Meeting with Joy

Discovering more joy does not save us from the inevitability of hardship and heartbreak. In fact, we may cry more easily, but we will laugh more easily too. Perhaps we are just more alive. As we discover more joy, we can face suffering in a way that ennobles rather than embitters. We have hardship without becoming hard. We have heartbreaks without being broken."

- Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Moments of joy are always close, when we remember to be present to our immediate experience. Even in the most difficult of times, the world is always knocking on our door, making offerings of light, sound, scent, taste, and touch.

Through the body, the breath, and all of our senses, we are given the gift of joy in simply being here, alive. Savouring these moments and learning to extend them is a powerful practice. It shifts our neurochemistry, nourishes us deeply, and actually increases our capacity to be with pain and difficulty.

This is an opportunity to gather as ripe human beings who are willing to allow both the reality of suffering and the joy of living to be present, and for our hearts to be made larger by both.

And, to put the emphasis on joy. 

The joy I am speaking about is not an ecstatic happiness or exuberant delight. It is most certainly not putting on a brave face and soldiering on!

This delicate joy is connected to being aware of one's immediate sensory and embodied experience, and the gratitude that arises for just for being alive. No matter how much suffering we have been through, there is a spark of joy inside each of us—of appreciation, of pure life force, of deep care and generosity—that can’t be extinguished. When we give this spark our attention, it grows… and grows.

Here are some keys I've found helpful for remembering and being renewed by joy : 

Spaciousness in the body - We need to cultivate the inner space needed for living with so many diverse feelings, and to allow these movements to flow through us without getting stuck.
Presence - A willingness to land in this moment and make room for what is actually happening. When we are present, not consumed by repetitious thoughts of the past or worries about the future, a subtle, perhaps very quiet, joy is nearby. 
Gratitude or appreciation - The power of acknowledging everything and everyone that supports our lives connects us with our hearts, and with all of life. It can be as simple as appreciating the gifts of the world we receive through our senses. 
Insight - Seeing deeply into the nature of things. Everything is moving. Everything is changing. Everything is connected to everything else. Reflecting on these truths can bring much needed calm, perspective and peace. 

In Meeting with Joy we will be feeling our way into all of these, using these keys to remember, notice, and nurture joy in all its many expressions. The alchemy of our shared practice offers strength and support to each of us, and to our world and shared situation. 

Joy is a balm for our weary spirits. 

Joy is medicine for our cynicism and despair. 

Joy uplifts even the saddest heart.

Joy is a gift to be given and shared.