Today I would like to share a practice in meditation with you about joy.
I'd like to start with a quote by Marianne Williamson.
Joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.
And this came to my heart as a topic that I wanted to share and one that I have meditated much on for myself.
I did a little research and wanted to know the difference between joy and happiness.
Brene Brown defines it in this way.
In her research,
Joy is an intense feeling of deep spiritual connection,
Pleasure,
And appreciation.
As contrasted with happiness,
Her data suggests that this is defined as a feeling of pleasure often related to an immediate environmental or current circumstance.
I think this is best illustrated by sharing a personal story from my own life.
You see,
Every day I spend time in nature one way or the other,
Depending on the season and the weather.
But I can say with certainty that every day I walk my dogs.
So even in that short amount of time,
I have had overwhelming experiences and sensations of joy.
As I walk along listening to my music,
Dancing in the woods and singing at the top of my lungs,
There have been a few times I have been hit with chills and this overwhelming over-body experience of pure joy,
Where immediately a smile forms on my face and I feel so full that nothing is better than this moment right now.
I am literally dancing for joy,
And I have recognized how great my life is.
I like to use this example to illustrate joy,
Because there is no reason in that moment,
Even though I search my brain for one,
I come up with nothing.
No particular event,
Nothing coming up,
Nothing that is past,
That is eliciting that feeling,
Which is very different from happiness.
Because remember,
According to Brene Brown,
When you are happy,
You can trace that emotion back to a particular event or happening.
More specifically,
Happiness for me can come when I receive a compliment from someone,
Or a person extends a kind gesture,
Or maybe I have received some good news,
And I can feel the happiness in my heart space.
But the lines get blurred,
And rightfully so,
Because the feelings can feel the same in the moment,
Until you take the time to actually be with them.
Can you recall a happy moment based on a certain circumstance,
And a joyful moment,
Which remembers that intense feeling of deep connection and pleasure or appreciation,
For no particular reason?
I think it's helpful and important for us to know the distinction,
Because although they can go hand in hand,
Some of us never experience pure joy,
Because we are not aware of this difference or distinction.
But learning about joy and cultivating a practice around it,
Much like a gratitude practice,
Is a way to support us on our journey.
Joy is not just for certain people,
It is for all of us.
When I learned this,
I was amazed at all the happy moments of my life that were not actually joyful.
They felt fleeting,
And they never lasted long,
And kept me searching for them.
Where once I was able to embrace joy,
I found it to be more sustaining.
It helps me to cultivate perseverance and awareness that I can use throughout my daily life.
It has helped me to face fears and accept challenges,
Knowing that there is joy out there,
Just because I can choose it,
In any circumstance.
The practice I want to share with you today is a way to help you do just that.
Joy is a part of you,
Just like love.
You just need a space to access it.
I'm going to guide you through a mantra meditation practice today.
So as we begin,
I'm going to invite you to get comfortable in your seat.
Allow yourself to relax deeply into your space.
Imagine yourself melting into the support or the surface that you are connected to.
Letting go of any tension in the body,
And noticing the sensations as your body releases them.
Softening through the top of your head,
Down through your shoulders,
Into your belly and your hips,
Down through your legs,
All the way to your toes.
Next,
We'll observe our breath,
Feeling it as it moves in and out of the heart space.
Next,
We'll take a deep,
Full breath in,
And a long,
Relaxing breath out.
Feeling softer and lighter.
Allow each exhale to bring you closer to the surface that you are upon,
Letting go a little more each time.
Take another deep breath in,
And a long breath out.
And now I'll invite you to bring into your mind something or someone that brings you joy.
You can recall the place,
The activity,
And all the details.
And notice,
Does it bring a smile to your face,
Chills to your body,
Or a sensation in your heart space?
Is this a familiar feeling?
Give yourself a moment to visualize all the details.
Notice the colors that you see,
Or the textures.
Maybe there are some sounds.
Maybe there's even some smells.
As you continue to really allow yourself to drop into the emotions and the sensations of your experience,
You might be able to notice the difference between happiness and joy.
The circumstance or the event that creates the happiness.
Go a little bit deeper into the joy.
Checking in with your mind and your body.
Sensations that you are feeling.
And allow yourself to lean into this.
Just sink right into it and absorb it all in.
And softly in your mind,
Repeat this mantra.
Joy is the essence of my being.
Joy is the essence of my being.
Joy is the essence of my being.
Continue to repeat that quietly to yourself.
Fully experiencing the feeling and the emotion of joy as it is arising in you.
Stay with your mantra.
Joy is the essence of my being.
Joy is the essence of my being.
Joy is the essence of my being.
If your mind starts to wander or drifts away,
That's okay.
Just gently come back to your mantra.
Joy is the essence of my being.
Joy is the essence of my being.
Joy is the essence of my being.
Noticing and observing the feelings and allowing them to expand beyond your heart space.
Into your whole body like a beautiful white light is filling you up.
And shining so brightly.
Take a deep breath in.
And a long breath out.
Sealing that emotion and joyful experience into your being.
Breathing in deeply and softly releasing.
Remember the goal of a joyful meditation practice is not to force yourself to feel happy.
But rather to create an environment in which happiness and joy can naturally arise.
In practicing in this way,
You may find that you are better able to access positive emotions and carry them with you throughout your day.
And even through challenging and struggling times.
As always,
My favorite part of the practice is to maybe take a moment or two.
And journal or write about your experience.
And integrating in this way helps us to embody it even deeply into our being.
Let's take one last full breath in together.
And when you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes.
Coming back into the space.
I hope that you were able to find a little bit of a sense in the difference between happiness and joy.
And it is possible for you to choose joy.
Safely in a space like this to begin to help you cultivate.
A greater sense of joy when you're out in the world.
I'd like to end our practice today with a quote from the Buddha.
We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
We make our world.
I thank you so much for practicing with me today.
And I hope this meditation made your day a little bit brighter.
And maybe even brought a little more joy into your world.
Have a beautiful day.
