This is a brief guided meditation on cultivating joy.
I'm Leah Joy.
Welcome.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable seat or lying down.
Gently close your eyes.
Allow your hands to rest easily,
Maybe on your lap,
Palm up or palm down,
Whatever's comfortable,
Or by your side.
Let your body begin to settle.
Taking a deep breath in through the nose and a slow breath out through the mouth.
And again,
A deep breath in through the nose and a slow breath out through the mouth.
Allow yourself to arrive here just as you are.
Feel the weight of your body supported by the earth beneath you.
Notice any points of contact,
Your feet,
Your seat,
Your back.
Begin to scan your body slowly,
Starting at the top of your head,
Moving gently downward through your face,
Your cheeks,
Your chin,
Your neck and shoulders.
If you feel any tension,
Offer it an invitation to soften.
Let your breath move gently through those spaces.
Continuing the scan down your chest,
Your belly,
Your hips,
Legs,
And finally to your feet.
Now let your attention rest softly on the breath.
Not forcing it,
Not controlling it in any way,
Just noticing it.
The natural rise and fall,
The ebb and flow.
Now bring to mind a moment,
Big or small,
When you felt joy.
It might be recent,
Or from your childhood.
Maybe it was the sun on your face,
A shared laugh,
The sound of music.
Maybe it was the presence of someone you love.
Let that moment rise.
Let yourself remember.
Where were you?
What did it feel like in your body?
Pause here,
And let the memory of that joy expand.
Let it take up just a little more space.
Just noticing it.
The warmth,
The lightness,
The smile that may be forming in your face.
The joy that may be forming on your lips right now.
This joy is still available to you.
It lives within you.
It's not outside.
It's here,
Now.
And taking a slow,
Full breath in,
And a slow exhale out,
Let yourself receive this joy as naturally as you breathe.
Now I invite you to plant a seed.
A seed of joy.
Repeat quietly in your mind or out loud if it feels right to you.
Joy lives in me.
I welcome joy into this moment.
I give myself permission to feel joy.
Notice how those words land for you.
You don't have to earn joy.
You don't have to wait for it.
It's your birthright.
Let your breath be a soft wave flowing in and out.
Each breath,
An offering.
Each exhale,
A blessing.
A release of anything that stands in the way.
Begin to return now to the feeling of your body in the room.
To the sounds around you.
To this exact moment.
Take one more full breath in and sigh it out.
You've just given yourself the gift of joy.
And like any gift,
You can return to it anytime.
Again and again.
When you're ready,
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
Maybe roll your shoulders,
And when it feels right,
Open your eyes.
Come back to the day,
Bringing your joy with you.
Thank you for practicing with me.
