The United Nations designated International Day for Happiness March 20, was celebrated in grand style by ‘The Happiness Center’ as the organization inducted its first ever Nigerian Happiness Ambassadors, as part of its activities to commemorate the day. The event which took place at the Lagos head office of the organization on March 20th, 2022, also presented an opportunity to showcase the center’s health packages to all and sundry, including the dignitaries present.
The Happiness Ambassadors inducted on that day were; Her Excellency, Wife of the Governor of Lagos State Dr Ibijoke Sanwoolu; Mr Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, professionally known as Ali Baba, a Nigerian stand-up comedian, master of ceremonies and actor; The Commissioner for Health, Honourable Akin Abayomi, and Mr Joseph Edgar, an influential writer, author and theatre producer, who maintains a weekly column, Loudwhispers. They were chosen as ambassadors as a result of their remarkable impacts in their chosen career, and how their efforts have contributed to the happiness and well-being of the people.
Located in Lagos, Africa’s holistic health and wellness center, ‘The Happiness Center’, offer services that help bespoke customers unlock their full potentials in life. It is an arm of the International Non-governmental Organization, the Art of Living Foundation, fully equipped with modern and world class infrastructure in a serene and calm environment. The Happiness Center harnesses the power of alternate medicine, herbal remedies, yoga, breath-work and meditation, with the aim of achieving physical, emotional and mental balance for individuals. It provides customized rejuvenating and therapeutic treatments by experienced Ayurveda practitioners and a team of well-trained panchakarma therapists, osteopaths, physiotherapists and Yoga experts, and it encourages a calm, focused, and blissful state of mind along with a healthy body which will help an individual rest, rejuvenate and immerse in the holistic environment of health and wellness, as part of its mission to make the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal three (Good Health and Wellbeing) possible in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of the Center, Akshay Jain said “We are well aware of the challenges associated with living and doing business in a metropolitan city like Lagos. It comes with health challenges that creep into our lives and reduces our productivity. People often get burnt out as a result of not being happy with many issues about their lives, some within and some beyond their control. We have set up this center to offer a wide range of services to enable people achieve the single most important thing the humans should strive for which is happiness. We are all in pursuit of happiness. We sleep and wake up hoping that each new day is better than the one before it, when this happens, we are happy and when the reverse is the case there is unhappiness. Stress affects the state of mind because when you are angry, you breath faster, and when you are happy, you breath gently. Anger is stress brought about by what happened in the past, while Fear is stress brought about by what will happen in the future. We believe that life should be lived as an expression of happiness, hence we try to offer solution to stress. Through the breathing and meditation exercise, the mind is relaxed”.
“We at the Happiness Center have have decided to select some high profile individuals as ‘Happiness Ambassadors’, because of the smiles they have brought in through the impacts they have recorded in their respective fields. They will be the frontline of happiness and represent our brand on days like this when we have to commemorate the International Happiness Day”, he added .
Corroborating his point, the General Manager of ‘The Happiness Center’ Francisca Ukabiala reiterates, “The Happiness Center is a timely in, and for a city like Lagos. We probably all heard the recent comments by the Governor of Lagos State on the special ticket that people who have lived in Lagos deserve to get to heaven having already lived in what in his opinion is a hellish city. We are saying that happiness is all around, it is in the energy that keeps the city moving and most importantly it is in the haven that we have created to ensure that people have greater bouts of positive energy once they walk in and out of our doors and experience bespoke wellness services’.
The event was headlined by other dignitaries such as the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Professor Pat Utomi, notable political economist; the Chairman, Traditional Medicine Board, Professor Adebukunola Ositelu, while the Trustee of the Art of Living Foundation is expected to showcase the center’s deliberate and well-thought-out efforts to cater to health and wellness of Lagosians through alternative and natural measures with a view to easing stress and its associated challenges.
As an expression of happiness and commendation, the honourable Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has announced that his Ministry will be partnering with ‘The Happiness Center ‘ to host the World Cultural Day as part of the 40th anniversary of the organization ‘s existence.
The Happiness Center was commissioned in Lagos, Nigeria on November 2021, and since then 90 percent of its customers have been Nigerians, which shows that the center is not just for the expatriates but for all.
To give invitees at the event an opportunity to experience its health package, a raffle draw was conducted in which 3 winners emerged and 5 consolation prizes were won. These prizes includes Reflexology, Malma and other relaxation packages.
The Happiness center is an alternate medicine, herbal remedies, Yoga, breath-work and meditation center with the aim of achieving physical, emotional and mental balance for individuals. The center also hosts a wide range of personal and group programmes including Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda, Nutrition packages and more; all of which are handled by trained and certified experts who ensure world class standards.
