This is a beautiful meditation on joy.
This beautiful quality that resides within us at all times.
If only we become still enough to feel its presence.
So find a comfortable seat somewhere that you won't be disturbed.
And settle in.
Make any movements you need in the body to find comfort through your seat,
Through your spine.
And then take three full deep breaths to settle in.
With each exhale you take,
Allow the body to soften.
Becoming fully present and aware.
And take a final full deep breath here.
Now bring your awareness to your mind,
To the centre of your head.
And bring to mind the word joy.
How does it look in your mind's eye?
What kind of font does it present itself in?
Is it capitalised or not?
What colour is joy?
Perhaps it's more than one colour for you.
Just noticing.
Notice any thoughts that come to mind as you begin to focus your awareness from your mind on joy.
Now let's fill our minds with joy.
As you inhale,
Breathe in joy into the mind.
As you exhale,
See joy radiate out in all directions in the centre of your head.
You might see it in the beautiful colour or colours you know that represent joy for you.
You might even see hundreds of words saying joy.
Breathing in joy to the centre of your mind.
And breathing out joy.
Filling your mind,
Filling your thoughts with joy.
You might even notice that your face begins to soften as you contemplate joy,
Filling your mind.
A few more rounds of breath here,
Saturating your mind with joy.
Take a final breath here,
Filling your mind,
Your thoughts,
Your perceptions with joy.
Now bring your mind to your heart.
You might even bring one hand to your heart to draw your focus here.
And now tapping into the feeling of joy.
How does it feel to be joyful?
How does it feel to be around others who are joyful?
Tapping into this feeling in the heart space of joy.
Breathing joy into the heart space.
And breathing out,
Feeling joy moving throughout the heart space.
Radiating in all directions from the heart.
So breathe joy into the heart space.
You could use the colours of joy here.
The word joy and how it looks.
Taking a little more time here as you saturate your heart space with the feeling of joy.
Taking a few more rounds of breath here.
Feeling into joy.
This beautiful quality of your soul ever present,
Ever present.
Take a final breath here.
With your hand or hands right your heart space and just let them fall away resting comfortably in your lap or on your knees.
Now we'll bring our awareness to the entire body,
Your physical body.
Saturating your body with joy.
You might even sway a little here,
Bring a little movement to the body.
As you breathe in,
Filling the body with joy.
Breathing out,
Joy coursing through all of your body.
Through your arteries,
Through your veins,
Through all of the body systems.
Your body filling up completely with the divine essence that is joy from your soul.
Again you might tap into the word joy and how it appears for you.
The colour or colours of joy filling your entire body and beyond.
You become a beacon of joy.
Notice the softening through your entire body of freedom and aliveness,
Alightness and upliftment.
Taking a few more rounds of breath here,
Filling your entire body with joy.
Taking three more slow,
Deep,
Joyful breaths here.
You might still be moving your body,
Creating freedom through the hips,
Spine,
Shoulders and the neck.
Of course,
You may remain in stillness.
Take another breath here.
Now pausing in stillness.
Notice how your body feels,
Notice any sensations that have arisen.
Bring your awareness back to your heart space,
Your beautiful,
Joyful heart.
Bring your awareness up to your mind,
Your joyful mind.
Allow yourself to pause here in stillness,
Basking in joy,
The most beautiful quality of your soul.
You may stay here as long as you need.
You might like to journal after this meditation,
Writing freely what has arisen.
When you're ready,
Gently blinking open your eyes,
Letting the light in.
Taking some beautiful stretches here,
You can reach your arms overhead and open through the side body,
Leaning side to side,
Taking a gentle twist through your spine,
Left to right.
And as you're ready,
Completing this meditation on joy.
May you always know that you can come back to the quality of joy that always resides within you.
It's simply a matter of becoming still enough,
Quiet enough to tap into its sustaining and nurturing quality.
Have a beautiful day,
A joyful day.
Thank you for practicing with me.
