Joy.
Start by taking a moment to settle and relax before you begin.
Find a comfortable sitting position and listen to what the body needs,
Shifting position to be comfortable and balanced if necessary.
Begin by bringing attention to the body in relation to the space it's in,
Sensing the room and any objects around you.
Shift the attention to the entire body as it sits here.
Move the attention to the breathing process in the whole body,
Breathing naturally and leaving the breath to find its own rhythm.
Come back to the sensation of the entire body.
Bring to mind your reasons for doing this exploration on joy.
What's motivating and inspiring you to engage with this process of inner development?
And finally,
Wish yourself success in this process.
This exploration is designed to help you develop a felt sense of joy,
This strongly felt non-biased and impartial joy in yourself and others having,
Developing and bringing to life positive qualities and in others genuine happiness at this.
It will also encourage you to question your life and open up to possibilities of change and fulfilment,
Helping you build a picture of what your potential might be,
What may be helping you develop your potential and what may be limiting you at the moment.
Equanimity towards all beings explores the notion that people seek happiness and all living beings without exception seek satisfaction and long-term well-being and seek to avoid pain,
Dissatisfaction and suffering and that we are all the same in that fundamentally.
Joy is a natural human quality that recognises good things can and do happen to ourselves and others.
It is a deeply felt and expansive elation which derives from meaningful sources such as developing good qualities,
Well-being and meaningful success as well as others joy in these things.
It resonates on an emotional level and is based on our natural sense of warmth and closeness towards others and our shared capacity for joy.
Joy builds your inner resources and grows your capacity to consistently experience joy and is based on being able to generate joyful states in yourself.
It helps you manage dissatisfaction and suffering as joy is elevating,
Uplifting and gladdens the heart,
Countering suffering and all disturbing attitudes that keep others at a distance.
The key part of joy is inner development but that also leads to enactment in the world bringing to life the joy that you have developed and it's possible to develop joy to a high degree.
Take a moment to think of something about yourself or about someone else that you feel joyful about.
This could be having and developing a positive personal quality,
Your well-being or theirs or an activity or success that has real value or meaning for you.
It could also be the joy the other person has experienced around any of these.
Think about why you believe this is something to feel joy about.
Now simply take a moment to experience that joy.
Have a good time 175ooo Thank you.
Now,
Take a moment to notice how you feel in your body whilst experiencing that joy.
Where can you feel that in your body,
Even slightly?
And once you've identified it,
However small,
Relax into that feeling,
Deepening into it.
Let's take a moment to notice how you feel in your body whilst experiencing that joy.
Now,
Try to expand this felt sense,
Even from a small base and broaden it out in all directions gradually,
In front,
Behind,
To the sides,
Above and below.
You might like to use a metaphor to help you do this.
It might be like turning up the volume of music,
Or like the ripples after a stone is thrown into water,
Or having a light inside that emanates out,
Expanding in all directions like the warmth and light of a candle.
As you rest in this expanded feeling,
Imagine different groups in those directions and include them in this felt sense of joy towards all living beings.
For example,
Teachers,
Birds,
Journalists or doctors.
And finally,
Letting go of this on an out-breath.
So,
How was that exploration for you?
Did you manage to generate a felt sense of joy?
Did you manage to allow the felt sense of joy to spread?
Do you think you might be able to generate this feeling in everyday life?
And if so,
How?
And finally,
How do you think this will help you and others in daily life?
And remember,
We are using the image of the spiral to show how certain personal qualities build on and reinforce each other in an upward spiral towards positive potential,
A positive reinforcement spiral.
Likewise,
Certain personal qualities also build on and reinforce each other in a downward spiral,
A negative reinforcement spiral.
So using your learning from the previous exploration on joy,
Simply note whether this may be helping you develop towards the top of the spiral or if it may be limiting you towards the bottom.
Finally,
Taking a moment to reconnect with your posture,
Rebalancing,
Relaxing and gently releasing any tension if necessary.
Becoming aware of the body breathing.
Using a moment to recall your motivation for doing this exploration.
Keeping to mind what you have experienced and learned in this exploration.
Have you discovered anything about yourself?
And have you begun to cultivate any helpful qualities or overcome or let go of any unhelpful qualities?
How might this process be beneficial and meaningful and contribute to the welfare and well-being of yourself and others,
Your family,
Friends and those close to you,
Those who inspire and nurture your positive development,
And all living beings and the environment they rely on?
And as this exploration ends,
Try to carry this with you wherever you go,
By recollecting it occasionally.
