GRATITUDE AS A MINDFUL PRACTICE IN DAY TO DAY LIFE

       

Gratitude is a great  ATTITUDE which can be developed in a deeper sense on a "daily basis" to elevate us to a greater ALTITUDE... as we get entangled in the vicissitudes 

of daily grind. .  It can truly be an antidote to stress..  If only we can learn the art of sanitizing our minds, with consistent practice of  'Living in Gratitude"..... exactly in the rhythm

of our breathing (to be precise), we can reap the great benefits to holistic healing.

Primarily, we need to understand that it is much more than the lip service of saying "thank you'. .  It is the FEELING of ABUNDANCE to sense the gratitude as a mindfulness

exercise as a ritual.  A thankful heart is on a continuous feast with every heartbeat; as it  can be tuned to pulsate with gratitude in all the activities all through our wakeful

hours to bring about  WELLNESS  both to our body and mind.

Secondly, before we  understand "why" gratitude is important to inculcate in our daily life, let us get clarity about how our bodies function based on our thoughts and feelings.

Quantum physics says... EVERYTHING  is ENERGY.  So, our THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS are also subtle forms of energy vibrations which are responsible to bring vibrant health to our cells... leading to happiness.  YES! every cell in our body is eavesdropping on our thoughts and feelings.  So, unless we change our thought patterns, we will continue to recycle the stressful experiences again and again.

"As you think,,, you feel...as you feel you radiate..as you radiate...you create"  .  Hence.. to create ABUNDANCE we need to FEEL and THINK abundance.. Living in GRATITUDE is the shortcut  to bring holistic wellness into our lives.. These FEELINGS and THOUGHTS of ABUNDANCE can bring chemical changes at the cellular level; when the neurotransmitters release the feel good hormones like the endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin etc... which can actually decrease... cortisol  the stress hormone to most minimal .... leading to illness..  

To dispel darkness, all that we need to do is bring light into it.  Similarly, GRATITUDE is the "light of healing" to dispel illness !! So... the dire need today for HOLISTIC WELLNESS is to develop our own customised GPS.  (Gratitude Positioning System) '

Now... HOW to "kick start"  this Gratitude in our daily routine?

One of the important laws which governs the universe is the LAW OF ATTRACTION.  Our energy field is like the "magnet" which can attract what we radiate.. as mentioned earlier.   Hence....living in gratitude  as a "way of life" impacts all the areas of our life and can magically transform every aspect of our living. 

The easiest way one can kick start this attraction is COUNTING THE BLESSINGS we are blessed with... which we so easily overlook.... or take it for granted!

So to begin with this WELLNESS program for ourselves.. Maintain a GRATITUDE JOURNAL wherein we write (not key-in) five things daily as a ritual for what we feel grateful for... and thank the people or situations connected to.. Also to list all the bountiful blessings we get from the nature around.

All of us have a "To-do" list to accomplish, which is good... but let us also have a "To-Be" list so that we can truly  transform ourselves from Human DOINGS to Human BEINGS.

If we cannot get to do what we love, let us learn to love what we do.. by simply focusing on gratitude in whatever activity we're doing.

To just BE, we need to train ourselves to tune in to our breaths every now and then... to truly sense our BEINGNESS (minus the ear phones). Every two to three hours, just for

three to five minutes. "Being  with our breathing" can calm us down and relax us. It can ground us to the present moment in hand, making us more productive and dynamic with the task at hand.

As we "implant" the thoughts and feelings of  abundance in our subconscious mind, our brains can be re-wired and outlook to  life changes. It is the small habits in the morning which  sets the tone for the day. So, what we talk to the self, what we read, what we watch, with whom we interact determine the energy level in us!  Let us learn to take the first pause in our mornings to make a new beginning each day and intentionally infuse gratitude.. to bring out the best version of ourselves.

Finally a few simple do-able  tips.

1. In the morning after we wake up and before we get out of the bed.. Thank the sun light.. the wonderful dawn.. for seeing us alive. Thank the  bed which gave the sound sleep in the night which made us fresh and rejuvenated . As we put the feet on the ground, Thank the planet Earth for sustaining life for us with bountiful blessings. Take a few breaths with awareness and FEEL abundance from within to truly get connected to the new day ahead

2. As we brush our teeth, we can practice SELF LOVE.  do the Self talk.. Thanking the teeth, the tongue, oral cavity, all the organs (the Lungs, heart, brain, kidneys, pancreas  etc etc), all the systems (respiratory, Neural, Lymphatic, endocrine, excretory, etc etc), all our five sense organs making us sense the world around us. How many times have we thanked our "hands" for  "doing" all that we DO. Or the "legs" which walk this planet?..in perfect coordination ..bringing health to both the hemispheres of our brain.

 Every morning.. say..  I Am Grateful for the unique expression of this wonderful creation.  Appreciate the miracle happening inside without any reminders from our side!

Remember! the more we acknowledge and appreciate our good health.. the more good health we attract.. as the Love energy weaves magic inside.

3. Thank and feel the 'abundance'.for the WATER (which is the source of LIFE) every time we sip water, or use it for so many other purposes, let us FEEL deep gratitude for this irreplaceable blessing on this planet. Water has a great memory and by simply expressing our Love and thanks to it.. we can  change the molecular structure of it which can carry the message of LOVE to our cells.

4..Feeling abundance from within as we take our FOOD... Thank the farmers who grow it, the fire which cooks it,  the Trees which are constantly supplying for our nourishment, and thank all the other invisible forces and people who are responsible to bring food to our plates day in and day out.  Allow the feelings of gratitude to increase exponentially with every meal.

Declare respect and value to the digestive system which is making the person we are.

5.The easiest practice of gratitude is to keep thanking ALL the inanimate objects we use in our daily life.  making our life easy. At home, including all our personalised items from toothbrushes, combs to the various electronic gadgets we use, the various items in the kitchen, washrooms etc etc. 

6. Thank the planet Earth for the gravity for sustaining life to so many lakhs of species, the ozone layer, the forests, the wild life, the marine life, the natural resources and minerals, the mountains, natural flora and fauna etc.  Connecting to nature as much as we can and thanking every step while we walk... ( minus the ear phones) can ground us beyond our imagination. Hugging a tree is also very therapeutic  . Try it.

7. A challenging gratitude task would be to thank all the so called negative people and negative past events. By focussing on the lessons learnt therein... by simply focussing on the positive aspects of it and express heartfelt gratitude.. can help in transformation from within. (this can be a weekend activity)

8. Appreciate, compliment and thank parents, siblings, friends, and all our support system.. be it maids, drivers and all our service providers to make our life smooth and comfortable.

9. Thank your jobs, your team mates, colleagues. Thank the organisation for hiring you and for bringing out the best out of you. Thank all the money you earn and spend ..to be blessed with more wealth to sail through smoothly.  Basically love everything and everyone in the day.  Each day... every day that follows.

Last but not least.. start your day with Gratitude, end your day with gratitude and FILL the day with Gratitude... To experience a blissful life, waiting to bloom and be the best version of ourselves... moment to moment.. breath to breath.... 

Let us all commit to  Live in Gratitude, as a way of life!!. THANK YOU.....

Savitri Patnaik.

Reiki Grand master