Lake — Returning To Joy

Lake is the Tao energy of joy, expression, and creativity.
In this guided meditation, originally recorded LIVE on Insight Timer, Dr. Debra Ford invites you to reconnect with the simple pleasures that can so easily disappear beneath the busyness of everyday life.
Through breath, gentle movement, and reflection, you’ll explore what brings you alive, what wants to move through you, and what small joy may already be present.
There is nothing to manufacture and no need to force positivity. Lake simply invites openness - to pleasure, expression, creativity, and possibility.
A light, uplifting meditation for making more room for joy in everyday life.

Transcript

So today's meditation, Returning to joy, Is about lay. I'm ready friends, Are you? Yeah. Let's do this. Let's get ready in our position. Let's close our eyes. Just make sure that your eyelids are gently resting. I'll bring you to the meditative position as we move along. So, Welcome. Welcome everyone. I'm just so glad that you're here. Today we continue our journey through the natural energies of the dawn. We began with fire and that was courage and clarity. Illumination. We moved on to earth energy and that was nourishment and self-love and belonging. Perhaps a bit of self-aware. Today. We come to Lake Energy. Beautiful. Optimistic Lake Energy. Is the energy of joy, Of expression. Of creativity. You know, There's something wonderfully open about late. It reflects the light and. . . It responds to movement, It responds to the environment. It also reminds us that joy doesn't always arrive through something extraordinary, No. Very often, It's already present in the small moments. It's simply waiting. To be noticed. And today, Friends, Rather than searching for joy, We're gonna make a little bit more room. For it at this moment in our time together, Just make yourself a bit more comfortable. Check in with those lovely relaxed eyelids. Make sure they're not tight. If you are seated, Place both feet comfortably on the floor. Your hands resting gently. On your time. If you're lying down, Let your legs settle naturally and allow your hands to rest gently by your side. Just. There is nowhere else that you need to be for these next few minutes. Nothing you need to hold, Nothing you need to achieve. If perhaps you find your thoughts wandering, That's okay to say. Come back to me. I'm here. Eyelids are gently resting. You've made sure they're not squeezed shut. The muscles around your eyes are softening, Forehead. It's becoming quiet and relaxed. Imagine that relaxation spreading gently over your scalp. Crown of your head down the back. Of your head. Let your jaw soften. Relax. Goodbye. Can feel your shoulders dropping away from your ears. And friend, Let's do some slow and comfortable breaths in and out. Just at your own pace, Two or three. Lovely, Lovely breath. Allow yourself to become aware of the support beneath you, The floor. Beneath your feet or the surface. Beneath your body. And you are supported friends. And you are here. And we are here. And for these next. . . Few minutes. We will simply be present. I invite you to imagine yourself beside her quietly. It's early. In the morning. The water, It stretches out in front of you. It's calm. Open its reflector. You can see the soft colors of the sky in the water. Beautiful, Right? Perhaps the first light of the morning touches the surface and Perhaps there are gentle ripples, Just. . . Moving across the lane. Perhaps you can hear birds in the distance. Listen quietly. Nothing dramatic is happening. Yet the whole scene. Feels alive. And late. It receives the light. It reflects what is around it. It responds to movement. It doesn't cling, It doesn't hold everything still. It's sympathy. Remains open. And as you imagine the lake. . . Notice where there's something in you begins to soften too. Perhaps by this time your breathing has become easier. Your face. Has softened. Perhaps. There's a sense of peace, Or a sense of. . . Of space. Excuse me? Reminds us that openness can create room. For joy. Openness creates a room. For joy. Now, Without forcing anything, Just allow the coolness of your mouth. Just slightly. Not a big smile. A suggestion of a smile. Notice what happens in your face. Around your eyes. Across your teeth. Just a suggestion of a smile. Now take a slow breath in. And as you breathe out, Allow that smile. Soft and gently. Just a tiny smile. And a release. Now there's no need to manufacture happiness, No need to pretend. Is simply a small physical invitation. Tiny little openings. Sometimes the body can remind the mind of something that it has forgotten. And openness to joy. And now friend, Allow a simple memory of pleasure to come to you. Not a major life event and not the happiest day of your life. Something small. Perhaps it's the taste of something you