Intention Meditation: Why Do You Sit?

What is joyful effort? This meditation asks each of us to pause to examine why we're sitting today. What's in our hearts? In our minds? As we get grounded in the present moment, we are better able to discover our intention. Take a few moments to honor why we choose to meditate in community with one another and what it means to share this space with others. See what words arise as you consider your intention.

Transcript

So just finding a posture for you that is upright and also comfortable.

Connecting to the earth,

Whether it's just beneath your feet or many stories down.

Connecting with your own good heart.

The good heartedness that brought you to your practice today.

And connecting with this community of good hearted practitioners who've come together just for a few minutes,

Just to sit together.

Noticing that this quality of joyful effort,

It's already here because you're here.

You're practicing.

That's what brought you to this moment of practice.

Seeing if it's possible to touch into the gladness surrounding that energy that brought you to practice today.

If that's present and if not,

Maybe see if it wants to arrive is just by naming it.

Is there gladness just for being here?

And it's different from self-conquering.

Self-congratulation or any kind of conceit,

It's just,

Oh,

You take a few minutes and practice.

Practice with,

What,

Today 50 other people who are practicing.

And if that's true,

Then letting that gladness for that joyful energy,

Letting that energy itself increase.

Just right here,

Right now,

Letting it expand.

See if you can tap into the sensation of it in the body,

Just letting it suffuse your whole experience.

Support your awakeness right in this moment.

Thank you.

And then with that,

Becoming an expert in joyful energy or really even having to know too much about it,

But just the sensation of it.

See,

Is this portable?

What piece of this can I take into my day?

Or can I recall,

Recollect when the day gets difficult or when the day flows into the night?

Maybe like a little gift that you keep in your heart.

And you can give to yourself at any moment throughout the day.

Yeah,

If this is resonant for you,

Just try it.

See how it goes.