The Daily Meditator is one who seeks Joy, lives in Joy, and realizes Joy!
In his poem “Samadhi,” Paramhansa Yogananda ends with these words: “A Tiny Bubble of Laughter, I am become the sea of mirth itself.” One has to wonder at these closing words to a poem that addresses a higher consciousness beyond what most can even imagine. Certainly, joy is a key expression of this exalted state.
If asked to characterize the daily meditator, we might easily describe him/her as one who “seeks joy, lives in joy, and realizes joy.” This description gives us great insight into our practice. It highlights 3 aspects of successful meditation practice. From the beginning of our practices to seek Joy in meditation means to hold attitudes of aspiration, adventure, receptivity, and expectation. When I feel sluggish in my practices, I think of an image of Yogananda smiling with joyful enthusiasm.
It is contagious. I can feel his energy and I can feel it within myself. Try consciously drawing upon his joyful energy. Use your meditation to align yourself with the joy of this great Master who has given us this timeless practice to discover the joy of the Self.
Pray to feel God as Joy. Chant “Joy, Joy, Joy, Ever New Joy,” until you feel joy as your reality and then begin your formal practice of meditation. You will find that your mood is simultaneously elevated and that you are drawn towards higher states of consciousness.
Ever New Joy – Paramhansa Yogananda & Swami Kriyananda
To live in Joy means to express joy inwardly, outwardly, and in everything we do. Sometimes even the attempt is enough to magnetize this quality! Practice this in daily life. Be joyful. Make the expression of joy a habit and be always conscious of it bubbling up from your soul deep within.
Inner joy is the antidote to any setback or doubt. Watch these dissolve before the radiance of God’s joy within you. Look for joy in your environment, in others, in what you read, in what you see. The attitudes with which you live life will carry over to your meditation. Try to cultivate joy in your life and be a channel of joy to someone who needs that very same quality in their life.
Realizing joy in meditation produces a ripple effect sending out waves of joy that can be felt in the world around us and by people who interact with us. Joy is a sign of spiritual progress and succeeding at meditation. When the energy is withdrawn from the extremities into the spine our sense perception is naturally turned inward and we experience the joy of our soul.
Practice this guided meditation from Metaphysical Meditations to help you to realize Joy.
Whenever a little bubble of joy appears in your invisible sea of consciousness, take hold of it, and keep expanding it. Meditate on it and it will grow larger. Watch not the limitations of the little bubble of your joy, but keep expanding it until it grows bigger and bigger. Keep puffing at it with the breath of concentration from within, until it spreads all over the ocean of infinity in your consciousness. Keep puffing at the bubble of joy until it breaks its confining walls and becomes the sea of joy.
In Divine Joy,
Nayaswami Maria
3 Comments
Loved this!
This is really wonderful!
Purely wonderful.