Ullassa is a Sanskrit term that describes the “feelings of pleasantness associated with natural beauty.”

I learned about Ullassa and its significant role in happiness during a Calm guided meditation.

Below is a passage from this meditation that further defines the word and elaborates on the concept that exists in everyday life.

“We’ve all heard that nature has a healing quality. Many studies have shown that spending time in natural environments lowers stress and increases wellbeing.

Research from the University of Michigan even proves that time spent in the forest can boost our memory. But getting to the woods or the ocean isn’t always possible. The good news is that there’s no need to travel to exotic locations. Even if you find yourself in the heart of the city, all you have to do is pay attention to the beauty of your surroundings and you can experience ‘Ullassa.’

We grow Ullassa through things like noticing the sound of crackling leaves under foot, the magic of new buds on maple trees and the glimmer of snow in the sunlight. This awareness of natural beauty has an uplifting power. It can quiet the mind, calm anxiety and stir a reverence for the complexity and mystery of life.

Like the breath, beauty is ever present. We just need to awaken to it. So, whether you’re surrounded by skyscrapers or long leaf pines, turn your attention to the beauty of your environment and open up to Ullassa.”

The goal in life should be to establish feelings of ‘Ullassa’ in our minds at all times. There is nonstop beauty around you, and if you think like that, you will feel like that. If you feel like that, your mental health and inner peace will be everlasting.

Visiting parks and outdoor environments when possible definitely enhances these feelings and can boost your morale. Nature has a way of providing healing and calming your central nervous system.

But establishing the ability to evoke these feelings wherever you are is the ultimate goal in preventing stress and anxiety.

Think about it – whenever you question your surroundings and associate your location with unpleasantness, your mental health suffers. The same is true for when your mind senses these feelings in your head.

When your brain detects thoughts of negativity or unhappiness, it feels violated and sends the mind spinning in every direction, which results in anxiety. This makes the concept of Ullassa so valuable, not just to your exterior surroundings, but also your interior being.

As the definition states, Ullassa associates with feelings of pleasantness through natural beauty. It’s up to us to create this “natural beauty” through realization of our environment, but also by our thoughts and the way we perceive life.

Finding beauty in every building, room, car, outdoor setting and other areas directly correlates with finding beauty in your mind. These two forms of beauty feed off one another, as they’re normally either both present or both lacking.

It makes them equally important. Therefore, you should put your mind in a state where you’re able to find the beauty in nature and within your habitat at all times. Doing so will enable you to think more positive thoughts and combat any anxious ones that might be lurking.

When you focus on finding the beauty in everything you see or do, your mind associates this with feelings of pleasantness. What’s the result? You will experience consistent happiness and peace throughout your mind and body.

You will experience Ullassa by way of your beautiful surroundings, as well as your positive thoughts.

The Wrap Up

Ullassa is a powerful concept that has more meaning than the definition leads you to believe. Inside and outside, it offers perspective on the way life is meant to be lived.

If you can center your focus on the beauty in life, both exterior and interior, your mind will be at peace. Your mental health will be flourishing.

Find ways to discover and create this beauty. And once you find them, repeat them and continue the discovery and creation processes.

Life is beautiful. It’s up to us to realize it, appreciate it and cherish the impact it has on our lives.

“At some point in life, the world’s beauty becomes enough.” – Tony Morrison