Joy

There are moments that my life is filled with so much beauty that I burst out laughing with joy – whether or not there is anyone around to hear. For instance: often when I drive down a busy highway I spot White Storks sitting on top of the highway lamps, gazing down at the traffic. They are such beautiful, elegant birds and this is such an unlikely spot for them to be! It makes my day every time.

Experiencing joy means existing totally in the moment. I can anticipate seeing the storks, hope that they will be there. But it isn’t the same and I can be disappointed. So I try to refrain from expectations and let myself be surprised. The memory of the storks is lovely but it misses the intensity of the moment itself. That moment is pure joy. The moment is short; my car speeds by in seconds. And this is also true of joy. You can’t hold on to it, you can only experience it in the moment.

The fourth rhythm of the 5 Rhythms, Lyrical, is about joy. Dance teachers say it’s the most difficult rhythm to teach. You can’t ‘do’ Lyrical, it’s there or it isn’t. However, if you ground yourself with your feet in Flowing, find your fire and courage in Staccato, and let go of everything in Chaos, there is a good chance that Lyrical will emerge. A sense of freedom, of creativity, the joy that comes when you can express your very own dance.

Sometimes we try to force joyful expression. We laugh a little too loudly or we start floating above everyone else. True joy emerges like a rainbow in your heart… and disappears just as suddenly. But if we can experience this in a conscious and mindful manner, it will continue to enrich our lives.

When do you experience real joy? What are your lyrical moments?

Images to accompany this blog