6-Minute Video Meditation to Cultivate Joy

Celebrate the positive

Getting Started

• Find a quiet place to sit comfortably upright—at the edge of your bed, on the floor, or in a chair

• Close your eyes and tune into the breath or another point of focus to be fully present

• Relax your body—loosen your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and soften your brows

If you've stumbled across this meditation, we can assume you could use some joy in this moment. If you're not feeling your best today, that's perfectly OK and normal. When we feel down and out, it can be tempting to try to turn our feelings around so we can go on about our day. But studies show that spreading loving kindness to others, even when you're not in a place to do so yourself, can do wonders for your own mental health.

You don't even necessarily need to perform acts of generosity if you're not up for it. Turns out that simply wishing others well can lower our anxiety, boost our happiness, and increase our feelings of empathy and connectedness. Practice loving-kindness meditation and reap the benefits of doing so in this brief meditation.

Takeaway

This meditation is also a part of Verywell Mind’s 30-day meditation email series, Pause & Play. Sign up here to subscribe and continue your mindfulness journey with us. For more videos, check out our meditation library.

Read the original article on Verywell Mind.