Joy (December 2017 Newsletter)

Many traditional celebrations take place at this time of year, and as they come closer they dredge up mixed feelings, some often intense. This season brings on sudden, overwhelming tidal waves of emotions that we bury somewhere in our deepest recesses through the year. We feel we cannot face the world getting ready to celebrate, and need to turn inwards into ourselves for just a bit. Let those emotions surface, and celebrate the gladness and the sadness with little ceremonies of hello and goodbye, sending fall leaves full of thoughts sailing down the river, or down the neighborhood creek. Make little prayer flags, hang them up in the breeze, and let your thoughts go flying in the wind. Burn incense, candles and healing herbs.

And then turn outwards: Be like a child seeing everything for the first time. Turn your thoughts away from yourself to everything that IS around you. 

"When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy." (Rumi) Turn your thoughts outwards making it your mission today and everyday to focus beyond this little individual ego that constantly needs indulgence and pulls you into a joyless sinkhole of worry. Joy is in everything and it is free of worry. Joy is that subtle sense where the breath is suddenly free and you KNOW you can fly and touch the heavens. This gladness within ourselves touches everything outside ourselves, and suddenly we are spreading that feeling. Go out into nature everyday no matter how busy or cold. Feel joy. Do charity works, smile at everyone, greet everyone. Spread joy!

"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy." Rabindranath Tagore

Joy this month and all through the year. Step out joyously and lightly. Fly!

Namaste,

sipra