Hi,
My name is Steph and I'm so grateful to have you here today.
This is a guided meditation intended to help you harvest joy during difficult times.
Sometimes life can be tough.
On an individual level,
We may be navigating everything from stressful jobs and mental health challenges to relationship problems and personal loss.
On a collective level,
The COVID-19 pandemic is compounded by a fraught social climate,
Climate change,
And the list goes on.
Which is why being intentional about being present during our joyful moments is especially important for our well-being.
Because when we allow ourselves to be present with our joy in the moment,
We're able to appreciate the ways it can bolster us during moments that don't feel as good.
While there are many outward sources of joy,
Like having a good laugh with loved ones or hearing your favorite song,
I'd like to remind you that we also hold the power to harvest joy from within ourselves.
And through meditation,
We can access these modes of healing whenever we need them.
All it takes is slowing down,
Taking a breath,
And being present with the things that spark joy for us.
Being present with our joy creates space for gratitude,
And gratitude helps us nurture our well-being.
So that's what we're going to do right now.
Today's meditation will be a combination of visualization,
Reflection,
And gratitude journaling.
We're going to reach inside of ourselves for our seeds of joy.
Then we're going to plant these seeds of joy,
Watch them grow,
And during this process,
We'll be restoring our inner balance.
We'll also be fostering an energetic state that will allow us to amplify the pleasurable moments in our day-to-day lives.
Before we begin,
I invite you to grab a journal or a notebook or a piece of paper and something to write with.
You can pause this meditation if you need a moment to gather these things,
And I'll be here waiting upon your return.
So let's begin our meditation by easing into a comfortable seated position that feels the most supportive to you.
Perhaps that's in a chair,
Maybe that's on the floor,
Or maybe that's lying down if you're still in bed.
Landing softly in whatever position you chose,
Take a deep inhale through your nose,
Feeling the air pass through your nostrils,
Your throat,
Down into your lungs.
And now exhaling,
Really grounding into your body,
Feeling all of your limbs and your muscles just softening and releasing tension.
Feeling the way that your body settles into the surface that's supporting you in this moment.
Feeling into all the places that it makes contact with your body.
Taking note of any areas of residual tension.
Taking another deep breath in,
And this time on your exhale,
Just bringing some ease to those areas of tension that you just noted.
Unclenching your jaw.
Letting your tongue from the roof of your mouth.
Allowing your lips to part a bit.
Dropping your shoulders.
Allowing your breath to return to its normal cadence as you continue to root down into yourself,
Into your body,
Into your existence.
In this moment,
I invite you to leave behind whatever is troubling you and begin allowing yourself to explore the things that have recently made you happy.
What has brought you joy lately?
Is it a forgotten pastime you've recently been making more time for?
Maybe it's a book you've been reading,
A show you've been watching.
Maybe it's a trip you recently took,
Or one you're looking forward to taking.
A song you recently heard,
Or a meal you really enjoyed.
Whatever it is,
Really allow yourself to be with it in this moment.
Be with the experience of enjoying the thing that makes you happy.
And as you're doing this,
Just taking another few deep breaths and exhalations.
Taking as much time as you'd like to gently observe any images or sensations that come to your awareness in this moment.
Allowing yourself to really be transported to the warmth and the ease that you experience while engaging with your source of joy.
Where do you presently feel that joy in your body?
Perhaps you can feel an overall softening,
Washing over your being.
Maybe you have happy butterflies dancing around in your stomach,
In your chest.
Maybe you can feel the corners of your mouth coming upward into a smile.
While continuing to breathe deeply,
I invite you to now bring your attention to the people in your life.
Your family,
Your friends,
Maybe even your colleagues.
Which relationships bring you the most joy right now?
Which relationships bring you the most joy right now?
Allow their faces to come up in your mind.
And maybe think about some of the last times that you spent with them.
How did you feel?
How do you feel when you spend time with these people?
What about them makes you happy as you think of them?
And are you feeling similar sensations in your body as you noted a few moments ago?
Really lean into that feeling,
Allowing yourself to sink into it.
Really be with this feeling.
And as you continue to reflect,
Remain seated with your eyes closed for a few moments,
Allowing the joyful sensations to travel throughout your entire body.
Now I invite you to picture yourself sitting in a garden and you're surrounded by vibrant green grass and rich abundant soil.
In front of you is a large seed about the size of your heart.
To your left is a small shovel.
And to your right is a watering can filled with fresh water.
Envision yourself picking up this seed and gently holding it against your chest,
Allowing yourself to really connect with it,
Feeling your heartbeat sink with its energy.
And as you inhale slowly,
Just visualizing all the joy you just cultivated just swelling inside of your chest into your heart space.
And as you exhale slowly,
Envisioning that joy traveling from your heart space and directly into the seed as you release your breath.
Watch the seed grow as you exhale,
As it's being filled with the bright and abundant lights of your joy.
Do this for a few more slow intentional breaths and continue watching the seed swell as it receives all the joy from within you.
Now that the seed is filled with your joy,
Picture yourself taking hold of the shovel on the left and digging a hole directly in front of you.
Now that you've planted your seed into the ground and before you cover it,
Take a moment to set an intention.
Take a moment to listen to your heart and whatever intention it wants to set.
If one doesn't come to you in this moment,
That's okay.
Your subconscious knows what it needs and the joy that you're planting will carry it.
With the shovel,
Begin covering the seed with that rich abundant soil.
And now visualize yourself taking hold of the watering can on your right and watering the seed that you just planted.
As the soil absorbs the water and the water travels down to the seed,
The hydration sets your intention.
And so it is.
The seed that you just planted will be nurtured every time you take a moment to be present with your joy.
The more you make time for joy,
The more it will grow and nourish you during challenging times.
So whenever you sit with your joy,
Imagine the seed sprouting and growing into the largest luscious tree that was created from your happiness,
From your spirit,
From your essence.
This seed,
This tree,
It will always be here for you to envision whenever you need it.
Abundance with the fruits of your joy.
Abundance with the fruits of your intention.
You can let go of this visualization now and just take a nice deep breath in.
Slowly exhaling out.
Shifting your awareness to the things around you.
The things that you can hear.
The things that you can feel.
Anything that you can smell.
Taking any images or insights with you from your visualization as you slowly open your eyes.
And now to close our practice today,
I invite you to slowly take your writing utensil and whatever you have to write on and at the top of your page,
Write down your thoughts and at the top of your page,
Write the phrase,
Today I am grateful for.
Today I am grateful for.
And then just take a few minutes to write down whatever you're grateful for in this moment.
You can list whatever insights came to you while doing this exercise or whatever it is that made you smile in these few minutes that we shared.
Write them down,
Reflect on them,
And treat this list as additional joyful seeds that's your planting.
You can take about a minute to get your list started.
But if you need more time,
Please feel free to continue after this recording ends and take as much time as you need.
Remember,
You always have the power within you to spark joy.
And I hope that this meditation can serve as a reminder of that whenever you need it.
As always,
Thank you so much for meditating with me.
My name is Steph and I'll see you next time.
