Across the community, across the country, throughout the world… we are all living through some heaviness, challenges, and divisiveness. Regardless of your political, religious, or social affiliations, it is without a doubt an emotionally charged time. Turning on the news, scrolling through your feed, or simply opening your email can trigger that familiar cortisol rush that leaves you tense and on edge.
So what can we do to counter this almost constant barrage of stress-inducing input?
Find the joy.
Joy isn’t unique to humans. Science has long documented joyful behavior in dolphins, elephants, apes—even antelopes and great blue herons. Joy is thought to help species adapt to a changing world and strengthen their social bonds.
In humans, joy releases serotonin and dopamine—the “feel-good” chemicals—and lowers cortisol levels. It shifts us from “fight, flight, or freeze” into “rest and digest.” It can calm our hearts, lower blood pressure, and give our bodies a much-needed reprieve from stress.
Finding joy doesn’t mean we have to be happy all the time. Rather, it means noticing the small, simple moments that bring a smile to our faces: a toddler tossing fall leaves in the air, the community coming together for a parade, laughter spilling from a morning Pilates class, or that first sip of coffee shared with a friend.
What if we set an intention to notice joy sprinkled throughout our days? To pause for a moment when something makes us smile or laugh or warms our hearts?
And how can we bring this intention to our mats? Can we play with our poses? Laugh when the wind knocks us out of tree pose? Bring lightness to our practice when it challenges us physically or mentally? When we arrive on our mats, can we take a deep breath and find joy simply in being present—in this space, in this moment?
What would happen if we all began to recognize the joy woven into our daily lives? Could we ripple that joy outward—to our families, our circles, our greater communities?
Tell us—what brought you joy today?