Joyful Living

There is a time and a reason for every emotion. This guided meditation is intended to help you to find the seat of your joy. Before we can truly live in joy, we need to release all fear, guilt, and anger. These emotions impede our ability to live our best lives and to become the best version of ourselves.

Music: Celestial Light, by South African Heste de Beer.

Transcript

There is a time and a reason for every emotion.

This guided meditation is intended to help you to find the seat of your joy.

Find a quiet space,

Get comfortable and enjoy.

Close your eyes now,

If you have not already done so.

And just settle in.

Make sure your fingers are relaxed.

Be aware that during this session the less you move,

The better.

So make sure that your body is totally comfortable.

Visualize yourself grounded to the earth.

In any way that pleases you.

Let's now take a few minutes to get your mind equally comfortable.

Because the amazing thing about your beautiful mind is that the more your body relaxes,

The more your mind can slow down and start to unwind.

And your thoughts begin to slow down until you can detach from them.

Just observing your thoughts,

Floating away without drawing any reaction from you.

Become aware of where you and your body are right now.

In this moment.

This space.

Accept this opportunity that you have given yourself with gratitude.

And give yourself permission to take time out and to relax.

With as much awareness as you can muster and through your nose,

Take in a very deep breath.

As deep as you can.

And then through your mouth release it fully and completely.

Really connect with the relief that your body now feels at having released so much internal pressure.

As you simply breathed out all the stress and tension.

Listen to your own breathing for a few moments.

Listen to your own breathing for a few moments without trying to change the way you breathe in any way.

Just let it continue in and out.

Focus on the gentle rhythm as you breathe.

Feel your lungs fill up.

And then just empty out again.

As they rhythmically continue to function.

Now move your awareness to your heartbeat.

Feel the beat of your heart.

Tune into its rhythm.

Feel how the rest of your body is affected by each beat.

Imagine your lifeblood pumping through your veins and arteries.

And if you are very still and continue to focus on the rhythmic beats.

You can start to feel the rhythm of your beating heart in every part of your body.

A gentle rhythmic beat.

Become aware that you can now also hear your heartbeat.

You can hear it in the silence of your body.

Notice the gentle pattern of pressure and release.

That you can feel ever so slightly in your limbs.

As you grow even quieter.

As long as your heart beats,

You will be alive.

And the more relaxed you are,

The longer your heart will continue beating.

Supporting your life.

Your essence.

Have you already decided to help your heart and your body?

By choosing to relax as much as is possible.

Each time you breathe out.

Imagine that you are able to breathe out all the stress and tension held within your body.

And when you breathe in,

Imagine being able to breathe in life itself.

Just allow your breathing to continue.

Rhythmically.

Naturally.

Breathing out all things that no longer serve you.

All that is not needed.

Bring your focus to the top of your head.

And allow the muscles in your scalp to relax.

Feel the sense of ease that immediately sets in.

The act of relaxing your scalp makes the muscles in your temples relax.

Your forehead soon follows suit.

Easily smoothing out.

Relaxing your brow.

Relaxing your brow.

And inevitably,

That sense of ease floats down into your cheekbones.

Spreading into your cheeks,

Even circling around your eyes.

As you allow the muscles around your eyes to completely relax.

So much stress hides away in those hard-working muscles around your eyes.

So just let go.

And as you do,

Notice that your eyelids are now gently resting on your eyes.

Allow that wonderful feeling of ease and comfort and relaxation to spread out to every part of your body.

From the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

The moment you focus on an area of your body,

It relaxes.

The moment you focus on an area of your body,

It relaxes.

Almost automatically.

Choosing to relax.

And to let go.

I do not know if that sense of ease has already started to trickle down into your neck.

Stepping down your spine.

Down each of your vertebrae,

One at a time.

All the way down.

Perhaps those long muscles on either side of your spine are surrendering to a deep sense of comfort.

As the ease of it all moves through your shoulders.

And you begin to drift and float into a deeper and deeper level of total ease.

Could it be that by now this feeling is inevitably spreading down?

All the way down.

As you continue to allow all stress and tension to be released with each breath.

Just drifting now.

Now turn your awareness to your heart.

Reconnect with that rhythmic beat.

And know that you are alive.

In each moment of life you either live in joy or you live in discomfort.

Those are the options.

What will you choose now?

Is your soul whispering that the only choice is joy?

So just choose.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

What if you promise yourself that each day from now on you will keep choosing joy?

Every day.

Every day.

No matter what discomfort tries to push its way into your awareness.

What could life bring you if you keep choosing to feel joy?

Until joyful living is your way of life.

Know that each time you choose joy it rushes toward you ever closer.

As you now choose to be joyful you are embarking on a great journey.

And my voice will be your guide.

On this journey all you need to take along is your heart.

