About Joy and Pleasure

Last week, I spent some days in the beautiful Belgian Ardennes with my College of Life’s colleagues… Every day we aligned to our invisible Board of Directors. Normally, often we ask ourselves; ‘what do I want, what do we want as teachers in the College’? This week we asked you; ‘what do you want us to do, what are your intentions with the College’? And you gave us beautiful inspirations, as well as very practical guidelines.
What I want to talk to you about Dad, is Joy. For this also came up in the Tuesday night meditation group. What do you have to say about it?

“Hi Bon, your friend Hoogie is here with me.”

That is so nice! Yes, I can feel him. It has been a while, this is an unexpected surprise. Love to feel him. (Hoogie was my old tutors nickname. He came to our Sunday morning circle often.) By the way Dad, I felt Huib too yesterday. Out of the blue the song ‘Goodbye Mr. Lawrence ‘was played on the radio. Remember how he always played that for me on the piano, because I love that song so much? Are you all having some kind of reunion over there?

“Haha Bon, yes, you could call it a reunion.  You usually have a good sense of what we are doing here, what we are talking about. We were discussing joy and how important it is in your life. Joy is more than fun, more than ‘Oh, I am having such a good time’ or  ‘Oh, it is so nice’. Those are feelings of pleasure. There is nothing wrong with pleasure of course, but this talk is about joy. Joy is a deeper feeling, coming from within. Joy is that moment your soul is being touched and awakened. It is that moment when your soul shows you the way. Mind you, we are talking about feeling, not thinking. If you have a decision to make and you take your time for it, become quiet and listen, your soul will show you a path of joy, freedom, peace. While at the same time, the mind can protest by saying ‘don’t do this’, ‘be careful’, ‘are you sure’ and other doubtful thoughts. We have told you this before Bon and indeed, yesterday evening was the sequel to that conversation. It is not about enjoying what you have to do.  Feel the difference between joy and enjoying what to do. Or the difference between joy and not liking what to do. Sometimes things come by on your life’s path that you do not enjoy, you don’t like to do. But when you feel within, on a deeper level you still feel joy. A lot of people though, start doubting when they stumble upon things in life they don’t like. At that moment, it is so important to become quiet, to feel deep within, to imagine what could happen if you just steadily continue on your path.
Joy is a quality of the soul and is not easily blown away by fear or doubt. Unfortunately, so many people do not walk the path of joy, but the path of pleasure…. That path has many distractions and contradictions and often leads to pain and disappointment. “

Hmm Dad, tell me more….

“Joy is the connection to the Divine, Source, God, Love or what name you want to give it. It is a profound feeling of trust while you are walking your life’s path. Joy feels good, for you and for everybody. And while on your path, you have to do things that are not always enjoyable, and you encounter challenges. Earthly events and challenges that will leave you out of balance. But underneath all that there is Joy, a layer deep within where you feel trust, and where you know that you are always guided, supported and carried.”

Ok Dad, so the key to life is to walk the path of joy. And that sounds like super fun, but is not always easy.

“Exactly Bon, since it is not about fun. It is more, it is different. It is joy. Many confuse these two.
We would like to invite all readers to close their eyes and breathe slower and deeper. And when you feel relaxed, make a connection to the feeling of joy that lies within each of us. Set your intention on really feeling it, focus your attention and wait. Ask our help if you don’t feel it immediately. And just wait. Wait until you feel it, this deep feeling from within surfacing like bubbles. It will come naturally. The feeling of joy has no need for a cause or a reason. It just needs your attention. Bring this feeling into consciousness and let it make you aware of what really brings joy in your life. Sometimes this will mean making choices that seem odd from an earthly point of view. Choices that people around you might not understand. How often do you feel ‘I really want to do this, but what if I disappoint people, or what if I fail’, while deep within you knów it will be good for you.
What benefits your soul does not always has to benefit your ego or personality. So take your time, be quiet, listen. Give your inner joy a voice and let her speak to you, let her tell you what she can bring you.

It is like seeing a magnificent sunset all alone on a beach, or people telling you, you did something good. Can you feel the difference, how it makes you feel deep within?”

Thanks Dad, that was beautiful.

<3 Bonnie

Liefde is de vlam die de ziel doet ontvlammen

Irene - de Levensinitiaties en Heelwording

Na de Levensinitiaties ben ik Heelwording aan het volgen. Wat een diepgaande transformatie vindt er in mij plaats. Ik vind mijn essentie en kracht om te leven vanuit mijn ziel en ben steeds minder bang om daadwerkelijk die stappen te zetten.

Jennecke - Mystieke avonden

Heerlijke avonden waarbij ik kan herbronnen en geinspireerd raak door de teksten en muziek, telkens weer. De meditaties voelen voor mij diep en helend op een heel laagdrempelige manier. Ik kan het van harte aanbevelen.

Ilona Sitskoorn - Ibiza retraite

De diepgang in een retraite als deze ontstaat alleen als je door ware leermeesters begeleid wordt. En dat zijn jullie Bonnie en Irina! De plaatsen waar jullie mij naar toe hebben begeleid, hebben wederom voor mooie inzichten gezorgd. Ik heb nu op een nog diepere laag ervaren wat thuiskomen bij jezelf betekent. Ik ben dankbaar dat ik jullie al jaren ken en ik hoop nog heel lang met jullie mee te mogen lopen op dit pad. Elke retraite opnieuw word ik nog een laag dieper begeleid. Dank jullie wel, jullie zijn magisch…

Karijn Kees - Ibiza & mystieke transformatie retraite

Tijdens deze retreat heb ik voor eens en altijd ervaren dat je nooit alleen bent. Dat er vanuit de ongeziene wereld altijd hulp in overvloed is. Bonnie en Irina zijn docenten die je vanuit directe inspiratie, liefdevol en vastberaden begeleiden tijdens levensveranderende sessies.
De locatie is bovendien prachtig en er wordt heerlijk vegetarisch voor je gekookt.
Voor mij zijn er tijdens deze retraite werelden geopend waar ik het bestaan niet van wist. En ik dacht dat ik al veel had ervaren.

Sandra - mystieke transformatie retraite
Magische ervaring! Ik heb meerdere retraites mogen ervaren maar deze overtrof alles. Mooie cirkels, persoonlijke reading en nog meer bewustwording op wie ik nu eigenlijk ben. Genoeg aandacht van Bonnie & Irina, ruimte voor contemplatie. Bovendien was de locatie ook prachtig. Rustige omgeving en een heerlijk bed. Als afsluiter… heerlijk plant based keuken.