrients needed to function as they should. Positive thinking, or absence of negative thoughts, through mediation ensures that blood flow carrying nutrients to our cells is not interfered with. Mediation also plays an important role in retraining the brain so that it’s not preoccupied with negative thoughts. Thanks for sharing the good news.
I know nothing about meditation but isn’t the problem with being happy all the time that it becomes the new “normal”. So, over time, you can never be happier than your new normal state?
Wouldn’t that make any slight depression that much more powerful a blow to the psyche as a result?
Isn’t being content a better balance? It allows for the euphoric highs of happiness without normalising them while not overblowing depressive or down time (the blues) and making them seem worse than they are?
Just curious.
Meditation changes the neurons in our brains. The change facilitates a state of happiness. Meditation is also a practice to learn how to not be affected by the outside world. To stay in the state of bliss no matter how things change around you.
Why allow something outside of you affect you? It is the same with the practice of meditation.
During meditation, we are constantly practicing the art of focusing on one thing. Any thought is brushed aside, and the focus is returned to that one thing. The one thing I recommend usually is the Breath.
With regular practice, we learn to focus on the breath and eventually all other thoughts disappear.
It is the same with how we experience the world. Over time, with meditation, we learn that happiness is something that is up to us. Whether in a good or bad situation, we are in that event. Better to smile and be happy. And not allow that event affect us. With meditation practice, we learn how to brush away all these events, and focus only on our happiness.