“Waking up to the surprise that we live in a ‘given’ world means coming alive... In moments of surprise, we catch at least a glimpse of the joy to which gratefulness opens the door... There are some who claim not to know gratefulness. But is there anyone who never knew surprise? Does springtime not surprise us anew each year, or that expanse of the bay opening up as we come around the bend of the road?...
What counts on your path to fulfillment is that we remember the great truth that moments of surprise want to teach us: everything is gratuitous, everything is gift. The degree to which we are awake to this truth is the measure of our gratefulness. And gratefulness is the measure of our aliveness… For those who awaken to life through surprise, death lies behind, not ahead. To live life open for surprise, in spite of all the dying which living implies, makes us ever more alive.”
Where can you find surprise today? Where can you open your heart and mind to the wonder of this world? To the fact that everything—the sunshine, the air we breathe, the gravity that holds us to the earth, the fresh, clean water pouring from our faucets, the leaves falling from the trees or the rain or snow showering down upon us from the skies, the sun, the moon, the smooth fresh skin of a baby, or your own aged wrinkled skin marked by time and experience—every little thing is a miracle, a gift, an emblem of the sacredness of this life?
I am currently reading a wonderful book entitled Awakening Joy by James Baraz - one of my own beloved meditation teachers and co-founder of Spirit Rock, one of the U.S.'s pre-eminent mindfulness meditation centers.
He speaks about how mindfulness helps us learn to become aware of and present to moments of gratitude, love, delight, contentment - the states of well-being, generosity, peace, compassion and joy the Buddha referred to as 'wholesome states.'
Once we learn to recognize these states in the moment, we can then learn to pause, to really connect to those feelings, which in turn then strengthens what James calls 'the happiness circuits in your brain.'
In the neuroscience world, the adage is, "Neurons that wire together, fire together." This practice of pausing to really be present for these 'wholesome states' trains our brain to take in the good. We will, more and more often, begin to see the beauty and goodness all around us, thus awakening to ever more joy and happiness.
Here is a practice for you to try:
1) Find a comfortable seat. Sit so your spine can be erect, alert, but at ease. Or you may lie down if you prefer.
2) If you feel comfortable doing so, close your eyes. Or you may gaze softly at a spot on the floor or wall a few feet in front of you.
Feel the support beneath you. Feel your connection to the earth.
3) Take a few slow, deep breaths.
4) Now bring to mind a person, place or experience for which you are grateful. Whatever first comes to mind is just perfect. Nothing is to small - or to grand.
5) Allow yourself to picture this person, place or experience in your mind's eye.
6) Then begin to feel the gratitude you feel. Notice where you feel it in your body. Perhaps your lips form a smile. Perhaps your heart feels warm. Perhaps you notice your body relaxing. Perhaps you notice your body tingling or a feeling of lightness and/or freedom. Become fully present to this feeling.
7) Now intentionally intensify this feeling. Allow it to spread throughout your whole body. By allowing your body to more fully experience this feeling and your mind to be present to you, you are "memorizing" the feeling so that you can more easily access it later.
8) If you wish, you can take this a step further by allowing the feeling to fade a little and then re-intensifying it - as if you are flexing a muscle in multiple repetitions as you would if you were exercising your body at the gym.
9) As you are ready, bring your attention back to your breath. Take another few deep breaths and then slowly open your eyes.
10) Throughout the day, whenever you are experiencing a moment of joy or contentment, pause and bring to mind all the things you are grateful for about the experience, place, person or thing related to the joy you are feeling. Allow yourself to just be there with the feeling, to soak it up, and fully experience your delight.
The more you do this, the more your gratitude will increase, and the more your joy and happiness will be enhanced.
May this - and every moment - bring you surprise, delight, gratitude and joy.
Amen.
Cindy