Discussion Questions, Storytelling, Sharing
- When in your life have you been filled with great joy? Were you alone or with others?
- Who has been the patron saint of joy in your life? Who has stifled or spoiled your joy?
- Share the story of a time when an act of service gave you great joy.
- What can be done to create a greater atmosphere of joy in your home and community? What will be your legacy of joy to the next generations?
Imagery Exercise
Colette Aboulker-Muscat is a world renown teacher of imagination as a way for us to explore our inner reality and discover how to live in the depths of our experiences. She has created many thousands of imagery exercises, sharing them with her students who could from many countries to her home in Jerusalem, Israel. In this one, you are encouraged to discover the benefits of "Dance".
Breathe out three times. Get in touch with your physical existence. Know that each breathing has a purpose and direction. Notice what is going on in your body.
Imagine that you are alone at the edge of a large, clear, quiet, and calm meadow with the sun above you and all the space to dance. Look at your meadow and be aware of your feelings. Then begin to dance freely. Now see in this space another dancer dancing. He or she is offering to show you how to dance. You are free to accept, reject, or share this dance. See how the two of you dance together in the green, clear, quiet, large meadow. Then open your eyes.
Journal Exercises
- Some of your most pleasurable times with your journal will be when you are rereading entries about joys. So don't let special events pass without recording what happened and how you felt. Every party deserves a journal entry; even if you only capture one happy moment.
- Occasionally, perhaps quarterly on the solstices and equinoxes, make a list of "What Brings Me Joy." Notice when the sources of your joy change, and add reflections on what this tells you.
