Hello and welcome to this meditation to cultivate joy.
Go ahead and sit comfortably in a quiet place where you can be free from distractions.
Let your spine be neutral and tall and rest your hands in your lap or on your thigh in a way that promotes a release of your shoulders and an expansion of your chest.
Close your eyes or keep your gaze soft and low.
And let's begin to turn our attention inward.
Breathing slowly and steadily in and out through the nose,
Finding a quiet,
Patient,
Easy,
Comfortable breath.
Watching that breath move in and out through the nose.
Now let's invite joy into this practice by silently contemplating the why.
Joyful effort arises when we understand our purpose.
So why meditate?
Why practice mindfulness?
What benefits are you hoping to receive by understanding our intention and why you're here prioritizing your practice?
The effort in practicing becomes infused with joy and ease.
So recall why you're here right now,
Meditating today.
Allow a deep satisfaction to arise as you apply effort in this moment joyfully.
Let a smile come across your face,
Just a soft,
Gentle smile and breathe.
Now with your why in mind,
Wanting to cultivate joy and whatever else intention came to mind,
We're going to begin shifting your awareness to the benefits you've already received through this practice of mindfulness and meditation.
I want you to recall how good you feel on the days you meditate,
What it feels like to start your day mindfully,
And the pride you feel in remaining still and present until the timer goes off and the meditation ends.
Taking an inhale in,
Go ahead and sit up a little taller and call in the energy of joy,
Savoring the benefits of being mindful right here,
Right now.
Begin counting the ways in which your life has improved with meditation and mindfulness as your safe harbor.
Now let's cultivate even more joy by placing our attention on the positive sensations you're aware of right now.
Maybe that's calm,
Ease,
Just enjoying the quiet.
Maybe it's patience,
Spaciousness,
Or awareness,
Or maybe all.
Or maybe all.
Notice the ways in which being here right now brings you joy.
Feel these positive sensations in your body and in your breath,
Recognizing that these positive qualities do not appear by accident.
These are a direct result of your effort.
So go ahead,
Rejoice in this effort that you're applying to your meditation right here and right now.
Rejoice in the effort and rest in awareness of the joyful benefits you're receiving.
Understand that while joy is a result of your practice,
Joy arises when we joyfully practice.
Joy is only revealed through consistently applying effort.
Joy is revealed through joyful practice.
Joy is both the cause and the result.
So joy then must have been with you all along.
Joy is not gained through practice,
But revealed.
And the more you tap into joy,
And the more you apply joy to your effort,
The more you experience joy as a result,
The more you notice joy arising.
You have always had the potential to be joyful.
You have always had the potential to notice and to be mindful.
You are joy.
You are awareness.
So rest in this sensation of joy.
The joy you apply to your efforts here and the joy you reveal through those same efforts.
So rest here in joy until you're ready to open your eyes.
