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“It’s not a perfect science, but I do the workshop, says happiness is As we head back down the
kind of know if I am,” she says. something you can find within mountain, scrolling through our
Such measurements are being seen yourself. emails, it is clear it’s going to take
as increasingly important. more than one workshop to change
He describes it as rediscovering our mindsets.
New Zealand recently announced the “spark” you had as a child, and
that its 2019 budget would report advocates regular meditation. But the more we practise, the
on how national spending happier we are likely to feel, says

impacts on wellbeing. Being in the moment, not texting or Prof Santos.
checking emails or thinking about
“This is not woolly, it’s critical,” other things, will bring you a sense And she is an inspiring example.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, of contentment over time, he says. Ironically, for someone who has
arguing it was more important been dubbed the “professor of
than GDP, the common measure He asks us to breathe out sharply happiness”, she describes herself as
of growth that countries use to and then close our eyes and relax. a naturally “morose person”.
measure progress.
For me it doesn’t work at all. My “But I have to practise what I
Close your eyes and relax mind is jumping and I’m thinking preach. I’ve gone up a whole point
The science also shows that about other things. Other attendees in the measurement of happiness
wellbeing is something companies say the same. scale in the year I’ve been teaching
should care about, because of its the class,” she says.
impact on improving productivity. Rinpoche says it’s worth
persevering, and that like most Source: BBC News, Davos, 25
Tsoknyi Rinpoche, a Tibetan things, the more you do it the better January 2019 EH
Buddhist and founder of the you will get.
Pundarika Foundation, also at