Happiness Activities
1. Expressing Gratitude
2. Cultivating Optimism
3. Avoiding Over-Thinking and Social Comparisons
4. Practicing Acts of Kindness
5. Nurturing Social Relationships
6. Developing Strategies for Coping
7. Learning to Forgive
8. Increasing Flow Expectations
9. Savoring Life's Joys
10. Committing to Your Goals
11. Practicing Spirituality
12. Taking Care of Your Body (Psychological Methods)
13. Taking Care of Your Body (Physical Activity)
14. Taking Care of Your Body (Acting Like a Happy Person)
15. The Hows Behind Sustainable Happiness: Positive Emotions,
Optimal Timing and Variety, Social Support, Motivation, Effort,
Commitment, and Habit.
The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want
By Sonja Lyubomirsky. New York, Penguin Books, 2008. Index, extensive notes, appendix, 366 pages. ISBN: 978-1594201486. Ms. Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at the University of California at Riverside, and a leader in the field of positive psychology.
Professor Lyubomirsky analyzes what determines happiness. Her research indicates that "happiness" is determined approximately 50% by our internal biological "Set Point", 10% by our circumstances in life, and 40% by our intentional activity. Her explanations and suggestions are clear, reasonable, and grounded in psychological research. Gaining effective use of our intentional activities is the focus of this book. "This much happiness - up to 40% - is within your power to change."
How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons
Virtues and a Good Life
An Old Philosopher's Notebooks
Pleasure
Reading
Epicureanism
Here a repost from the Cloud Hands Blog from December 26, 2017:
Grandmaster Yang Jwing-Ming advises us to practice the Taijiquan form
(sequence) by 1) practicing the sequence slower and slower, 2) developing a
sense of an enemy, and 3) practicing fast Taijiquan. He says,
"In order for the sequence to be meaningful, Jing and
technique must be combined. An important way to do this is to PRACTICE
FAST TAI CHI CHUAN. Once you can do the sequence of movements
automatically, and can coordinate your breathing and Chi circulation with the
movements, you should practice the form faster. Remember, if you ever get
into a fight, things are likely to move pretty fast, so you have to be able to
respond fast in order to defend yourself effectively. If you only practice
slowly, then when you need to move fast your Chi will be broken, your postures
unstable, and you Yi scattered. If any of this happens, you will not be
able to use your Jing to fight. Therefore, once you have developed your
Chi circulation you should practice the sequence faster until you can do it at
fighting speed. Make sure you don't go too fast too soon, or you will
sacrifice the essentials such as Yi concentration, Chi balance, breath
coordination, and the storage of Jing in the postures. When doing fast Tai
Chi, do not move at a uniform speed. Incorporate the pulsing movement of
Jing so that you are responding appropriately to the actions for your imaginary
enemy. It is difficult to develop the pulsing movement of Jing solely by
doing the sequence, so you should also do Jing training either before or
concurrently with the fast Tai Chi."
- Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming. Advanced Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan. Volume One: Tai Chi Theory and Tai Chi
Jing. By Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. Boston, Massachusetts, Yang's Martial Arts
Academy,
YMAA, 1986, p. 67.
Tai Chi Chuan Martial Power: Advanced Yang Style. By Dr. Wang, Jwing Ming. Foreword by Tsung-Hwa Jou. YMAA Publication Center, 3rd Edition, 2015. 320 pages. ISBN: 978-1594392948.
Tai Chi Chuan Martial Applications: Advanced Yang Style. By Dr. Wang, Jwing Ming. YMAA Publications, 3rd Edition, 2016. 400 pages. ISBN: 978-1594392993. VSCL.
Also, you might take a look at Yang Style Tai Chi Fast Form by Master Jesse Tsao from San Diego, California.
