It’s the new year, and what better way to start things than to listen to the Dalai Lama talk about happiness? I’m always skeptical when people talk about happiness when discussing meditation, because I think it puts expectations on the practice. If I meditate, then I will be happy, that sort of thing.

That might be true, but the point of the practice is the practice; if you are given the tools to become more aware of your emotions, your actions, and to exist in the now, that is enough. Pursuit of constant happiness is a fool’s errand - humans will always feel a range of emotions, and it is better to accept and sit with them and understand them than to fight against them.

The reason I’m laying this out is that the app, Ten Percent, has a feature, The Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness, where he discusses happiness, and then, you are led through a beginner’s set of meditations, introducing you to key components of the practice each day. If there’s someone worth listening to about happiness, it’s the Dalai Lama.

It’s all free, and whether you’re new to meditation or you’ve been at this for years, it’s well worth doing.