Finding Joy

The hummingbirds in my garden flit around the fountain and then shoot back up to the highest branches of the pepper tree.  They bring me joy in their dance. In Native American spirituality, the hummingbird represents pure joy, celebration of beauty, freedom and the magic of living.  My animal totem must be the hummingbird.  The joy, beauty and wonder of life capture my heart.

It has been a long journey to find my joy. At first it showed up in moments unsolicited and disappeared quickly. I wanted to understand how to make it last. Through years of practice and study, I slowly discovered the way to lasting joy is in letting go. I did not need to add anything.  Not another spiritual teaching, another retreat, another ‘how to’ book, or additional goals. I did not need to be anyone special.

To find joy is releasing what does not serve us. Letting go of the need to know and control, of our expectations and judgments, habitual busyness, regrets and triggers from the past, and fears of the future.

My daily practices of meditation, yoga, and mindful breath work support me on this path. They help me stay conscious and present and peel away what does not serve me.  They have changed my life for the better. As humans we are continually drawn into fear, worry, judgment, past and future. But with practice, we can find our way back to the present moment where joy resides.

The most significant permanent changes are created through a daily practice.  It doesn’t need to be long.  Even 5 minutes of meditation a day will change your life.

As we peel away the layers, we begin to discover our natural state, which is joy. It is open and accepting, light and airy.  It is pure love. It waits for us in the moments when hummingbirds flit from the fountain to the treetops, or we watch a sacred sunrise, knowing our time is finite and life is a precious gift to be lived in joy.