Nourishing joy.
With your eyes gently open or softly closed,
Welcome the environment and sounds around you,
The touch of air on your skin,
Sensations where your body touches the surfaces that are supporting it,
Body breathing easily and comfortably,
Sensing the gentle rise and release of the chest or abdomen with each breath.
Inhaling gently expanding,
Exhaling gently releasing.
Breathing in and out peace and well-being,
Each breath loosening,
Softening and releasing tightness and tension throughout the entire body and mind.
Notice thoughts you may be carrying with you into this moment,
Noting and setting them aside perhaps in an imaginary folder where you can come back to them later if helpful.
Settling into this present moment,
Feel yourself as a warm-hearted witnessing presence,
Attention freely wandering about as you notice the various perceptions that are coming and going within your body and mind.
Then turn attention to wander about the body while you locate feelings of well-being or peace,
Perhaps a sensation of happiness or other sensations in your body that help you welcome in the sensation of joy into your body and mind.
As you begin to welcome in the feeling of joy,
Notice where and how you experience this in your body,
Perhaps as a warm-hearted feeling in your heart or a glow in your belly.
If helpful,
Bring to mind a memory of a person,
Animal,
Place or object that helps you invite in the feeling of joy into your body,
Nourishing and allowing the feeling of joy to grow and spread and expand throughout your entire body.
And as the feeling of joy begins to spread throughout your body,
Feel your heart warm,
An inner smile spreading into your lips and face,
Allowing the feeling of joy to expand and radiate throughout your body and into the space all around the body.
If it feels right,
Notice any opposites of sensations such as tension,
Areas of tightness or discomfort.
Notice any emotions or thoughts that are present,
Sensing how any stressful sensation or emotion or thought is manifesting in your body and mind.
If any of these opposites are present,
Then alternate between experiencing the feeling of joy in your body and then this opposite of sensation,
Emotion or thought,
Going back and forth,
Alternating between joy and its opposite,
Taking your time and when it does feel right,
Allow attention to gently settle into feeling both at the same time,
Joy and an opposite of tension or tightness or discomfort,
The feeling of joy and its opposite,
At the same time noticing as you do how this affects your entire body and mind.
When it feels right,
Relinquish this opposite while continuing to nourish the feeling of joy streaming throughout your entire body,
Resting here and in and as joy for as long as it feels right,
Unhooking attention from the thinking mind,
Letting thoughts go like clouds drifting away above you,
The thinking mind becoming calm and clear like an open,
Spacious and cloudless sky,
Letting go into simply being and the feelings of joy,
Peace,
Ease and calm,
Welcoming the feeling of joy for no reason at all.
When it feels timely,
Gently open and close your eyes several times while continuing to nourish joy throughout your entire body,
When the eyes are gently closed,
Welcoming joy along with the different sensations,
Emotions and thoughts that are present,
When the eyes are gently open,
Welcoming the feeling of joy in your body and the environment of light,
Color and sounds that are around you,
Feeling the continuity of joy when the eyes are gently closed or when the eyes are open.
When it feels right,
Affirm your intention to recognize,
Welcome and nourish joy throughout your day,
Joy that supports you in feeling deeply connected,
Secure and grounded and at ease in yourself and in the world around you.
And when you're ready,
As you come back to your eyes open,
Wide awake and alert state of mind and body,
Allow the feeling of joy to remain with you as you move now back into your daily life and activities,
Knowing that joy is always with you wherever you are,
Whomever you're with,
Whatever you're doing,
Helping you feel deeply connected within yourself and with the world around you.
