On Joy
During the beginning of the pandemic my fiance, Jon-Luke and I spent a year traveling in a 1979 yellow Volkswagen T2 camper bus. It was full of some of the highest highs, exploring national parks, getting our yoga and meditation certifications, visiting friends and so many others. But it also came with some unfortunate lows as well, Jon-Luke broke his foot, and the bus, which wasn’t kept in good condition prior to us owning it, had many breakdowns, almost one in every state.
When we are asked about our trip we often use the word joy to describe the feelings of our adventure and many respond with “yes of course it must have been exhilarating!”
Many people confuse joy and exhilaration or think they are one in the same. But they are actually quite different. Exhilaration is the peak of the mountain, and joy is the pleasure of the hike. Joy is the gentle feeling of knowing for certain that you are in the right place at that moment. It’s a warm blanket of peace that encompasses you.
If you’ve ever driven an old vehicle without power steering or cruise control you know that it is a much more active drive than our modern cars. The steering wheel wobbles back and forth, your foot is always on a pedal, and you are continuously gauging your speed and your incline deciding when to shift gears and it was not uncommon for us to drive 4-6 hours in a given day. But every once in a while you would go down a hill that was just the right angle and the car was just the right weight and you would begin to coast at a perfect 72 mph. And for this moment, it is as if time has slowed, and for the first time in hours you can relax your foot and let the wind from the open windows blow through your hair. This small simple moment of where everything is working out just as it should, is true joy.
Blog post written by Audrey Rose. You can join her for class on Thursdays at 9:30am and Fridays at 6:30pm.
Website: www.yogawithaudreyrose.com | Instagram: @audreyrosedoesyoga | to see more of our adventures in Bixbee the bus @pickupandtravel
