Room for Improvement is a weekly column written by freelance writer Sara Groves about her yearlong quest to improve her physical, mental and financial health.

According to a little old Tibetan man named Tenzin Gyatso, who also happens to go by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the 14th manifestation of the Buddha of Compassion, Nobel Peace Prize winner and the exiled leader of Tibet, the pursuit of happiness is the purpose of life — all life — and the “very motion of our life is toward happiness.”

And indeed, there is probably no other human being that has pushed the concept of happiness, along with the idea that we all have the ability to be happy, more than the Dalai Lama.

He has written, along with a leading psychologist, a bestselling book called “The Art of Happiness.” He regularly tours the Western world espousing happiness to stadium-sized crowds. And, most interestingly (at least to me), he has encouraged neuroscientists around the world to conduct scientific studies on Buddhist monks to figure out what, exactly, is the key to happiness.

Thanks to something called a functional medical resonance imaging (fMRI) machine, which is a sort of Hubble telescope for the brain, scientists now know that the prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that is responsible for positive emotions and traits like optimism and resilience. And when scientists conducted fMRI tests on Buddhist monks, they found that their prefrontal cortexes lit up like Times Square, demonstrating positive mental attitude like nothing ever seen before.

So what is it about Buddhist monks that makes them so darn happy? Scientists have postulated that meditation is key to the monks’ mental health. But can just sitting on a meditation pillow for hours at a time turn you into a sunnier, happier, more positive person?

There’s actually more to it than that. In fact, researchers at the University of Wisconsin have focused recent studies on Buddhist monks who practice a specific type of meditation — compassion meditation. So far, the studies indicate the brains of monks on compassion meditation show dramatic change in two different areas: the prefrontal cortex, which indicates they are happy and well, and the areas of the brain involved with motor planning. This means that monks not only feel good, but they are significantly more inclined than others to “do” good — and when people do good, they tend to feel good — resulting in a not-at-all-vicious circle.

I decided to give it a try for myself. My life — with a recent breast cancer scare, a seemingly never-ending search for a new house while attempting to sell my current house and all of the regular stress with small children, work, deadlines, and lots of out-of-town guests — has been tumultuous at best lately.

And I haven’t been handling it well. I’ve been grumpier than normal. I’m having problems sleeping and I’ve been spending a lot of time hanging out in front of my refrigerator self-medicating with food. And wine. Worst of all, I’ve been feeling a little bit sorry for myself, a little woe is me.

This is not only pathetic — because I have a lot to be happy about — it’s also making me miserable. So if meditating monks who focus on compassion are happy, then lead me to the meditation pillow. But since I already meditate on a fairly regular basis, I decided to step it up a notch or two.

My regular meditation is generally just a focus on my breath and a practice of being present in the moment, the here and now. To mix it up a little bit, I decided to direct my attention to compassion.

Now first and foremost, I should tell you that I’m not a practicing Buddhist. My knowledge of Buddhism is based on a few classes I took as an undergrad, some books I’ve gotten from the library and the Internet. I should also tell you that I’m not exactly an Olympic athlete when it comes to meditating. My mind wanders; I have a hard time sitting still.

Having said that, I decided to use a generic “compassion meditation” I found on the Internet. So I began. Every morning for 20 minutes, I sat outside on my deck and sent positive thoughts to people I know, to myself, to people I see occasionally, to people I find difficult and to people everywhere around the world.

Admittedly, it sounds a little wacky. Is it actually possible to make yourself happier just by thinking of the checker at Van’s and offering them the phrases of compassion: “May you be free of pain and sorrow,” “May you be well and happy”?

But here’s the thing: it worked. After about two weeks of compassion meditation, I noticed a shift in my mood. I stopped feeling sorry for myself. Instead of feeling envious of others whose lives were going well, I felt happy for them. A stranger even stopped me on the street and told me that I radiate well-being to which I replied, “I DO radiate well-being! For 20 minutes every single morning!”

I don’t know if the compassion meditation was what shifted my mood or if it was a little bit of everything. But perhaps, by focusing on other people’s suffering and not just my own, I was able to open my heart a little wider and let the sun shine and happiness back in.

Compassion meditation

Compassion meditation involves silently repeating certain phrases that express the intention to move from judgment to caring, from isolation to connection, from indifference or dislike to understanding. You don’t have to force a particular feeling or get rid of unpleasant or undesirable reactions; the power of the practice is in the wholehearted gathering of attention and energy, and concentrating on each phrase. You can begin with a 20-minute session and increase the time gradually until you are meditating for half an hour at a time. If your mind wanders, don’t be concerned. Notice whatever has captured your attention, let go of the thought or feeling, and simply return to the phrases. If you have to do that over and over again, it is fine.

- To begin, take a comfortable position. You may want to sit in a chair or on cushions on the floor (just make sure your back is erect without being strained or overarched). You can also lie down. Take a few deep, soft breaths to let your body settle.

- While closing your eyes or leaving them slightly open, start by thinking of someone you care about already — perhaps she’s been good or inspiring to you. You can visualize this person or say her name to yourself, get a feeling for her presence, and silently offer phrases of compassion to her. The typical phrases are: “May you be free of pain and sorrow. May you be well and happy.” But you can alter these, or use others that have personal significance.

- After a few minutes, shift your attention inward and offer the phrases of compassion to yourself: “May I be free of pain and sorrow. May I be well and happy.”

- Then, after some time, move on to someone you find difficult. Get a feeling for the person’s presence, and offer the phrases of compassion to her.

- Then turn to someone you’ve barely met — the supermarket checkout woman or UPS man. Even without knowing his or her name, you can get a sense of the person, perhaps an image, and offer the phrases of compassion.

- We close with the offering of compassion to people everywhere, to all forms of life, without limit, without exception: “May all beings be free of pain and sorrow. May all be well and happy.”