As Thich Nhat Hanh said,
Letting go gives us freedom,
And freedom is the only condition for happiness.
Welcome to today's meditation on happiness.
Allow this quote to guide you into a deeper understanding of happiness as a state of being that arises when we release attachment and cultivate inner peace.
Begin by finding a comfortable seated position,
Gently closing your eyes,
And taking in a deep breath through your nose as you fill up your belly with air.
Exhale out your mouth.
Inhale a deep breath in,
Feeling your chest and abdomen expand,
Inhaling freedom and happiness.
As you exhale,
Release any tension that you may be holding onto,
Letting it melt away with each exhale,
Exhaling self-doubt and fear.
Try this again three times with your own breathing cadence,
Consciously expanding and inhaling freedom and happiness,
Consciously releasing and exhaling self-doubt and fear.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Inhale,
And exhale.
Take a moment to reflect on what freedom means to you.
Is it a sense of liberation from worries and expectations,
Or perhaps a feeling of lightness and spaciousness?
Whatever it may be,
Know that true freedom comes from within,
From the ability to let go of what no longer serves us.
Freedom is,
Indeed,
The ticket to happiness.
As you continue to breathe deeply,
Visualize a beautiful garden within your heart.
This garden represents your inner sanctuary,
A place of peace and tranquility where happiness blooms freely.
Maybe your garden is in the kitchen,
On a football field,
By the ocean,
Sitting on the couch with family,
Or facilitating a massive conference.
Whatever this image is,
Allow this image of freedom and happiness flood into your heart right now.
With each breath,
Allow this garden to grow and flourish,
Filling your entire being with a sense of happiness and contentment.
Feel the gentle breeze of freedom as it moves through the garden,
Carrying away any doubts or fears.
Now inviting a time when you felt truly free to appear in your mind's eye.
It could be a moment of forgiveness,
A leap of faith,
Or simply being in the present moment.
Hold onto this feeling,
Allowing it to fill you with gratitude and appreciation for the freedom you have within.
As you bask in this feeling of freedom,
Remind yourself that you have the power to cultivate this feeling at any moment.
It is not solely dependent on external circumstances,
But rather on your own state of mind.
Taking a few more deep breaths,
Taking these next few moments to soak into the feelings of freedom and happiness that surround you.
Rather than searching for freedom and happiness outside of you,
How can you cultivate freedom and happiness from within,
So that your external environment can match your inner coherence?
Remember,
Happiness is not something to be pursued.
It is a state of being that arises when we let go and embrace the freedom within.
Cultivate this experience with love,
Gratitude,
And mindfulness,
And watch as it transforms your world.
Taking in a deep inhale and a cleansing exhale,
Inviting some gentle movement to your fingers and your toes,
Floating both hands to rest on top of your heart,
Acknowledging the love of freedom and happiness within,
And acknowledging all emotions and all experiences that you carry,
Because all of you matters.
Closing this practice with an inhale,
Exhale,
Leaving you with Thich Nhat Hanh's quote one more time,
Letting go gives us freedom,
And freedom is the only condition for happiness.
Gently floating your eyes open,
Returning to your surroundings,
Sending you peace.
