Cultivating Gratitude- Being Present to What’s Already Here!

Today we celebrate Thanksgiving Holiday in United States- a time for togetherness, appreciation, and gratitude. Recognizing there is also uncertainty, turbulence, and change in the air, and also we all carry a river of emotions and thoughts in our unique ways. With cultivation of gratitude and appreciation, I have always felt connected to a larger belonging, even when there are challenges. Neuroscience studies suggest practicing gratitude can help negative ruminations in the mind and reframe pessimistic thoughts into optimism and help sustain building resilience and well-being. Science also points out when we exchange “thank you” messages, our brain has the capacity to redirect attention to what we have, activating our intrinsic motivation, and opening opportunities to present moment awareness.

“Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never ever have enough.”- Oprah Winfrey

MINDFUL GRATITUDE- Exercise (10 minutes)

Here is a simple mindfulness practice with instructions you may explore.

Warmly welcome yourself to be here and say thank you to yourself for taking time to experiment. Taking a comfortable position that helps you to be stable and upright. No need to rush. Feel free to close your eyes if that is helpful, or you may leave them open with a soft gaze. Let the hands rest in an easy and effortless way. Invite a relaxed, open curiosity like a child.

Bring to mind an uplifting motivation to this experiment. For example, you may think to yourself, may my participation bring ease and peace to me and my loved ones. May the shared benefits ripple out to help the entire world.

Take a couple of slow, deep breaths mindfully. Now, breathing naturally, and letting the awareness rest on the breath. Noticing the release and relaxation with each outbreath. How intimately can you be aware of your breath? As I breathe in, I am aware I am breathing in, as I breathe out, I am aware I breathing out. Dropping into the here and now and contacting your wholeness. Aware- This is breathing!

Now shift to anchor yourself in gratitude to promote a shift in perspective, by inclining the mind to abundance and choosing what is already here. Letting curiosity be your touchstone. You may use your creativity and imagination in this reflection.

• Bring to mind the gift of life itself- the fact you are sitting here, breathing, heart pumping blood moment by moment, and the gift of the rhythm of the heartbeat. Saying thank you.

• Bring to mind a loved one, some relationship not too complicated- maybe a child, a pet or a favorite grandma. Visualize the memories with them, and reflect why you want to thank them and what gifts do they offer? Saying thank you.

• Bring to mind your co-workers, even with the challenges, visualize, how they help you, maybe mentors who helped you learn, their care and collaboration -saying thank you.

• Expand the circle to include those who you may not know well, such as the delivery drivers who are delivering holiday gifts at your doorstep- saying thank you.

• Now widen the circle to include your family, friends, pets, those who smile at you, cheer you on and include your ancestors -their work and their blessings-saying thank you.

Now take a moment to include yourself- Appreciate yourself and reflect on your own talents and gifts and other reasons to be grateful this moment. Radiating good wishes with your embodied grateful presence to include all beings in the universe.

Take a deep breath in. And let it go. Notice how you feel. Notice if anything has shifted inside with the practice. If nothing has shifted that is OK too. Open your eyes if they are closed and come back to your surroundings, and notice what you see, hear, and feel!

THANK YOU!