Hi, Sam here. Welcome to Radio Headspace and to Wednesday.

Today I want to talk about joy. There are so many practices that are meant to cultivate

pleasant emotions like joy, and I've made a practice of looking for joy wherever I am.

Like when I'm writing at a coffee shop, I feel a sense of ease seeing other people studying

and talking, and it brings me joy to know others are enriching their lives with knowledge

and real conversation. I also find joy in seeing others help each other, and when I see parents

being patient and loving with their children. There are so many opportunities for us to catch

joy from what's going on around us. This practice took a while to become a habit for me,

and there are times when accessing joy for others can be challenging. If we're unsatisfied

in certain areas of our lives, we may feel resentment or jealousy bubble up when we see

others feeling happy, and that's okay. In those moments we can bring compassion to how

we feel, and send loving kindness to that part of us that wishes to be joyful and at ease

to. Sympathetic joy describes the practice of finding joy in others joy, and rejoicing

in others good fortune. We can practice this both on and off the cushion, meaning whether

we're meditating or not. In meditation you can think of someone you care about, and

then imagine them feeling joy and at ease. Think of the things they like to do, or see

them spending time with people they can share a laugh with. Then you can wish for their

happiness to continue to grow. You can send phrases of kindness like, may your happiness

continue to grow and grow, and may it last for as long as possible. And then linger with

the joy that this brings you in the moment, noticing sensations of ease and warmth in your

body. One of my favorite teachers and psychologists, Rick Hanson, explains that in order to hardwire

happiness, we should save our joyful times by taking stock of as many sensory details

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