Reclaiming Joy in Our Lives
My favorite sound in the world is my four year old son’s laughter–it’s a full belly laugh that exudes joy.
He delights in life — from spontaneously dancing just for fun, singing to himself at the top of his lungs, getting swept away by the thrill of a good story or silently taking in the wonder in our backyard.
Who knew snails could be so exhilarating?
Taking cues from my son, Kailash, is the most powerful spiritual practice.
When did you last feel joy? Did you savor it and breathe it in?
The Four Healing Salves
Cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien observed a commonality in indigenous cultures across the world that she referred to as “Four Healing Salves” present to balance the community: Dancing, Singing, Storytelling, and Silence. I invite you to reflect on the following questions from Arrien to inspire more moments of joy this season.
During the pandemic, and in the midst of having a young child, my husband and I realized we had stopped dancing. So we decided to have our own pajama dance party and had SO MUCH FUN! Here’s our playlist — we alternated choosing songs. Have your own dance party with a loved one or get your groove on yourself. Just do what more of what brings you JOY!
Author Bio: Meena Srinivasan is a contemplative leader, celebrated speaker, accomplished author, and visionary edupreneur. She is an educator-activist at heart, consistently championing the fusion of Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, and Belonging. Meena was featured as one of 2022’s 10 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement in Mindful Magazine and is the Executive Director of Transformative Educational Leadership (TEL)™ an organization that supports educational leaders in building more compassionate and just schools. A former public school administrator and National Board Certified Teacher, Meena is the creative force behind the SEL Every Day Online Courses, an instructor of graduate level Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) courses at UC Berkeley and the CEO of Karuna Consulting, LLC, an organization that takes its name from the Sanskrit word ‘Karuna,’ signifying compassion. Karuna Consulting is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) driven by a profound mission: to foster a more compassionate world through Meena’s keynotes, professional learning, coaching, and consulting services. She is the author of numerous publications including Teach, Breathe, Learn and SEL Every Day. The latter was honored as one of 2019’s Favorite Books for Educators by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Her TEDx talk on Tenderness is one of the most popular TEDx talks of 2024 (with over 2 million views). Meena has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 25 years, is an ordained Zen Buddhist and serves on the Board of the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation. Learn more at meenasrinivasan.com.
