“Happy meditating!” We write that at the bottom of almost every post.
There’s a liveliness to happiness. It creates movement. Momentum. When we’re really happy, we want to laugh louder, breathe deeper, maybe even yodel from the mountaintops.
And as we move upward through those brighter emotional states, something else begins to appear—feelings tinctured with aspects of the mind—appreciation, inspiration, wonder, joy.
Joy feels different somehow. More spacious. More whole. In moments of real joy, we can feel completely immersed in the beauty of what’s unfolding. The usual boundaries dissolve and, for a moment, life doesn’t feel so divided. We feel connected to the moment, to each other, and perhaps even to something greater than ourselves.
Meditation helps create the conditions for those moments. It steadies us enough to stay present. To linger a little longer. From that steadiness, contentment can arise. Compassion becomes available—toward ourselves, toward others, and toward life. Joy resides here, within the spaciousness of living awareness. Oh, to be human in moments like those.
As always, happy meditating!
Living Awareness Meditation – Day 2