love. The feel of warm sun on your skin. Perhaps a familiar song or the sound of someone laughing. Maybe it's your pet. Greeting you. How about a clean sheet of salt? Kappa's team! Favorite tale. Smell the free. The small magnets of joy. Whatever can. Is enough. Damages. What happens when you remember that moment? Does your breathing change? Does your chest feel different? That's your face. Softening. You know joy, It often arrives quietly because It is quiet and we can miss it. So for these next few moments, Just let yourself receive. The membrane or Some memories. . . Not analysis. No need to turn it into gratitude. There's no lesson. Just a quiet receiving. Just a quiet joy. It's simple. It's human. It is. Alive. If you're seated, I invite you to turn your palms gently upward. On your thighs and if you're lying down. Simply let your hands naturally open beside you. Feel the difference between the closed hand. And the open hand, You know? There's something that an open hand says. Bye I am available. I am. Available to receive. Available to express. Available. To respond. I am. Available. I invite you to take another lovely slow breath in. And as we breathe out, Return to your lay. Imagine. The surface of the lathe opening wider. Beneath the sky. No efforts. No pushing, Just. . . And perhaps you can quietly ask, What brings me alive? Not what should bring you alive, Not what used to bring you alive, But what brings me alive now. Let whatever comes. Just be simple. Quiet joy. You know, Friends, Lake is not only about joy. This beautiful energy is also about expression. Joy that never moves can become very small in expression. It gives it some way to go. To take a lovely, Lovely deep breath in. And as you breathe out, Let there be a soft sigh. Perhaps an audible hint. And let's do that one more time, Friend, Just at your own pace. Love he breathed in. Beautiful sigh as you let it go. Just nothing dramatic, Just softness. Just breath. Releasing. Timing the sound. One more time. Breathing in. And breathing out with gentle sounds. Gentle expressions. No, It's interesting. What did you notice? What it should feel like for breath. To have sound. You know, Expression, It doesn't always mean speaking loudly. Sometimes it's simply allowing something inside of us to move. Help me. Allowing your joy to express. Perhaps a word? Perhaps a laugh, Perhaps a song. An idea. A gesture, Creativity. Maybe a truth. Gentle expression of joy. It happens. There is something within you that would like a little more room. To be expressed. Passion of joy. Now friend, Come back to your lay, Your own. Beautiful still me. Notice how it reflects everything around you, The sky. Freeze the light. The movement And Lake, It doesn't create by forcing, No. It creates by responding, By reflecting. By allowing movement. In creativity, It can be like that too. It doesn't always begin with a plan, Does it? Sometimes it begins with curiosity. With play. With notice. So quietly ask yourself. What wants to move? Telling me. Hot ones to me. Through the boobie. Perhaps it's an idea. Perhaps a conversation, Perhaps something you want to make. Perhaps something you need to say. Perhaps a different way of moving through your day. What? Wants to move. Through me. You don't need to know what you will do with it. But we're just noticing. Possibility, Friend. And now, Let's carry Lake Energy gently into the time ahead. Our intention is. . . Today, I make room. For chill. Sweet daddy. I make room. For Johnny. And let's breathe with that intention. Breathing in. State eye open to joy. And breathing out state, I let life move. Through me. I get it. Breathe in. . . And I open. To join. I breathe out. And I'll let. Life. Screw me. And one more time friend, Just on your own. Alright, Bye. Now allow the image of your lake softened. You don't need to hold the picture, Just keep the feeling. Of openness. Of receiving. Become aware again of the support beneath you. Notice your hands. Notice your breathing. Notice your feet. And perhaps allow that quiet smile to play on your lips. To return. For just a moment. Nothing dramatic. A quiet dream. Notice once more your quiet forehead, Your relaxed scalp. The softness. Around your eyes, So gently, Gently resting. Gently move your fingers and perhaps your shoulders just a little bit. When you're ready, Friend. I invite you to open your eyes. To feel the connection between yourselves. And lake energy. The quiet expression, The joy. An hour late. It reminds us that joy does not have to be chased. Sometimes it appears when we open ourselves. To notice. So sometime today. Perhaps ask yourself, What joy! Is already here. For when you find it. Let yourself enjoy it. And friends, We are complete. And all is well. I like to rub my hands together at the end of meditation. Activate the energy on the palms of your hands.