Finding Joy Again: A Meditation To Open Up To Feeling Good

Somewhere along the way, joy stopped being something you felt and became something you were waiting for. Waiting until things calmed down. Until the to-do list was shorter. Until life looked a little more like you thought it would by now. This meditation is an invitation to stop waiting.

Over 10 minutes, you will be guided through a gentle practice that helps you reconnect with the feeling of joy. Something that has been there all along, underneath the busyness and the weight of everything you've been carrying. No experience with meditation needed. Come exactly as you are, even if joy feels far away right now. Actually.. Especially then.

Transcript

I'm so happy that you're here. My name is Rianna and before we get started, I want to ask you something. When did you last feel genuinely good? I'm not talking about productive, Or relieved, Or less stressed than usual, But actually good. Light, Present, Alive in a way that didn't require any effort. Do you remember? Now for some of you that memory is recent, For others it might feel like a long time ago, And for some of you. . . You're maybe not even sure what that would feel like anymore. Life got full. Responsibilities stacked up, And somewhere in the middle of all of it, Joy became something you would get around to later. Right? Later, When things settle, When there's more time, When everything is figured out. But somehow later has a way of never quite arriving. So we're gonna stop doing that. We're not going to wait for later. We're going to look for joy right now. Today. Now, Not the big, Dramatic, Everything is perfect kind of joy. I mean, That's kind of rare and also a little bit overrated, In my opinion. No, I'm talking about the quieter kind, The kind that's been sitting just underneath the surface of your days, Waiting for you to start noticing it. That's what this practice is about. So when you're ready, Find a comfortable position. You can stay seated or laying down. If you feel comfortable close your eyes or you can soften your gaze. And we're going to begin. Take a deep breath in. I let it go. Again, Breathe in. And breathe out. One more. Breathe in. And breathe out completely. Let your body settle. Feel where you're supported. Your back, Your seat, Your feet. Let all of that weight be held by whatever is beneath you. Let your shoulders drop. Let your jaw release. Let your hands rest open and soft. Breathe in. And exhale. For a moment, Just feel your body breathing. The air coming in. And the air going out. Steady, Quiet rhythm of it. This has been happening your whole life without you having to think about it. Your body has been doing this for you all along. There's something almost joyful in that, If you let yourself feel it. The loyalty of your own breath. The reliability of your own heart beating. The fact that your body has carried you through every single day of your life without once asking for your gratitude. Inhale. And exhale. I want you to think of something small that you genuinely like. Don't have to be big. Maybe like your first cup of coffee in the morning before anyone else is awake. Or the feeling of getting into a freshly made bed. A song. Smell of rain. The laugh of a specific person, Something small, Something that is true to you. Okay, Stay with it for a moment. Don't think about it, Just feel it. Let the feeling of it move through your body. Notice where you feel it. Maybe it's warmed in your chest. Maybe it's a softening somewhere. Maybe it's a small smile. That feeling right there. That is joy. That feeling that lives inside ordinary things. Not the big firework version. Read and. . . Breathe out. We spend so much time waiting for joy to arrive in a form that we will recognize, A big moment, A milestone, An achievement. And while we're waiting. . . We walk past a hundred small versions of it every single day without stopping to feel them. The sun through a window. Conversation that makes you laugh. That moment at the end of a long day when you finally sit down. These are those things. Joy doesn't only live in the extraordinary moments. That's mainly living in the ordinary ones. I just stopped noticing. Breathe in. Now I want to take you somewhere. I want you to think of a place where you have felt genuinely at ease. It doesn't have to be somewhere exotic or significant. It can be a corner of your home. A bench in a park. Particular city street. Anywhere that, When you think of it, Your body softens slightly. Let yourself be there now. Not thinking about it, Being there. Feel what's around you. What do you see? What do you hear? What does the air feel like on your skin? Let your body settle into that place. Let her remember what ease feels like. What lightness feels like. But it feels like to simply be somewhere without needing to be anything other than what you are. Stay here for a moment. Deep breath in. And breed owls. Notice what happens in your body when you allow yourself to feel good. Notice that nothing bad happens. The wall doesn't fall apart while you're sitting here. Your responsibilities also don't disappear. But just for a moment, Right now, You're not crushed under the weight of them either. That's allowed. Feeling good is allowed, You do not need to earn it. You do not need to wait until everything is in order. You are allowed to feel it now. In the middle of the mess. In the middle of the ordinary. In the middle of a Tuesday morning or afternoon or a difficult season or a life that looks nothing like you planned. Joy doesn't require perfect conditions. Just requires your permission. Breathe in. . . Breathe out. I want you to place one hand on your chest. And feel the warmth of your own hand. Feel your heart beating beneath it. This heart has carried you through every hard thing you have ever faced. Every loss, Every disappointment, Every moment when you weren't sure you were going to be okay. And here you are. Still here. Still breathing. Still capable of feeling warmed and eased in the small quiet pleasure of a moment like this one. That's not nothing. That's extraordinary. Let that hand rest on your chest for a moment longer. And if it feels right, Let yourself feel something close to gratitude. Not for everything being perfect, But for you still being here. Or your body still carrying you. For the fact that joy is still available to you right now, In this moment, No matter what else is going on. It hasn't gone anywhere. I was just waiting for you to look for it. Read in. I'm going to read it. And before we finish, I want to give you something to take with you. Today, At some point, Something small is going to happen that could be a moment of joy, If you let it. A taste. A sound. A feeling. Maybe a brief exchange with another person, Something ordinary that most days you would walk straight past. Today. I invite you to stop just for a second and feel it. Don't analyze why it makes you feel good, Just feel it. Let it land, Let it matter. That's the practice. Just passing once today. You actually feel something good that is already there. Joy doesn't need to be chased. It needs you to notice it. Take one more breath. And let it go. Let your eyes open slowly when you are ready. And take this with you today. Mission to feel good. Not later. With them. Thank you.