How to bring more joy into your life?
Life happens, and we get busy. And our lives are defined by endless TO DO lists, seemingly important tasks, that turn out to be irrelevant in the long run!
And before you know it, you realise that something is missing from your life and you try to fix it, by adding more stuff!
In my case, joy disappeared gradually…I got on my high horse of personal development, inner work and spiritual ego took over where the only thing I could deem relevant and meaningful was doing deep inner work! All the fucking time! Healing, cleansing, releasing, demonising food, glorifying food, cultivating ‘them & us’ attitude that was actually very judgemental, when I look at it from this distance!
And let me be clear, I am all for deep inner work, and going within, but without the rigidity! Rigidity is unnecessary! It alienates, it creates heaviness in the Mind Body and Soul.
Can we for a moment consider the possibility of healing through a bit of joy too. And I appreciate that it’s not always possible, yet, a bit of joy and lightness, may just make a process lighter, more bearable, thus making us less bitchy and bitter.
As, let’s face it…what’s the point in healing one thing when you cultivate bitchiness and resentment as parallel activities?!
It’s my choice to heal, release, cleanse, do the inner work, embrace my shadows…And it would be wrong of me to expect from others to respect and honour my choices! I do me and you do you, boo! Because…freedom! Because…free will!
Seriously guys, mental discipline is nice and dandy, but if it messes up with your mind body and you stop living and start demonising people, glorifying people, demonising conversations, food, other people’s life choices, you are on a sure road to living a miserable life, wrapped in the illusion of self importance
Just because someone drinks more green juices than you, does more yoga classes than you, does more healing than you, invests more hours in self care, it doesn’t mean they have more joy, peace and ease in their lives. It’s not a competition into who is more spiritual-connected-knowledgable-aware-awake!
What use are superfoods and ‘high vibe’ pursuits, if there is a party of low vibe fear based toxic thoughts going on within?
We are all doing our best and doing what we can! Hence, the importance of joy every so often!
I love recognising my patterns, and catching myself repeating them, lool, and by all means, I am not there yet, but recognising the patterns helps to a point! What helps even more, is not being lulled into just recognising them, but gently breaking them…
Why? Because plain awareness of patterns and insights means nothing, and it is a beautiful intellectual masturbation for the Ego mind craving significance and attention! Yet, taking the patterns and breaking them, transmuting them, working with them, is where the healing lies and transformation and real growth happen.
And this is my CURRENT take on it…which may or may not change…I am working through this, and sharing in the hope it may help you on your journey!
So here is what I currently practice:
1. Upon waking up, check in with yourself and notice what emotions you woke up with and how you feel.
2. Resist defining, judging, evaluating the feeling(s). Just acknowledge them.
3. Spend some time in quiet contemplation – either through meditation or whilst making a cup of tea…Whatever works for you…And connect to those feelings, ask them what they have to teach you. Ask them to present you with all the relevant lessons.
4. Thank them, stay with them, honour them, cry with them, laugh with them, breathe through them, dance with them and when both you and the feelings are ready to be released, release them! Just don’t ignore them, and don’t swipe them under the carpet.
Let me know how you get on! Let’s elevate through tears, laughter, joy…And let’s remember to hustle gently!