Hello and welcome to this happiness meditation.
Let's start by finding a comfortable,
Upright,
Sitting position.
One where you can keep your head slightly lifted,
Your shoulders rolled up back and down,
And being sure to have a surface beneath you that's supportive.
Also be sure you're in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed.
And then when you're ready,
Go ahead and gently close your eyes and resting your hands in your lap.
As you maintain this gentle awareness,
Begin by bringing your attention to your breath.
Notice the way the air flows in through the nose,
Travels down to the lungs,
And expands the belly.
Then feel it coming back out again through the mouth.
Feeling the sensation of breath coming and going.
Let's spend a few delicious,
Simple moments here observing this breath.
Now let's shift to take a couple of very deep,
Big,
Quality breaths.
Breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth.
See if you can relax your shoulders even deeper towards the ground,
Loosening the jaw,
Softening the space between the eyebrows.
And again,
Taking a big,
Deep breath in,
And releasing the breath out slowly and gently with steady control.
Not rushing to get anywhere.
Just being present with this breath,
With the body slowing down,
With this time to be patient with yourself.
Allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm now.
Simply observing as it flows naturally in and out of the body.
Feeling the breath move and allowing each breath to unfold by itself.
We're not trying to lengthen it or expand it or deepen it.
We just want to allow our body to breathe.
And as we sit here in silence,
If at any point you find your mind wandering,
Know that that's okay.
Just notice where your thoughts have strayed and gently return your attention to your breath.
Now shift your gentle awareness to your lips.
Relax your face completely and invite in a soft smile.
It doesn't have to be big.
Just get a sense that your lips are smiling.
Just notice how it feels to smile.
Tune into that smile and allow it to relax you completely,
Allowing the smile to bring you back into the present moment.
As you continue to rest with this gentle smile,
You may try thinking of something that brings you joy as a form of encouragement.
And as you smile,
Notice how the face and the breath continue to feel,
Tuning into any changes or any feelings that arise.
And take a moment to just appreciate how special this moment feels,
How easy it is to smile,
To even subtly feel these emotions of happiness.
Now let's take a moment to recall your intention for today's practice.
You came here to welcome happiness.
So notice if there's any negative thoughts or limiting beliefs that are getting in your way of achieving this happiness.
If you notice some,
You can work to release these thoughts out with the breath.
With that exhale,
Releasing any discomfort,
Stress,
Or worry that may be preventing you from experiencing this joy.
And now I want you to imagine a place where it naturally sparks joy within your heart.
So maybe this is a beach,
Botanical garden,
A body of water,
Or even your own home.
This is a special and calm place,
A place where you love to be.
Picture all the details that bring you joy in this place,
Visualizing the colors and textures and sounds,
All the things that bring you joy.
This is a place where you feel absolute serenity.
And as you begin to submerge yourself into this safe and peaceful place,
And as your mind and body begin to fall deeper and deeper in relaxation,
You find yourself and your inner landscape becoming very peaceful as well.
You can easily see yourself in this happy place,
Taking in all the senses around you,
Knowing how safe and protected you are.
This is a place where you can be free,
Where all your worries are left behind.
And as you rest in this happy,
Peaceful place,
I want you to affirm,
I choose happiness.
Just notice what happens in your body and mind when you say this phrase.
You may have some excitement rush in,
Or you may experience some doubts.
It's all okay.
Whatever happens,
Repeat these words.
I choose happiness.
And as we continue to affirm this,
We acknowledge that happiness is a choice.
And if at any time any doubtful thoughts arise,
We can repeat the statement.
I choose happiness.
And when these doubtful thoughts have subsided,
You can change your phrase to,
I am happy.
Notice if you feel a difference in saying these words,
And just really allow yourself to feel it.
Allow yourself to experience this happiness now.
Allow yourself to submerge in happiness.
You don't need a reason,
An object,
Or a person to make you feel happy.
Please know that you can feel happy anytime under any circumstance.
You control your happiness and enjoy it.
So feel free to continue to smile and feel this happiness well up inside of you.
As you repeat,
I am happy.
I'm going to allow you to stay here for just a few more moments in your happy place,
Repeating these words and turning these words into positive feelings.
We now bring this meditation to an end.
But before we do,
Take another deep breath in,
And release it all with a nice big sigh.
Allowing the smile to naturally fade,
Wiggling your fingers and toes and stretching your arms and legs in a way that feels really comfortable.
Begin to notice your surroundings with gentle awareness.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
Thank you so much for taking this time for this meditation.
I wish you all the happiness in the world.
See you next time.
