Striking a balance - how to be happy

“Every girl needs a space of her own, a place where she can tune out the world and tune in to herself. Many cultures feature the tradition of a a retreat for self-reflection. In the privacy of your own company, you can finally hear yourself think, put your thoughts in order and make sense of your world.
Visit your private space to practice Yoga, meditate, write your diary, think inspiring thoughts, or just lie back and let your imagination wander and see where it lands.
With a little creativity, almost any corner can be made into a private sanctuary... To create a personal retreat, all you need is a small space or place that you can claim as your own. Give your retreat a name and use your Yoga mat to define its boundaries. Make entering and leaving your sanctuary a ritual by ringing a chime or bell.
Surround yourself with objects that reflect your personality. Cultivate a nature preserve with plants and animals. They will refresh the air and add colour to your space. Create an Indian temple with candles, incense or Buddha image. If art stimulates your imagination, hang posters nearby. Soothing music, from the classical canon to rhythmic percussion produced by modern musicians, provides the soundtrack to your voyage...”

“Balance is not a state of perfect stillness but a state of confident and graceful movement.”

Striking a Balance continues to discuss happiness from the inside out and putting things into perspective, followed by a series of exercises. This feature is extracted courtesy of the book YOGA CHICK: A HIP GUIDE TO EVERYTHING OM by Bess Gallanis, published by Little Brown and available on SPECIAL READER OFFER to readers of Yoga & Health. See page 24 of the May 2006 edition for more details.