It’s that time of year again- the time to return to routines and resets. Somehow, September can bring a quality of fresh starts and an opportunity to shift our mind set, take stock and look ahead.
My son and I are both starting back to university and having been touching in with one another as we transition back into the fullness of schedules. This past weekend, my son was feeling the heaviness of the news feed. In a week when we heard the AI ten year caution and the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we were both feeling a wee bit tight. This got me thinking of ways to find balance in a world that continues to challenge it. And it led me to a simple question: How do we make space for joy?
I had been wanting to get out into the hills in search of heather, but I seem to have every reason in the book to stay home. So much so that when I tried to cancel a planned excursion, my friend simply said, ‘nope, I’m not letting you off the hook’. And thankfully, they didn’t. For, from the moment I got out into the land, something shifted. With every step I took, joy started to seep in.
Joy is an important emotion that moves beyond happiness. Joy is a practice, whereas, happiness is temporary and dependent on external events in which everything is going as what we perceive ‘right’. However, what is really important is that practicing joy can be an anecdote to the pain and suffering that we all can endure at different times in our lives. This pain can be from big things like losing someone you love, an illness, war, or simply what can feel like the unending onslaught of horrifying images coming through our news feeds. It’s not that we ignore what’s happening all around us, rather joy can give us a much needed break so that we do not become completely paralysed. In this way joy does not need conditions, but it is a muscle that needs building.
There are many ways to build joy into our lives, such as noticing what feels good and savouring those moments rather than moving off of them quickly. We can do things that energise us- get moving, reach out to a friend, create something or pursue a hobby or activity that you’ve always been curious about. We can practice gratitude- there is nothing like really appreciating the good on our lives to provoke joy. We can share joy- encouragement, humour, kindness and generosity extended to others amplifies it. And my personal favourite, be present. Joy comes much easier when we are not constantly worrying about the future or going over the past.
I also think it is important to know what our sources of joy are. As my friends and I walked through fields of heather, tuning into the bird song, one another’s company and the fresh, clean air, we spoke about the things in our lives that bring us joy. Saying them out loud was almost as if we were reliving them anew. It reminded me that as I face the new season, joy is a practice that I want to take with me.
If you would like to explore joy with me, we will be meeting at our Sanctuary online community meditation at 10am on Tuesday morning. I would love to see you there!
-Jane
Click HERE to access the Zoom room
If you would like to read more about the benefits of joy: https://www.rcsi.com/impact/details/2023/03/joy-is-good-for-your-body-and-your-mind
My Silent Place 
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