Sit comfortably and allow yourself to settle in as we begin this meditation on joy.
Please begin by closing your eyes if that feels good or allowing them to softly gaze just gently on no particular object in front of you.
Start to notice the connection between your breath and your body.
As you breathe gently in and out,
Allow yourself to settle in further in your body.
Notice a rooting down like the kind of energy that you give and receive from the earth itself.
Feel the connection to the support underneath you that helps you feel tall,
Awake and alive as you walk through your days.
Remain connected to your body and your breath,
How it moves in and out so naturally.
It's as though the body seemingly breathes itself.
Notice into the wonder of the rise and fall of your chest,
The continual movement of breath.
And now soften into a deep feeling of gratitude for the body itself and your breath.
Just notice as your heart opens,
As you feel greater and greater gratitude for the miracle that is your body and your breath.
Notice how your body allows you to connect to the world around you.
And start to feel the gratitude as you delve deeper into this present moment awareness.
Allow your heart to feel open to this miracle of this moment as you simply breathe in and out with this body that is your beautiful body in this present moment.
Feel your body softening as you open up to the awareness of the miracle of your body.
Feel all the tension release from your head and your shoulders,
Your belly and your thighs and all the way around your face as you start to notice a small smile creep up.
Just notice the corners of your mouth turning up ever so slightly.
And see how your body reacts to the subtle smile.
And then turn towards that sensation.
Take a few breaths as you notice how your body responds to the sensation of a slight smile on your face.
Now label that sensation as happiness,
Bliss or joy.
And sit with that.
Hold your inner subtle smile and explore and notice what arises as you label the feelings in your body as happiness,
Bliss or joy as they respond to an inner smile.
Take a moment to notice that inner smile and the response of joy in your body.
Notice too that this sensation of joy is available to you right here and right now.
You don't need to do anything extraordinary.
You just simply sit,
Watch and notice.
Right here and right now,
The more you can be present,
The more you can free yourself from thinking about what comes next,
The more you can free yourself from ruminating on what has already happened,
The more you are available to notice this joy.
Joy doesn't arise.
Joy is revealed and it's always available to you and it can come out of nowhere like just this moment.
So let yourself amplify this feeling of joy.
Let it tingle in all of your cells and your DNA and arrest your whole body in this state of joy.
You may even identify this as bliss and this is who you truly are.
Take a few deep breaths as you step into yourself as joy.
This happiness,
This joy,
This bliss is what remains when you drop all of your thinking and doing.
That's what remains when you're nowhere other than the present moment right here.
This joy is you.
It is your natural state.
Now recall this sensation and remember that this is joy as you available at any time.
Any time you'd like to come back to this feeling,
All you need to do is stop what you're doing.
Allow a small smile to turn up at the corners of your mouth and notice this inner smile.
So right here,
Acknowledge the ease,
The spaciousness,
Acknowledge your gratitude and awe.
Acknowledge your inner smile and the sensation of joy.
And make a promise to remember joy and to turn towards joy and to notice that this is who you truly are.
You are joy.
You are bliss.
You are joy.
You are bliss.
You are joy.
You are bliss.
