It may seem strange to investigate what we think of as positive emotions, but I think we often overlook joy. We don’t really pay much attention to it. We often miss it without even noticing it. The good news is that there are practices to cultivate it. And these practices help us pay attention to and support the joy of our felt experiences. It’s actually a very important emotion.
Joy helps us awaken to our lives. It is also an element that supports concentration. So, if you are someone who is constantly distracted and has difficulty concentrating or paying attention, cultivating joy and paying attention to it is a great way to deepen your focus.
First, let’s consider what joy is. For me, it may be fun to experience it, but it is not inherently joyful. I experience joy as a truly internal event. It can be caused by something external, but it can also be something that can be greatly cultivated within me. One great way to do this is to think about the things in your life that you are grateful for. Another way is to really stop and appreciate what is beautiful, what is good, and what is working in your life.
This is a very important ability because humans operate with a negativity bias. That bias itself makes a lot of sense. We tend to focus our minds on what is wrong, threatening, or potentially harmful so that we are better protected from life’s vagaries of circumstances. But if we allow that negativity bias to prevail, we risk missing out on the beautiful, joyful, and nourishing things in life. Needless to say, we have less and less ability to actually cultivate such beauty, joy, and nourishment in ourselves. Therefore, training yourself to receive and enjoy good things is not a frivolous pursuit. Learning to enjoy joyful moments can help you free yourself from negative emotions and open up new possibilities.
Now let’s practice. And again, as we have been doing in our emotional practice, we will primarily attend to the physical sensations of pleasure. And perhaps we’ll see it grow as we pay attention to it. On the other hand, notice how focusing on pleasure can also help strengthen your concentration. The great thing is, if you give the mind something fun and enjoyable to focus on, the mind wants to go there. Perhaps you decide to start your mindfulness practice by cultivating joy. (Talk about the perfect motivation to sit for a few minutes). You may want to incorporate this approach into your daily life.
A 12-minute meditation to free yourself from negative emotions and experience joy.
Watch the video:
Hear it in action:
Read the guided meditation script below and practice, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to audio exercises.
1. Take a seat wherever you are. As always, if it’s safe to lie down, it’s okay to lie down. Let’s take a deep breath. Please calm down here. Make your inhales and exhales longer. During these first breaths, simply scan your mind and body and notice how you feel. Use your breath to balance yourself in this moment. If you feel tired or sleepy, breathe in a little more air and emphasize the force of your inhale. If you’re feeling agitated or restless, emphasize your exhale and actually exhale. And try to keep your breathing in a natural rhythm. Feel the contact with the chair, your feet on the ground. Find that support and contact Earth.
2. Now, let’s recall some pleasant moments that happened recently in our lives. Or you could just reflect on some of the things you’re grateful for in your life. What has been going well lately? You’re alive, so something must be going right…maybe you just found this 30-day challenge and did some practice. This is how I found time to take care of myself. Or maybe you feel some benefit in your life. Perhaps you have a relationship that you enjoy. You feel loved and connected. It could be with a person, or maybe you have a puppy or a cat. Or maybe you’ve been to a place that brings you joy: near a lake, in nature surrounded by trees, with a view you love. Choose one or a few moments to focus on and truly feel joy. What brings you joy? Maybe it’s remembering movement, like dancing or swimming, or another physical activity that brings you joy. Perhaps it’s a trip, a recent trip. Or maybe you’re learning something new.
3. Reflect on the joy you received from these experiences. Pay attention to your body. Notice how you feel joy in this moment. Where in your body do you feel it? Chest, belly, throat, face? Did you notice anything? Is there a temperature for joy? Is there a flow or movement of joyful energy within your body? How big is it? When you pay attention to it, can you relax your attention into the joy? Breathe. And if you feel this joyful energy wanting to grow, let it be. It may even spread to other parts of your body, such as your fingertips and toes. Just pay attention: is it tingling, vibrating, flowing?
4. If at any point you no longer feel connected, think back to the images, people, and situations that brought you joy. Then return to feeling, tasting, and even expanding the sensations and energies of pleasure within your body. Please breathe.
5. As we conclude this short exercise, let us take a moment to reflect and focus on the people, places, and situations that have brought us joy. What really sparked an energetic sense of joy for you? Maybe they surprised you. Maybe they don’t do them very often. But it’s possible. You can incorporate more of that into your life. So how can we do that?
6. Before we finish, let’s make a simple promise to do one thing that brings us joy. Commit to activities that bring you joy, connections with people who bring you joy, and more time.
7. When you are ready, open your eyes if they are closed. Please take a deep breath. Are you orienting yourself to the space around you? Notice how you feel right now.
As you return to your daily routine, try paying more attention to what you enjoy in life. Then work on taking it further and nurturing it further.
