Joy

Joy is an abiding sense of well-being based on the experience of a conscious relationship with the Divine. Flowing from Joy comes freedom to accept and be in the present moment. Like Julian of Norwich wrote, “The fullness of joy is to find God in everything.”

Joy is the abiding sense of being loved by God and of being permanently established in God’s presence. It is the experience of the living water that flows from the divine Source in our inmost being.

–from Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit, Thomas Keating

A Simple Breath-Prayer of Joy

Below is a breath prayer I learned a while ago and continue to find it a practice of deep nourishment. It lets us inhale the life essence of a Fruit, and then exhale it into the atmosphere around us.

• Take a few gentle breaths and relax your thoughts, your emotions, and any tension in your body.

• Breathe in joy. Allow its energy and presence to fill you. Let this spiritual nutrient into your physical being, as well as your spirit and soul.

• As you breathe in joy, feel it nourishing you and feeding you.

• Then breathe out joy, letting it fill the atmosphere around you. Feel yourself sharing that goodness with all that is around you.

• Repeat this for several breaths, letting yourself be nourished by joy while simultaneously nourishing the world. When you’re ready, rest in stillness for a few moments before returning to your day.

When we breathe in joy, we remember we’re held by Divine Joy; when we breathe it out, we become a conduit of that same grace.