Engaging your imagination.

Let it bring you to a staircase with ten steps leading down to the edge of a beautiful placid lake.

Accept any image your mind may create for you.

And see yourself standing at the top of those stairs at the edge of the lake's calm waters.

In a moment I will begin to count.

And as I count down each number take a step down the stairs on each count.

Down to the edge of that placid serene lake.

Where a large boat is waiting to take you safely across those tranquil waters.

To a place of joy.

Where all your dreams are real.

One.

As you take that first step down you can already see the surface of the lake.

As calm and smooth as a mirror.

Two.

One more step down.

Feeling a sense of excitement growing inside you.

Three.

As you float down.

Deeper and deeper down.

Four.

Your feet easily finding the steps beneath your feet as you move down.

Five.

Feel yourself drifting down towards a place of complete safety.

So tranquil.

Six.

Deeper and deeper.

Seven.

Seven.

More and more relaxed,

Calm and at peace.

Eight.

Drifting,

Floating.

So relaxed.

So calm.

Nine.

And ten.

As you step off the last step and onto an easily accessible jetty.

The boat that will take you on your journey is ready and waiting.

Step into its safety.

How long will it be before you sense that this is a journey to joy?

Will you sit down on soft cushions that have been placed in this boat?

Allowing the comfort and softness to enfold you.

What part of you is it that knows that today,

On this journey,

You will find and connect with joy?

As the boat begins to slide over the smooth surface of the lake,

Causing ripples to spread out far and wide.

You know that the boat will keep you safe as you float away towards your joyful destiny.

Perhaps you are already allowing it to be easy,

As you notice that three beautifully woven baskets have been placed in the boat.

Each with a lid.

Each one bearing a label.

The first basket carries the label fear.

And opening it reveals just emptiness.

Can the fear that you carry in the hidden corners of your heart fit into that space?

Can the fear that you carry in the hidden corners of your heart fit into that space?

Or are you already free of all fear that inhibits feelings of joy?

Visualize the last of your fears floating out of your heart and into the basket.

Closing the lid.

Feeling relieved and so much lighter.

The second basket's label reads guilt.

And inside,

Nothing but space.

Space to put away all burdens of guilt carried for too long.

But no more.

How long till all the guilt fills up the space in the basket?

Are you letting it happen?

Or letting go with ease?

There is one more empty basket,

Carrying the label anger.

In this moment,

Turn in.

Remember your anger.

Anger at others.

At yourself.

Even anger that has no name.

No source.

No reason.

Is this the last barrier between yourself and a joyful life?

Have you easily released the anger in your heart into the waiting basket?

Or did it for you just happen as you felt your vibration lift?

Strength and vitality returning to your body.

The boat is now approaching land in the distance.

And before your eyes unfolds a beautiful scene.

Recognize this scene as the most joyful place you can imagine.

And the closer the boat gets to the land,

The more excited you feel.

There is joy in your heart as you take in the scene in front of you.

Seeing all the things that bring you joy.

Letting your mind take you there.

It knows.

Let the boat approach safely and step into your most joyous and beautiful dream.

You know you are now free to live your life.

Live in joy.

Can you feel your heart joyfully beating?

Or is it simply a natural state of being for you now?

You may know that when you were created,

You were given imagination.

Just as you were given intelligence.

Your imagination is one of the most powerful creative tools you possess.

Because what you can dream,

You can become.

And so what you dream with a joyful,

Grateful heart will come to you.

I am going to leave you here in this most joyful place.

Feel and connect with the pure joy that living your beautiful dream brings you.

Hold nothing back as you explore your ability to feel joy.

This is a sacred space.

Your creative space.

Your dream.

Trust the images your imagination brings you.

And allow it to show you the magnificence of your joyful self.

Until my voice calls you back.

As you stay deeply relaxed.

You can slowly start preparing to make your way back to the here and now.

Becoming aware of the sound of my voice.

Know that the joy and peace and tranquility you've experienced today will remain with you.

Ready to float up any time you need to re-experience it.

No need to reconnect with it.

And the more you take time out to relax and become still.

Increasingly connecting with the joy you are capable of feeling in your inner being.

The more you will be able to experience that joy in the outer world.

Until it is part of who you are.

And joyful living,

No matter what your challenges or circumstances,

Is your way of life.

You may know that creative energy follows thought.

Your dreams can come true.

Living in joy is perfectly possible.

And it begins with a daily choice to be joyful,

No matter what.

This knowledge will float up whenever necessary.

Reminding you to choose to live your life in joy,

Always.

Slowly call back all parts of your being.

Letting your energy slowly return to you.

Allowing your consciousness to settle back into your body.

Your present space.

Safe.

Grounded.

At peace.

And when you are ready,

Allow your eyes to open.

Reflecting the light of joy.