This is Alison with Mindful Pause Center,
And I'm so glad to bring you this practice today.
Okay,
So let's go ahead and go into practice.
You might think about whether.
.
.
For joy.
Seated is the posture.
I know it's the kind of one we go to.
But maybe lying down or even standing up in a kind of mountain pose would be a good one for joy.
So just choosing the posture and beginning to settle in.
Really settling into the body.
The weight of gravity.
Feeling the points of connection.
With our chair or cushion or bed or floor.
Bringing the felt sensation of the breath.
To the foreground.
Or perhaps if the sound serves you better,
You could be listening to sound.
Just using as light of a touch as you can.
Trusting the awareness.
On the inhalation and exhalation.
Or the way sound is filtering in.
And I invite you to bring a smile.
To your face.
Sometimes it helps.
You know,
To exaggerate it initially.
But it can be a soft.
Gentle smile.
Might notice that the corners of the eyes lift a little bit as you do that.
The cheeks might rise.
The corners of the mouth lift a little bit too.
I think it's Thich Nhat Hanh that was given credit for calling this smile yoga.
And if you think of it as a pose.
And just noticing like The posture of the smile actually does help.
Impact.
Physiology of the body itself.
Alerts the nervous system to be more relaxed.
It's not about putting a brave face on things.
It's actually just about softening.
Glowing.
Enjoying.
Bringing some ease.
I wanted to gladden the mind a little bit first with some gratitude.
Bringing a person,
A being.
Please.
And experience to mind for which you're grateful.
Can be Daily walk.
Can be a nine month old niece.
Be a family member or a mentor who's always there for you.
And as you bring this experience of gratitude into your mind and heart just thinking person.
Or the animal or the.
Place or the experience,
Thinking them in any way that makes sense to you.
And bringing to mind Someone else?
Somewhere else.
Or some other experience,
You're glad has happened.
Thanking this being.
In whatever way makes sense.
And one more time.
Can return to the first experience or person or bring to mind somebody new.
Glad they're in your life.
You're glad this experience happened.
In whatever way makes sense.
Offering thanks.
Taking a moment to notice the felt sensation of this gratitude in the body.
Not needing it to be any particular way,
Just being curious.
Noticing if it impacts the quality of your mind and heart at all.
And then moving to something that brings you joy.
And I'll be quiet for a moment so that you have a chance to.
Think through.
Something that brings you joy.
Maybe it's something we've already given thanks to.
It's something new.
When you've arrived.
At this activity.
Person.
Please.
Being.
That brings you joy.
Trying to make it as vivid as possible.
Some of us will be able to see this,
Hear this like a movie.
Or a photograph.
Others of us might need to.
Narrate it.
Speak to ourselves,
The qualities.
Way of bringing yourself into the presence of that joy.
And how is joy?
Showing up in the body.
Might look for a location.
Sensation.
Color.
If there is a place that it is in the body for you.
Seeing if you can expand that sensation.
Give it some space to take up more room.
Either in you or in the room around you.
Or even out into the world.
Give me this happiness,
This delight.
Let this joy be to the benefit of all beings.
What happens to the quality of joy as you share it?
Is it good?
Bigger or does it begin to contract?
Just being curious.
Now opening to very fact that in this moment you're here,
You're alive.
I invite you as you're able to see if you can.
Feel life as it moves through you.
Just aware of the breath sustaining you.
Completely involuntary.
Being aware of the blood pumping,
Flowing throughout the body.
Not needing to instruct the heart to pump.
Recognizing the senses and how they receive.
So many different qualities of life.
Touch.
Sound.
East.
Sight.
Smell.
The vividness of life through the senses.
Otherwise,
The body takes care of itself.
Where's the body?
Moves to heal and recover.
The ways the body brings delight in.
Just relaxing now.
And receiving.
This life as it moves through you.
You need to do.
Rest.
Peeling again.
The body.
Noticing now the points of contact once more.
Bringing sound back.
Into awareness.
Including the sound of the bell.
Taking your time.
As you're ready,
Opening your eyes.
And orienting again.
The room that you're in.
Thank you for your practice.
Did you feel supported by this practice?
Leave a short word or phrase in the comments to let me know.
I'd love to be connected.
Until next time,
Take good care.
