Rooting to Find Joy!

Cooking brings me Joy!

This fall I doubled my load of weekly classes from 2 to 4. For the most part, I love it because I'm truly loving teaching right now. But sometimes, it's a little challenging to come up with 4 themes for the week. And I know I could re-use themes, and I do, but often each class is doing something different and needs to hear something different.. the same old theme just won't work.

This morning I found myself in my kitchen without inspiration for either of the two classes I am to teach this evening. The sequences and plans are all laid, I just don't know how I'm going to inspire students and touch their hearts. So, I went back to the beginning and asked: What do I want them to feel, and get from this or any class?

and my answer was that I really want people to Love their Lives! I want them to get excited and inspired during the practice and for that to bubble over into excitement and inspiration towards loving their lives!!

(that solved the theme problem)

I think back to what Todd often says which is: The way to happiness is to figure out what you Love and to find a way to spend more time with it. Do what you Love and you will be Happy.

I have to agree. This year has been a year of rooting myself and grounding myself into my own life. A year of finding out what is important to me and letting what isn't important fall away like the leaves off the trees. As I come to the autumn of this year of hugging-in I can tell you I am WAY happier in my life than I was just last year at this time. I'm extremely more at home in my life and it is because I'm constantly clearing away what does not serve me and moving always towards what makes me happy. That means I turn off the TV more often and pick up my sewing projects. I get off the internet and settle onto my mat. I don't bother with people who aren't bothering with me and put my energy into those who I love and adore. And I step away from facebook to give the time and attention to class planning and presentation that is needed for a kick-butt class. My life is rocking in a way it never rocked before. Because I'm actually IN it and am carving out moment by moment the time and space to do what just makes me happy.

Thing is, when we ground ourselves and root ourselves into what brings us joy there is an automatic opening. Our hearts swell and overflow because our soul is getting so deeply fed. When the heart is swollen to overflowing that's when we know we're tapping into Source and making our way, even briefly into connection with the deepest joy, Ananda, that is the ground of being for all of existence. And that, my friends, is a good enough reason for me to get on the mat time and time again.

Contemplate: What brings me joy and how can I do more of it? (and if you don't know what brings you joy... think about when you were 5 or 10 years old, what brought you joy then? it will probably bring you joy now too)