An invitation to put yourself in the path of JOY!
Most of us don’t usually think of joy as something to practice. We might imagine that joy lands on us if we’re lucky, like a bird alighting on our shoulder. And sometimes it does. But amazing things happen when we also take responsibility for inviting joy into our lives– we can practice creating the conditions that foster joy: habits, choices, and mindsets that put us right in the flight path of that joy-bird.
How, you ask? Here’s one way: Each November I extend an invitation to challenge ourselves to shift our habits and lean toward joy and gratitude in our free Joyful Living Challenge!
The thing is, we're always leaning in some direction– our gaze is always focused somewhere, whether we’re conscious of it or not. This month we’re invited to become conscious of what direction we're leaning toward. And whenever it’s possible, we choose to orient toward gratitude, taking in the good that is always here.
Note: The intention is not to force ourselves to feel a certain way, or to try to be happy all month long. :) This is about being aware of when we have a choice, and making a choice that is in service of light and wellbeing. In doing this, we often tend to light up everyone around us, too.
The heart of the Joyful Living Challenge is committing to one or more small daily practices: naming 3 sources of gratitude, zooming in on a daily highlight, practicing random acts of kindness (a fun way to spread the joy!), mindful movement, and a few minutes of meditation. You can choose to do them all, or pick one to stick with– letting yourself keep things easy and fun, not making your joy a chore. :) We have a private group area to share about our experiences and encourage each other.
Happiness is a team sport, and if you’d like to take your practice of joy a little deeper and have a chance to share together live, I’ll be hosting weekly calls throughout November on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm Pacific. Our gatherings will center around savoring and taking in the good, disrupting “gratuitous negativity,” and exploring the mystery and complexity of how to lean toward the light, even and especially in times where the darkness feels heavy.
You can join us by heading to this link: Joyful Living Challenge.
(If you are not already a member of our online community, you’ll be prompted to set up your free account in the Monterey Bay Meditation Studio online community and be enrolled in this challenge.)
I look forward to being with you!
Katie
