In two weeks, I am joining guests at the beautiful Kripalu Yoga Center to explore how/why we build a sense of happiness when the world is difficult, or pain has erupted, or our lives have been altered. We gather each year for a number of reasons:
-to find a way through our days with concrete ideas about how to move forward
-to gather with others and learn from their wisdom about what really helps, and what really doesn’t
-to give ourselves a chance to acknowledge how hard it can be to understand the upheavals, injustices, violence, and capriciousness of life
-to rest
-to find a way back to self-compassion
-and to consider the possibility that even as our hearts are tender and our minds a swamp of doubt and fear and hurt, we seek hope, peace, and a return to some form of happiness.
We don’t gather to pretend that all is well, or all will always be well, but rather to find a way to hold what is broken and experience the good anyway. We are remarkable in this way – we can hold the heartbreak and joy at the same time. That may now seem impossible to you in this moment…and there is a way to do so. There is a way to build a template within ourselves of never denying our pain, while elevating those choices that are life-giving.
If you are suffering or worried or exhausted…
If the world seems an insane place…
If you are simply tired of seeing the glass empty of nourishment…
Or if you are interested in learning more about our astonishing ability to be resilient and love our lives, please consider joining me: https://kripalu.org/presenters-programs/finding-happiness-difficult-times
Sending love,
Maria
For a bit more on why joy is so important, take a moment to read this wise blog from Dr. Lindsey Godwin: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/possibilitizing/202501/finding-joy-when-the-world-feels-heavy
