I read somewhere that we spend most of our energy suppressing bliss. I'm not sure that's true, but it does bring up the question as to the nature of our true nature. Are we sinners at the core or is it true that our fundamental essence is, as yoga says, "Satchitananda." or "Truth + Knowledge + Bliss?" (Or the bliss that arises in recognizing what is true.)
Saturday, August 25th I'll be leading a daylong retreat (9:30 - 3:30) in Fredericksburg, VA called Increasing Your Capacity for Joy.
We'll explore this questions not just intellectually, but through engaging into practice.
A few decades ago we designed a weeklong retreat called "The Joy of Artful Living." It was crammed with movement, dance, meditation, writing and art. We anticipated lively, 'go for it' participants for the week. In retrospect, it wasn't a shock that who showed up were folks who felt anything but joy in their lives and desperately wanted to tap in to the juice.
When we focus on joy, inevitably we experience, in great detail, that which is between us and that state.
That's where meditation and inquiry come in. Once we really see the patterns that create that sense of separation, new possibilities emerge.
It's a bit of a haul from DC, but a beautiful area. Click here for more information and to register.