Have you spent years chasing happiness only to find it slips away as soon as you catch it? Maybe the search itself has been pointed in the wrong direction.
There is an idea shared across many spiritual traditions, from the ancient Upanishads to the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, that happiness is not something we find out in the world. It is something we already are, buried under layers of habit, distraction, and attachment. Every person wants to feel at peace. The teaching is simply that peace is not "out there" waiting to be earned. It is already here, waiting to be uncovered.
Real happiness, in this sense, is different from a good mood or a nice moment. It is a steadier kind of contentment that does not depend on things going your way. Below are seven steps that reflect this understanding, offered as gentle daily practices rather than one-time fixes.
A note before you begin: these steps come from contemplative and spiritual traditions. They are offered as personal reflection and practice, not as therapy or a substitute for professional mental health support. If you are struggling, please reach out to a qualified counsellor or medical professional.
Step 1: Practise, don't just think about it
It is easy to read about presence and nod along without ever actually living it. The real shift happens when you stop turning ideas over in your head and start applying them. Instead of dwelling on the future or replaying the past, try returning to whatever you are doing right now, whether that is washing dishes, walking on the beach, or sitting still. Presence is built through repetition, not through understanding a concept once and moving on.
Step 2: Notice how much is always changing
Look closely and you will see that almost nothing stays the same for long. Your mood shifts through the day. Your body changes year to year. Relationships, circumstances, even the weather, all of it moves. Recognising this constant change is not meant to feel unsettling. It is meant to loosen your grip on the idea that lasting happiness depends on holding one particular moment in place forever.
Step 3: Notice the stories your ego tells
A lot of daily stress comes from an inner narrator that is constantly building a case for "I am this" or "I need that." That voice convinces us that happiness is just one achievement, purchase, or approval away. Watching that narrator honestly, without judging it too harshly, is often the first step toward loosening its grip. The goal is not to silence your sense of self overnight. It is simply to notice when it is driving the bus.
Step 4: Let your desire for peace grow stronger than your other desires
Most people want peace of mind in theory, but rarely make it a real priority. This step is about that quiet decision to actually put inner steadiness above the constant chase for more, whether more approval, more achievement, or more stuff. It does not require giving anything up dramatically. It just means noticing what you are actually spending your energy chasing, and gradually redirecting more of it toward what genuinely settles you.
Step 5: Stay encouraged along the way
Old habits do not dissolve overnight, and that is completely normal. The people who make progress are usually the ones who keep coming back to the practice after missing a day, not the ones who never falter. Small, steady effort compounds. Give yourself permission to be a beginner for as long as it takes, and treat each return to the practice as a win rather than a restart.
Step 6: Turn your attention inward
This step is a simple, physical practice. Sit somewhere quiet. Close your eyes. Let your attention settle on your breath without trying to control it. As your mind slows, gently shift your attention to whatever quiet sense of awareness is noticing everything else, the part of you that is aware of thoughts, sounds, and sensations without being any one of them. There is nothing to force here. It is simply a matter of resting in that awareness for a few minutes at a time.
Step 7: Make the practice part of your daily life
The steps above are not meant to be reserved for a retreat or a special occasion. You can return to this kind of quiet attention anywhere: at your desk, in traffic, in the middle of a conversation. Alongside formal practice, many people find that connection matters too, whether that is time with family, community, creative work, spending time outdoors, or simply being kind to someone else. None of it requires signing up for another workshop or finding the perfect teacher. It just asks for a little attention, repeated often.
At Power of Now Oasis, we try to build these same principles into daily life at the studio, not just talk about them. We have a small turtle pond at Kolonial House, our boutique accommodation in Sanur, where guests are welcome to sit quietly. Angelique, our resident cow, spends her days near the yoga shala and has become part of the gentle rhythm of the place for many of our Yoga Teacher Training students.
If any of this resonates, we would love to have you visit us in Sanur, whether for a single class, a full Yoga Teacher Training, or simply a quiet afternoon by the beach.
Relax. Breathe. Be mindful. Give.
