Teacher Training

Joy Study

A six-month education on the emotions of learning, growth and human flourishing.

Positive emotions are more than good feelings. Research reveals that specific emotions build distinct psychological resources - broadened attention, deeper social bonds and capacity for resilience. These resources compound and coalesce into upward spirals of personal and social growth.

The Joy Study brings this well established science into structured practice, studying six positive emotions through first hand experience and the design of task, environment and communication.

Learn about the six emotions most relevant to learning, and get an overview of the Joy Study Teacher Training:

Joy

›What creates joy?
Pleasurable excitement — when something good is happening and you can fully engage with it.
›What does joy create?
Broadened attention, play, creativity, and connection.

Pride

›What creates pride?
Effort-attributed success after engagement with meaningful challenge — effortful accomplishment that feels earned and important.
›What does pride create?
Motivation, persistence, the desire to do well, willingness to take on challenges.

Serenity

›What creates serenity?
A settled state in safe conditions — or trained capacity to remain settled regardless of what's arising.
›What does serenity create?
Sustained attention, recovery from stress, non-reactive presence, confidence in uncertainty.

Love

›What creates love?
Shared positive emotion in close synchrony — moments of mutual attunement and care.
›What does love create?
Deep social bonds, immune function, prosocial orientation, the foundation of long-term flourishing.

Interest

›What creates interest?
Novelty or complexity appraised as comprehensible and relevant — new things you feel you can engage with.
›What does interest create?
Knowledge, skill, exploration, expansion of what one can attend to.

Inspiration

›What creates inspiration?
Encounter with something exceptional that exceeds what we know — and calls for us to grow.
›What does inspiration create?
Vision, motivation toward higher goals, creative output, sense of purpose.

Hover or tap any month to see what it covers

Six months, six emotions.

The six months of Joy Study Six emotions across six months — pride, serenity, joy, inspiration, interest, love. Pride Month 1 Building self-belief and motivation through effort and attribution Serenity Month 2 Slowing, opening and focusing through mindfulness-based exercises Joy Month 3 Cultivating energy and enthusiasm through lightness and excitement Inspiration Month 4 Drawing in creative energy for motivation and accommodation of new perspectives Interest Month 5 Creating motivation to learn and engage seriously with new behaviours Love Month 6 Creating the conditions for trust and social bonds to emerge

What a month of study looks like

What a month of study looks like Four weeks. Recorded lectures and assignments are released in week one. A 21-day experiential practice runs across the first three weeks. Two live discussions in weeks two and three. Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Recorded lectures on the science and design of an emotion
Assignments on design and communication
Live discussions to explore and apply the work
21-day experiential practice to embody the emotions

Who is the Joy Study for?

The Joy Study is designed for people who are already working with people in some capacity — as coaches, teachers or therapists. Specific prior training is not required, and the course has proven valuable to both new and experienced professionals.

Because the Joy Study works with broad principles that apply across domains, a wide range of professionals from personal trainers, physiotherapists, parkour coaches, climbing instructors and yoga teachers have joined. What all of these different people share is intellectual curiosity and openness to experience.

What do you get from completing the Joy Study?

  • A Joy Study certificate marks your professional development, and your understanding of the design of six different emotions.

  • An ebook provides insights on the assessment and design of learning emotions.

  • The body of work you produced through the assignments (your designs, reflections and recordings) will help you understand the theory and practice of designing emotions.

  • Long term connections with a cohort of like minded movement teachers — many friendships and professional have emerged from the Joy Study.

When is the next Joy Study?

  • The next Joy Study begins on the 12th of September 2026, ending March 2027

  • Early bird pricing is 850 EUR until August 1st

  • Full price is 1100 EUR

  • Payments can be made in full or in three parts

  • Relative pricing is available for individuals living in lower GDP countries — such as Brazil.

  • Please contact me directly for any questions: contact@flynndisney.com

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