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I've been focusing a LOT on Joy lately... you got a hint of that in last month's Deb's Picks, and even moreso in the past few weeks if we're connected on Instagram and/or Facebook. (If not, join me there!)

Well, maybe more accurately, I've been re-activating my life-long connection to joy. And that's because in mid-September, I was introduced to the "Chair of Joy™" movement.

I admit, when my dear friend Minx (she's one of the co-authors on our Authentic Woman Seasonal Playbooks) turned me on to it, my knee-jerk reaction was to roll my eyes and think "Really?? You want me to jump onto that clichéd JOY bandwagon with Oprah and Deepak??"

I'm still unpacking exactly why I responded like that... something about not wanting people to think I was superficial or "Pollyanna-ish" to be so passionate about joy, especially in the midst of tumultuous times. And also feeling as I have in the past, that I have to tone down my natural enthusiasm cuz it's "too much" for some people. (I actually had a friend in high school tell me I was depressing to be around because I was always so cheerful.)

Whatever it was, within a few weeks, I was with the totally joy-full, visionary founder of Joyely, Sheryl Lynn, introducing the Chair of Joy™ (CoJ) experience at two different events in Trenton, NJ. I was blown away by the reactions of people who participated and sat in Sheryl's magical "throne" (that's me in it above!), from burly maintenance guys and police detectives, to sensitive social workers and pastors. (You can click on the photo to go right to Joyely.com and find out more.)

So what exactly is this "experience"? Basically. it's a 4-part meditation -- SIT, BREATHE, THINK, FEEL -- that anyone can do, anywhere, in just a few minutes. So simple and, I'm discovering, incredibly powerful. I now do it every day -- in my office, on the subway, under one of my trees -- and have introduced it to tons of people already, including highlighting it in one of my recent YouTube videos (definitely check that out to get a taste.)

An added bonus, and something that really locked in the importance of this work for me, is that there's an extensive body of neuroscience research that shows the affects of JOY on the brain, and by extension, in your life. A regular, mindful practice focused on joy can help reduce stress, lower your blood pressure and heart rate, and increase resilience and productivity. Pretty cool, huh?!

One of the reasons I think the CoJ is so powerful is that you actually evoke a special "chair" and place yourself in it very viscerally during the meditation. As one of my coach friends said after he went through it, "I get it now -- imagining yourself physically sitting in a significant chair really allows you to fully embody the experience of joy."

And the earthy-y, body-loving energy of the upcoming Taurus Full Moon is the perfect time to introduce this to my Spirited Living community! The fact that we're now moving through the deep, transformative Scorpio season from October 23rd -- November 22nd only highlights this embodied energy as well.

So be sure to join us for my upcoming Taurus/Scorpio Full Moon TeleMeditation this Friday, October 27th when, among other things, I'll lead everyone through a Chair of Joy experience! Click HERE for details on how to join us. Hope to “hear” you then.

Our next FREE Full Moon Tele-Meditation is 

And our next VIRTUAL New Moon SisterCircles

will be on Mon., November 13th

Details in the sidebar above!