Hello my dear.
This guided meditation is intended to help you feel into and expand happiness in your mind.
It's intended to help you cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
This exercise comes from the Buddhist practice of Mudita,
Which means appreciative joy.
And it can be understood as simply showing up for happiness with a caring presence.
As you train the mind to rejoice in happiness,
You gain so many benefits.
You feel more fulfilled by joy,
Recognize happiness more easily in your life,
And train the mind to treat happiness as an important experience.
So let's begin.
Find a comfortable posture and invite in relaxation from the beginning of your practice.
And as you breathe,
Appreciate the life offered from each inhalation.
And with your exhalation,
Let go of any tension in your mind or body.
Bring to mind a time in which you recently experienced happiness.
It might be something small like seeing a friend,
Watching the sunset,
Or the simple joy of lying down at night.
And when you have something,
Allow yourself to feel the experience of contentment.
And with the intention of cultivating gratitude,
Offer yourself a few phrases of appreciative joy.
Keep the memory in your mind and offer these phrases.
May my happiness continue.
May my happiness grow.
May I be present for the joy.
And may I appreciate the joy in my life.
If your experience feels a wee bit more like contentment or ease,
You can substitute the words that resonate with you.
You know your own experience,
So be true to yourself.
And offer the phrases silently in your head,
Finding a rhythm with this practice.
May my contentment continue.
May my contentment grow.
May I be present for the ease.
May I appreciate the ease in my life.
Focus your attention on the words,
The intention of appreciating the happiness and the feeling of contentment from your memory.
May I be present for the ease.
May I be present for the ease.
Now just release your memory and these phrases from your mind.
Now I'd like you to bring to mind somebody else in your life who has experienced some happiness recently.
Picture this person in your mind,
Smiling as you observe their joy.
And as you did with yourself,
Offer phrases of gratitude.
Rejoice as much as possible in their happiness.
And offer these phrases.
May your happiness continue.
May your happiness grow.
May I be present for your joy.
I am happy for you.
When the mind wanders,
Come back to the phrases.
May your happiness continue.
May your happiness grow.
May I be present for your joy.
I am happy for you.
You can return to the visualization of this person smiling to bring up the happiness and start with the phrases again.
May your happiness continue.
May your happiness grow.
May I be present for your joy.
I am happy for you.
May I be present for your joy.
Now letting go of the visualization of your friend.
Letting go of those phrases.
Bringing your awareness with kindness,
Ease and contentment back to your body.
Focus on your breath for a couple of rounds.
Feeling a sense of appreciation for yourself for taking some time to grow and expand happiness in your mind.
And now coming all the way back,
Eyes blinking open,
Reacquainting yourself with where you're sitting or lying.