"Yang Style Tai Chi Fast Form is a traditional practice with self-defense as its main focus. It trains the body in a dynamic energy flow, with agility in dodging, stepping and jumping along with solid strikes in flashing speed. The fast form is secretly carried forward by a limited population, as Tung Yingjie (one of Yang Chengfu's students) mentioned that the fast form is regarded as advanced-level training in old times. Tai Chi Healthways presents this routine for those who love to practice Tai Chi for martial arts applications. It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation. Suggest 50 class hours. (Difficulty: Beginner through Advanced Levels). DVD-R, (61 minutes)."
I viewed this instructional DVD on Amazon for $1.99, and then ordered a DVD copy ($34.95) from Tai Chi Healthways. I like to view and listen to instructional DVDs using my small CooVu portable DVD player.
When I lived in Red Bluff, California, on a 5 acre homestead in the rural North Sacramento Valley, I used many instructional DVD's created by Master Jesse Tsao, Master Jiang Jian Ye, and Grandmaster Yang, Jwing-Ming. Master Tsao's instructional DVDs appealed to me because of their pace, breakdowns by sections, summary demonstrations, clarity of audio, diversity of styles presented, and background scenery around some very familiar San Diego locations (my brother lives in nearby Carlsbad).
I particulary enjoyed learning, from Master Tsao's instructional DVD, the Eight Immortals Tai Chi Cane, Routine 1, in the Yang Style of Taijiquan.
Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi)
Chapter 10
"While you
Cultivate the soul and embrace unity,
can you keep them from separating?
Focus your vital breath until it is supremely soft,
can you be like a baby?
Cleanse the mirror of mysteries,
can you make it free of blemish?"
- Translated by Victor H. Mair, 1990, Chapter 10
"By patience the animal spirits can be disciplined.
By self-control one can unify the character.
By close attention to the will, compelling gentleness,
one can become like a little child.
By purifying the subconscious desires one may be without fault."
- Translated by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, 1919, Chapter 10
"When the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one embrace, they can be kept from separating.
When one gives undivided attention to the vital breath, and brings it to the utmost degree of pliancy,
He can become as a tender babe.
When he has cleansed away the most mysterious sights of his imagination,
He can become without a flaw."
- Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 10
"Can you coax your mind from its wandering
and keep to the original oneness?
Can you let your body become
supple as a newborn child's?
Can you cleanse your inner vision
until you see nothing but the light?
Can you love people and lead them
without imposing your will?
Can you deal with the most vital matters
by letting events take their course?
Can you step back from you own mind
and thus understand all things?
Giving birth and nourishing,
having without possessing,
acting with no expectations,
leading and not trying to control:
this is the supreme virtue."
- Translated by Stephen Mitchell, 1988, Chapter 10
Happiness Activities
1. Expressing Gratitude
2. Cultivating Optimism
3. Avoiding Over-Thinking and Social Comparisons
4. Practicing Acts of Kindness
5. Nurturing Social Relationships
6. Developing Strategies for Coping
7. Learning to Forgive
8. Increasing Flow Expectations
9. Savoring Life's Joys
10. Committing to Your Goals
11. Practicing Spirituality
12. Taking Care of Your Body (Psychological Methods)
13. Taking Care of Your Body (Physical Activity)
14. Taking Care of Your Body (Acting Like a Happy Person)
15. The Hows Behind Sustainable Happiness: Positive Emotions,
Optimal Timing and Variety, Social Support,
Motivation, Effort,
Commitment, and Habit.
The How of Happiness: A
Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want
By Sonja Lyubomirsky. New York, Penguin Books, 2008. Index,
extensive notes, appendix, 366 pages. ISBN:
978-1594201486. Ms. Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., is a Professor of
Psychology at the University of California at Riverside, and a leader in the field of positive
psychology.
Professor Lyubomirsky analyzes what determines happiness. Her research indicates that "happiness" is determined approximately 50% by our internal biological "Set Point", 10% by our circumstances in life, and 40% by our intentional activity. Her explanations and suggestions are clear, reasonable, and grounded in psychological research. Gaining effective use of our intentional activities is the focus of this book. "This much happiness - up to 40% - is within your power to change."
How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons
Virtues and a Good Life
An Old Philosopher's Notebooks
Pleasure
Reading
Epicureanism
