what we have

In India, there are yogis who have the tiny, skinny bodies every anorexic teenager dreams of. Not because they want to look like gaunt runway models, but because they can’t afford to eat more than a handful of rice and a little boiled cauliflorwer once a day. On a visit to India, I asked one such scrawny yogi, “How are you?” He replied, “I am so hapy to see you here on this beautiful day!! How amazing is this existence, my friend, that we are here, where we are!” His eyes glistened, his face beamed. I asked  him, “Are you in need of anything?” His kind eyes filled with even more warmth (if that’s possible), and he replied through a wide, toothless grin, “Maybe a little food.” It hit me then and there: If this person is this radiant and happy in these conditions, what’s my problem?

Some of the yogis in India are barefoot, dressed in rags, and exists in “homes” that consist of dirty ground and a gutter. And yet, when you look into their eyes, they’re radiating more joy and love than any Wall Street executive or Beverly Hills millionairess has ever known….

Happiness isn’t complicated. In fact, it’s the opposite of complex: It’s the simplest thing in the world.

(Steve Ross, Happy Yoga)