Do you find yourself moving through the motions of your life and wondering where all the joy went? Are you craving more ease and natural moments of happiness?
You aren’t alone. So many people are stuck in the busyness of their days and are wanting to learn ways to spontaneously enjoy life a little bit more. Luckily there are some simple strategies that have been taught by yogis and Buddhists for years that can be easily used to cultivate a more joy-filled life.
Four steps to cultivating more joy in your life:
#1 Mindful Moments: The first step is to become more present and aware of your thoughts, feelings and emotions. Instead of simply going through the motions of your life, start to pay attention and allow yourself to accept whatever it is that you are thinking or feeling. When you notice that you are tuning out, begin to learn to tune back in.
#2 Attitude of Gratitude: After you become more aware of what is happening for you, you can begin to shift towards noticing things that bring you a sense of appreciation or gratitude. By becoming aware of the things that we feel good about we can start to bring our body into a more coherent and pleasant state.
#3 Live on Purpose: Once our body and mind are in a more neutral or positive place, we can move into activities that fulfill our sense of purpose. When our actions are in alignment with our values, we can shift into a state of flow. When in flow we are merging our mind, body and spirit so that we feel whole. From the place of wholeness we can then make more intentional choices about how we want to live our life.
#4 Joyful Life: The final step is to fully embrace the joy that is readily available to you. When we peel back the layers of ourselves and reconnect with our highest self, we might find that there lies dormant a reservoir of joy. When that’s too hard or inaccessible, we can always benefit from sympathetic joy, a Buddhist practice that teaches us to delight in the joy of others.
Think about a baby and how much they smile, laugh and giggle. Experiencing joy is our birthright. As we grow up and begin to experience the pressures of the world, we move further and further away from that natural state. Yet, underneath all the layers of responsibility and expectations, it is still there yearning to be rediscovered.
These four steps are building blocks to joy. When practiced regularly, you might begin to find more organic moments when you delight in your life and can feel joy in your heart. Even if only for a moment, it is a reminder that joy always lives inside of us and can be accessed as we move through our daily lives.
Join Nicole Lovald on a Journey to Joy Yoga Retreat April 26-28th at Wild Rice Retreat Center in Bayfield, WI. See the full details here: https://www.nicolelovald.com/journeytojoy