Gratitude is a lovely quality to cultivate.
When you wake in the morning, practice gratitude even before you get out of bed. Naming 3 things you are grateful for will set a positive tone to your day. “I am grateful for the morning light, I am grateful for my warm bed, I am grateful for coffee.”
Say it like you mean it.
Offering gratitude before you eat a meal will help you slow down and prepare to receive the nourishment of your food. “I am grateful for the soil and the rain. I am grateful to the farmer who planted the seed and carried this food to the market.”
Yummy!
Keeping a gratitude journal by your bed and writing down what you are grateful for (no matter how small) will help you enter a time of peaceful sleep. “I am grateful for the conversation I had today. I’m grateful for my cup of tea, the book I’m about to read and my pillow.”
Ahhh….
The most powerful time to enlist the practice of gratitude is when you’re feeling really stuck.
You’re beginning to swirl downward in self-doubt and despair and you feel like there’s no way out. You’re wondering how you can possibly be in this place AGAIN?! You know you need help but you have no idea where to turn.
Find the courage to call out to gratitude.
Start naming everything you are grateful for. “I’m grateful for my children. They are such beautiful beings. I’m grateful for my home. It’s warm and comfortable. I’m grateful for the sun. It’s shining brightly today.”
You’ll begin to feel an inner shift. Your breathing will deepen. Your shoulders will relax. Tears might begin flowing.
What a relief!
Offering gratitude creates the space for love.
2 Comments
Hi Jovanna,
So tell me I have been on this roller coaster called “STUCK” how do I get off when I am locked in? I am curious what is a meditation pillow? How does one use a meditation pillow? Thank you,
Rebecca
Hello Rebecca, Sometimes “stuck” has its own timing and it seems that there’s nothing you can do shift the way you feel. Try finding respite in the present moment by tuning into what you see, feel, taste, smell or hear. Say “I see the sunlight coming in the window or I feel the wind on my face. I taste the freshness of this water or I smell the aroma of the beeswax.” As you take in the present moment you might begin to feel a sense of “all is well”.
For me, sitting on a meditation cushion in the quiet of the early morning or late evening in the presence of candlelight can ease the burden of my “stuck” thoughts.
I wish you well.