Finding Joy Through Mindfulness

Monday, June 15, we will meet in person.

Go to calendar for our schedule

Address for OHMC meditation space:
3812 Northampton St. NW, Washington DC 20015

Please arrive a few minutes early so we can invite the bell on time. You may also arrive 15 minutes early to practice working meditation by helping us set up cushions. 

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Dear friends,

This week, we will meet Monday evening, June 15, from 7-8:30PM ET in person at our meditation space (3812 Northampton Street NW); Wednesday morning, June 17, from 7-8AM ET online; Thursday morning, June 4, from 7-8AM ET online; and Friday, June 19, 12-1PM ET online/in person (Hybrid).

This week, Ellen will guide our meditation. She shares:

These are hard days and times. Stress feels like  the common denominator, and I find it hard to see and feel the joy and happiness that is available to us. Our teacher, Thay, has written extensively on ways mindfulness can show us the joy that’s there in front of us, and how to find that joy through mindfulness. This is different from the peace and serenity that we know mindfulness can bring with practice.

I was looking at various videos of and writings by Thay on this topic of joy. He makes it seem so easy and obvious though for me, and perhaps others, that’s not the case. But what better time to focus on how we can touch joy and happiness and how mindfulness helps us do that than now?

Here are some powerful quotes from Thay that speak to finding joy that I found very helpful:

“Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others.”

Thich Nhat Hanh (2005). “Wisdom from Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life”, p.11, Peter Pauper Press, Inc.

  “When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.”

Thich Nhat Hanh (2011). “The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation”, p.4, Parallax Press

“Our joy, peace and happiness depend very much on our practice of recognizing and transforming habit energies. There are positive habit energies that we have to cultivate, and negative habit energies that we have to recognize, embrace and transform. The energy with which we do these things is mindfulness.”

 “True love always brings joy to ourself and the one we love. If our love does not bring joy to both of us, it is not true love.”

Thich Nhat Hanh (1998). “The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering Into Peace, Joy, & Liberation : the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, & Other Basic Buddhist Teachings”

This Monday, we’ll gather in person and can share, for those willing: 

1. How do you touch joy?

2. How do you bring joy to others?

3. How does mindfulness help us feel and share joy in difficult times?

Ellen